 Leaving the United States Army a few years before it was integrated , Matthews then took a job as a security guard in Maryland , rising to the rank of chief of the guards and then retiring in 1970 . After the war , he told stories of military experiences and grew to become a symbol of the Buffalo Soldiers . He met with Bill Clinton and Colin Powell in his later years , and dedicated a barracks in Virginia in honor of the Buffalo Soldiers . Having experienced excellent health for most of his life , Matthews died of pneumonia at the age of 111 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery . At the time of his death , he was recognized as the oldest living Buffalo Soldier as well as the oldest man , and the second @-@ oldest person , in the District of Columbia . 
