American Notes MEMORIALS

For years the story of Matthew Henson has languished as a dusty footnote in history. Henson, an experienced Arctic adventurer, shared with Robert Peary the honor of being the first men to reach the North Pole, on April 9, 1909. Over the decades, however, Peary alone was generally credited as the first man at the Pole, despite the fact that the frostbitten explorer relied on Henson's navigational skills during the final 133-mile trek to the top of the earth. Some historians believe that Henson arrived at the pole 45 minutes before his famous colleague, but was denied credit for the feat because he was black. Quietly accepting his supporting role in history, Henson died in 1955 at the age of 88 and was buried in New York City.

Last week Henson received a belated honor when his remains were reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery. The black pioneer now rests next to Peary under a granite marker. Declared Allen Counter, who led the effort to honor the explorer: "We are assembled here today to right a tragic wrong. Welcome home, Matt Henson."