“‘The Association des Aucieus Combattants de Verdun’, an organization composed of officials and prominent citizens of the City of Verdun, France, noted for its historic resistance to the German advance during the world war, has notified Lieut. Frank E. Spencer, formerly of the 369th Infantry (Old Fifteenth N.Y. Regiment) that his name has been entered in the ‘Book of Gold” of the City of Verdun.

  This ‘Book of Gold’ will eventually contain the names of all the war heroes who participated in the defense of Verdun. Lieutenant Spencer is one of the few of the allied soldiers to have his name so far and is the only American Negro so honored. He was presented with a diploma and the Medaille de Verdun.

  Lieutenane [sic.] Spencer was one of the first men to enlist in the famous 15th Regiment and upon his retirement in 1927 had served 12 and a half years. He served overseas as a sergeant and was the sergeant major for several years after the regiment has returned home. When he retired he was promoted to second lieutenant and placed on the U.S. Army Reserve Corp….

  In an interview with a representative of The Age, Lieutenant Spencer modestly declared that his name happened to be the first colored on the list of American war heroes whose names would eventually be inscribed in ‘The Book of Gold.’ He said that all the winners of the Croix de Guerre would have their names in this famous book and that there were 117 wearers of this decoration in the 369th Infantry. However Col. William Hayward, wartime commander, and Lieut. Col. McClinton are the only other members of the Regiment who can boast the honor that has come to Lieutenant Spencer.

  The colored war hero is a native of Ithaca, N.Y., and is now a clerk in the Foreign Branch of the U.S. Postal Service in New York.”

"Lieut Frank Spencer, Who Served As Sergeant-Major of the Old 15th of New York, Honored By Verdum Body," The New York Age (New York, NY), October 27, 1928, 1.