 Mark Matthews ( August 7 , 1894 ? – September 6 , 2005 ) was an American veteran of the Second World War and a Buffalo Soldier . Born in Alabama and growing up in Ohio , Matthews joined the 10th Cavalry Regiment when he was only 15 years old , after having been recruited at a Lexington , Kentucky racetrack and having documents forged so that he appeared to meet the minimum age of 17 . While stationed in Arizona , he joined General John J. Pershing 's Mexico expedition to hunt down Mexican general Pancho Villa . He was later transferred to Virginia , where he took care of President Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor 's horses and was a member of the Buffalo Soldiers ' drum and bugle corps . In his late 40s , he served in combat operations in the South Pacific during World War II and achieved the rank of First Sergeant . He was noted as an excellent marksman and horse showman . 
