This stained glass window in the Shiloh Baptist Church honors Urbane Francis Bass (April 4, 1880 – October 6, 1918), an African-American doctor and first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, who was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during World War I.
Bass was born on April 4, 1880, in Richmond, Virginia to Rosa and Richard J. Bass. His father was a salesman, alternating from shoes and clothing in the 1880s, to insurance in the 1900s. The couple had six children and lived on East Duval St. in Richmond. While in school, Bass worked as a clerk. He graduated from Virginia Union University in 1902 and the Leonard Medical School of Shaw University in 1906. After leaving Leonard, Bass began a medical practice in Richmond but by 1909 had moved to Fredericksburg where he opened a larger practice and pharmacy on Amelia Street. Bass became the first African American physician since the Reconstruction to reside in the city and his practice was well received by the African American community despite the lack of privileges given by the local hospital.In 1916, Bass wrote to Secretary of War Newton Baker, offering his services as a doctor for the armed forces. In the letter he dictated, "I am herewith offering my services for the Army Medical Corps should there be need for a Negro Physician for that branch of Service. Dr. Urbane Bass, Fredericksburg, Physician".
Bass received a commission as a First Lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps and reported for duty at Fort Des Moines on August 14, 1917. Fort Des Moines opened for training African-American men as there had been a huge influx of African-American volunteers after a petition was erected by the students of Howard University. However, there was still some discontent at the facility as many soldiers found that he had been unfairly assessed for merely being black. After receiving basic medical officer training, Bass was transferred to Camp Funston. On March 30, 1918, Bass departed for France with the 372nd Infantry Regiment of the 93rd Infantry Division.
By September 1918, the 372nd and 369th Infantry were responsible for the defenses of Bellevue Signal Ridge, and assisted the French legions in trying to fend off the German assaults coming from the trenches. Most of Bass' work was done in the front lines, in the various aid stations, dealing with immediate injuries.
On October 6, 1918, Monthois, France was facing heavy artillery fire from the Germans, leaving many wounded in the process. Bass had gone into the line to provide immediate aid to the wounded when a shell blasted in the forward aid station he had been working in. The explosion severed both of his legs around the thigh region. With not many attendants around, Bass died in minutes from shock and blood loss. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on July 9, 1918, for administering "first aid in the open under prolonged and intense shell fire until he was severely wounded and carried from the field."
Bass' body was returned home and reburied in Fredericksburg National Cemetery on July 23, 1921, making him the first African-American officer to be interred there. The Shiloh Baptist Church in Fredericksburg installed a large stained glass window incorporating Bass' image in honor of his heroism. The American Medical Association acknowledged Dr. Bass's contributions and service in their 1919 issue. In 1991, the Rebel Bowl Building in Fredericksburg was renamed the Bass-Ellison Social Services Building, in honor of Bass and his fellow Fredericksburg citizen Dr. Richard C. Ellison.
Memorial Gate was built in 1921, to honor Hampden-Sydney alumni who gave their lives for their country in the Great War. Queen Mary of England sent rosebushes to be planted behind it; they survived until the 1960s. Since the 1970s, the gate has become a memorial to alumni who had died in all the country's wars. It now includes plaques for fallen heroes of the Revolution, the War of 1812, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict, and September 11, 2001.
This memorial is located in the parking spaces directly in front of the Fleville town hall. It is dedicated to the 16th Infantry Regiment who liberated the village of Fléville on October 4th, 1918. During this liberation, 27 of the soldiers of the 16th Infantry Regiment were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
The memorial is a stone stele with a bronze plaque containing text and the symbol of the 16th Infantry Regiment. The inscription reads:
This plaque is dedicated to the men of the 16th Infantry Regiment who fought so gallantly during the heavy fighting in the Meuse-Argonne and who on October 4, 1918 liberated the village of Fleville from the Germans. During the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne and the liberation of Fleville, twenty-seven men of the Regiment received the Distinguished Service Cross, America's second highest award for gallantry in action. It was after the liberation of Fleville, that the 16th Infantry Regiment adopted the Blue and White Fur Vair shield from the town's Coat of Arms, as the background for its Regimental Crest. That crest has been worn proudly by members of the Regiment for over eighty-years and has seen service in World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam, in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and in Bosnia. The Regiment stands ready to serve again with pride and distinction. SEMPER PARATUS - ALWAYS PREPARED.
The Regiment and the village of Fleville must never forget the heroic actions of those men and their dedication to their country and the ideals of freedom. We must always remember that - FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE. In this small French village in 1918, the price of Freedom was very high.
Presented November 11, 1999 by the 16th Infantry Regiment Association.
The Lost Battalion Memorial is on the south side of the road D66/Charlevaux. It is in front of a green fence and is flanked by two flag poles. The memorial commemorates the combat of the 307th and the 308th U.S. Infantry Regiments of the 77th Division from the 2-7 October 1918.
The memorial is a stone sculpture containing helmets as well as a dove. It rests in a gravel base and is flanked by flagpoles. It was unveiled on 7 October 2008.
For more on The Lost Battalion: https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/finding-the-lost-battalion-home.html