"Buffalo Soldiers couldn't write," Bell, a descendant of several Buffalo Soldiers, said. "So they couldn't tell their story."

After the Civil War, around 10,000 soldiers guarded the Western Frontier from 1866 to 1944. They were called Buffalo Soldiers by Native Americans who compared the skin and hair of black soldiers to buffaloes.

When Bell was growing up, he said he knew nothing of Buffalo Soldiers until he learned his father and other relatives served in the army cavalry and infantry units comprised of black soldiers commanded by white officers.

"It was during a time when blacks were not an important part of the United States culture," Bell said. "But without those Buffalo Soldiers, the West may not be what it is today."

Bell says for many African Americans, the period immediately after slavery ended was one without much documentation. So he formed the Buffalo Soldiers of the American West, a nonprofit group dedicated to rekindling a history once forgotten.

"I looked around the state of Colorado and no one was telling this story," Bell said.

He traveled all around the United States collecting stories, information, and artifacts to build an archive of Buffalo Soldier history. He researched army records and found Buffalo Soldier units in the 9th and 10th Cavalry Divisions.

Bell and a core group of 12 men re-enact battles and perform formation drills on horseback about 15 times a year. Another 50 times each year, they go into schools to talk about the history of the Buffalo Solders and remind people that they actually existed.

"We were left out of the history books," Fred Applewhite, a member of the Buffalo Soldiers of the American West, said. "Our goal is to bring you back in the moment in time."

All members research and take on the role of a real life soldier. Applewhite portrays Sgt. John Ward, a scout who eventually won the Congressional Medal of Honor.

"I call it a uniform. My wife calls it a costume. It all depends on your perspective," Applewhite said. "Be educational, be accurate and tell the story. That's the most important thing for both of us - is to make sure the story is told and not forgotten."

Bell portrays a regimental quartermaster sergeant whose job was to perform clerical duties and keep track of inventory.

"They were not all angels," Bell said. "They were just ordinary men."

Bell says they were just real men who worked hard to build forts, bridges, and roads, as well as protecting settlements.

He and his partners share more than a passion of Buffalo Soldiers. Half are former high level educators such as deputy superintendents and school administrators. Bell was an assistant principal. Applewhite was a department director.

"I spent my whole life trying to make a difference in education," Applewhite said. "You don't just give that up."

Bell believes the organization has the pieces in place to keep going with attempts to teach young people about Buffalo Soldiers and the role African Americans had in building the West.

"It instills a lot of pride in a lot of Black folks when they know the story that we tell," Bell said.