Henry O. Flipper (1856-1940)

Henry Ossian Flipper was born on March 21, 1856, in Thomasville, Georgia. In 1877, Flipper became the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. From 1878 to 1880, he served as a second lieutenant with the 10th Cavalry. In 1881, Flipper's commanding officer accused him of embezzlement. He was acquitted, but was dishonorably discharged in 1882. Flipper died on May 3, 1940, in Atlanta, Georgia. Decades later, in 1976, it was revealed that officers had framed him. http://www.buffalosoldier.net/HenryO.Flipper2.htm