June 10, 1918, he sailed for France and was assigned to Company M, 365th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Division – one of three black infantry divisions in combat during the war. For some unknown reason, the U.S. Army reversed Cameron's first and middle names and he was listed in his service records as Alvin H. Cameron instead of Henry A. Cameron. As an officer, he was a fastidious and capable leader who always cared about the safety and well-being of the men under his command. They succeeded in winning many battles against a fierce and determined German army in the face of insurmountable odds which unfortunately included overt discrimination received from his own U.S. Army superiors. On October 30, 1918, during the Battle of the Argonne Forest in France - one of the bloodiest battles of the war - Cameron was killed in action while on a scout patrol with his unit. He was the first of only three black men appointed officers in World War I from Tennessee and the first black officer to die from Tennessee. Cameron's body was not brought back to Nashville. His remains are still located in France at the St. Mihiel American Cemetery in Thiaucourt, France. Honors and awards Posthumous medals conferred upon Cameron for his actions during World War I include: the Croix de Guerre (awarded by the French); the Meuse-Argonne with St. Die defensive clasps; the World War I Victory Medal with battle clasps and the Purple Heart. Nevertheless, a year later in 1919, with the introduction of American Legion posts all over the U.S., the Henry A. Cameron Post 6 in Nashville, Tennessee was established in his honor. It was one of the first American Legion posts named after an African American and is still in operation today. Additionally, on November 26, 1928, in a show of honor and respect for Cameron, the Nashville City School Board named Cameron School in his honor. A large-scale photo of Cameron now hangs in the lobby of Cameron School. References External links Cameron Alumni website 1872 births 1918 deaths People from Nashville, Tennessee Fisk University alumni African-American schoolteachers Schoolteachers from Tennessee United States Army officers African Americans in World War I 20th-century African-American educators American military personnel killed in World War I United States Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from Tennessee African-American United States Army personnel