Bellevue veteran Jim Nelson is on a “magnificent mission” to right what he sees as historic racial injustices committed against black soldiers and Medal of Honor recipients, now trying more than 100 years later to offer a few the burial service they didn’t get then.

It started decades ago in Nebraska, when Nelson came across the gravestone of Sgt. Maj. Emanuel Stance, the first black recipient of the Medal of Honor following the Civil War.

“I knew that man should be in Arlington,” he said.

Stance was killed on Christmas 1887 by his own troops. Nelson said it didn’t make sense for the decorated soldier to not be buried at the Arlington National Cemetery. He later found more buffalo soldiers he said deserved a proper burial.

“I just realized that this is a wrong that has gone on for 127 years and it needed to be corrected,” he said. “And the only reason these soldiers were forgotten was because of the color of their skin.”

Without any living relatives, no one could grant Nelson permission to exhume Stance’s body, let alone transport it from Nebraska to Virginia. He contacted lawmakers and officials as high as former Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.

“Without Adam Smith, this would not be possible,” Nelson said.

Smith, who represents Washington’s 9th Congressional District, also happens to be the Ranking Member for the House Armed Services Committee.

In order to help Nelson realize his “magnificent mission,” Smith offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would grant authority to remove the remains of deceased members of the Armed Forces with no known next of kin.

“I’m doing it because it’s the right thing to do, and until this amendment gets passed, we don’t have authorization to move these fellas,” Nelson said.

Certain it will pass, Nelson will form a Magnificent Mission nonprofit to exhume Stance and other buffalo soldiers and transport them across the country, making several stops to hold military services for them at area churches and post and base chapels.

“Jim’s absolutely committed to it,” said Smith. “He just wants to make sure these soldiers get the full honors they deserve.”

To find out more about Nelson’s Magnificent Mission, contact him at 425-747-2888.