African-American dentists in the U.S. Army : The origins

The majority of the dentists mentioned in this work are unknown both to dental and military historians. However, the contributions of Dr. William T. Jefferson, the first African-American dentist to treat U.S. Army soldiers in Cuba, Dr. William A. Birch, the first black hospital steward/dentist to serve unofficially (as a dentist) overseas in the Philippine campaign, and the dental veterans of 1917-1918, deserve recognition. They were among the early pioneers in the U.S. Army's dental history.