David Fagen — Left One Army, Fought for Another Hoodie

In 1899, a Black American soldier sent to put down the Philippine fight for independence made a choice almost nobody else made. He switched sides.

David Fagen, born in Tampa, Florida, in 1875, enlisted in the U.S. Army's 24th Infantry, one of the Black regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers. He was shipped to the Philippines to fight Filipinos who wanted their country back, while back home Black Americans were living under Jim Crow. Filipino revolutionaries knew it, and they left messages asking Black soldiers why they were fighting for a country that wouldn't give them equal rights.

On November 17, 1899, Fagen answered. He left the 24th Infantry and joined the Philippine Revolutionary Army. He rose to captain and led Filipino troops against U.S. forces for nearly two years. The Army put a price on his head. In 1901, a bounty hunter turned in remains he said were Fagen's, but they were never confirmed. Some say he died that year. Others say he lived out his life in the Philippines.

A traitor to one flag, a hero under another. More than a century later, people still argue about which he was. That debate is the point.

The design

Front: Captain Fagen in uniform between the U.S. and Philippine flags. "Left One Army. Fought For Another."
Back: Fagen standing with the revolutionary army under the Philippine flag, with his full story and a timeline from 1875 to 1901.
Sleeve: gold Ryland Works crown.
Honor the past. Inspire the future.
Ryland Works makes clothing for the history they left out of the textbook. Built to Endure.