Weakley County veteran is said to be last living Buffalo Soldier
SHARON, Tenn. — A man who is said to be the last living Buffalo Soldier was honored Saturday in Weakley County. Ezra Howard is a World War II veteran who was born and raised in West Tennessee. Howard was honored during the Sharon Corn and Music Festival parade. Richard Webb is a member of the Buffalo Soldiers Jackson chapter who is proud to know Ezra Howard. Webb says Howard is definitely the last living one. “We’re just proud to know him and proud to be here today to pay honor to him,” Webb said. 94-year-old Ezra Howard was a combat soldier in Italy during World War II. It can’t be said for certain that Ezra is the last living Buffalo Soldier because his friends say the government doesn’t have his DD Form 214. However, people in West Tennessee say Howard is definitely the last surviving buffalo soldier in the state. His grandson, Kelvin Ward, think it’s pretty cool, “just to be known to be the last, maybe the last Buffalo Soldier that is pure awesome.” During Saturday’s Sharon Corn and Music Festival parade members of the Rolling Thunder honored Howard during the rolling rally. Mid-parade members stopped their motorcycles and honored Howard with a salute. Howard told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News that he really enjoyed it. He explains one of his scariest memories in Italy, “actually I didn’t think I was going to make it, but the man up there brought me home.” A member of the Rolling Thunder says on Monday he will be bringing Ezra’s Howard’s honorable discharge form to the Veteran’s Affairs office in Dresden in hopes Howard will officially be listed as the last living Buffalo Soldier.
