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For Veterans Day, The Legacy Of The Nation's First African-American Colonel And Park Superintendent

Sequoia National Park Archives
Captain Young (front row, fourth from right) and his road building crew.

This Veterans Day a portion of Highway 198 next to Sequoia National Park is getting a new name in honor of Colonel Charles Young. He’s the first African American to serve as superintendent of a national park and achieve the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army.

Credit National Park Service
Col. Charles Young

To learn more about Charles Young and his legacy, FM89’s Kathleen Schock spoke with Yosemite  National Park Service ranger Shelton Johnson and author and historian Brian Shellum. We’ll also hear from Rhavie Kelly, a descendant of Col. Young.

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