On May 23, 1900, American Civil War Veteran William Harvey Carney received the Medal of Honor for saving the regimental colors of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry at Fort Wagner in 1863, famously declaring that the old flag never touched the ground. Carney was born into slavery and escaped to freedom via the Underground Railroad before volunteering for the famous all-Black regiment. Despite taking bullets to his chest, arm, and legs during the bloody charge, he refused to let go of the flag because he knew the psychological blow of losing the colors would crush his regiment’s morale.