The First Black Marines

[thedrifter]

Press Release Source: Montford Point Marines 28
The First Black Marines
Monday January 30, 8:52 am ET

CLINTON, Md., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- As February approaches, America is once again preparing to pay special tribute to the contributions of its African-American citizens. Great men and women such as Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will have their stories told and their legacies celebrated, and rightly so. This year, however, with American forces heavily committed in Iraq - and the Marine Corps at the forefront of our nation's battles yet again - it'd be appropriate to remember the contributions of a lesser-known group of black pioneers as well, the Montford Point Marines.

Today Marines serve in a fully integrated Corps in which African Americans comprise one-fifth of the total troop strength. African-American officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel are omnipresent, their service such a normal part of Marine life that it escapes notice. The fact that this was not always so, that there was a time when there were no black Marines, should not be overlooked.

In the months before Pearl Harbor, as the nation's attention became increasingly drawn to the horrors gripping Europe and the Pacific, President Franklin D. Roosevelt - at the urging of his wife, Eleanor, and faced with the threat of a march on Washington by civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph - signed Executive Order 8802, establishing the Fair Employment Practice Commission and prohibiting racial discrimination by any government agency. With a stroke of his pen FDR had officially opened to blacks not only positions in the post office and other federal bureaucracies, but also in one of America's most celebrated all white bastions: The United States Marine Corps.

In compliance with the order, which was controversial to say the least, the Marine Corps began recruitment of black enlistees on June 1, 1942 at Camp Montford Point, now known as Camp Lejeune, which was then little more than a field carved out of a dense North Carolina pine forest. Camp Montford Point would become the recruitment and advanced training facility for all black marine enlistees, from 1942 through 1949, when the practice of fielding completely segregated units would be dropped in favor of the fully integrated force we know today. From its humble beginnings, Camp Montford Point would rise to the occasion and pass over 20,000 African Americans through its hallowed grounds, and men who became Marines at Camp Montford Point would go on to serve their country with honor and distinction during the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and beyond. Read the complete history of the Montford Point Marines at www.mpma28.com. Now sixty-four years later, black marines have proudly borne their nation's flag in combat.

From the days at Iwo Jima, to the battles reaching us by way of headlines in Iraq.

This February, with our nation once again looking towards the "Corps" for its defense, I hope we are all encouraged to remember, honor and learn more about the stories of this collection of men as well, men who helped defend and carry the promise of America abroad, even while - for them - it hadn't been fully realized at home.


Contact:
James E. Stewart Jr.
President, Montford Point Marines 28
5708 Chris Mar Ave.
Clinton, Maryland 20735
301-877-7610
Cell: 240-535-5580
Oklamarine@aol.com
www.mpma28.com
Marine Corps, (1965-1969)

Son of James E. Stewart, Sr.
Marine Corps, (1942-1945)
Original Montford Point Marine

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit www.ereleases.com.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Troop Pays Tribute To The First Black Marines
By Montford Point Marines 28
Jan 31, 2006, 09:55

As February approaches, America is once again preparing to pay special tribute to the contributions of its African-American citizens. Great men and women such as Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will have their stories told and their legacies celebrated, and rightly so. This year, however, with American forces heavily committed in Iraq - and the Marine Corps at the forefront of our nation's battles yet again - it'd be appropriate to remember the contributions of a lesser-known group of black pioneers as well, the Montford Point Marines.

Today Marines serve in a fully integrated Corps in which African Americans comprise one-fifth of the total troop strength. African-American officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel are omnipresent, their service such a normal part of Marine life that it escapes notice. The fact that this was not always so, that there was a time when there were no black Marines, should not be overlooked.

In the months before Pearl Harbor, as the nation's attention became increasingly drawn to the horrors gripping Europe and the Pacific, President Franklin D. Roosevelt - at the urging of his wife, Eleanor, and faced with the threat of a march on Washington by civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph - signed Executive Order 8802, establishing the Fair Employment Practice Commission and prohibiting racial discrimination by any government agency. With a stroke of his pen FDR had officially opened to blacks not only positions in the post office and other federal bureaucracies, but also in one of America's most celebrated all white bastions: The United States Marine Corps.

In compliance with the order, which was controversial to say the least, the Marine Corps began recruitment of black enlistees on June 1, 1942 at Camp Montford Point, now known as Camp Lejeune, which was then little more than a field carved out of a dense North Carolina pine forest. Camp Montford Point would become the recruitment and advanced training facility for all black marine enlistees, from 1942 through 1949, when the practice of fielding completely segregated units would be dropped in favor of the fully integrated force we know today. From its humble beginnings, Camp Montford Point would rise to the occasion and pass over 20,000 African Americans through its hallowed grounds, and men who became Marines at Camp Montford Point would go on to serve their country with honor and distinction during the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and beyond. Read the complete history of the Montford Point Marines at www.mpma28.com. Now sixty-four years later, black marines have proudly borne their nation's flag in combat.

From the days at Iwo Jima, to the battles reaching us by way of headlines in Iraq.

This February, with our nation once again looking towards the "Corps" for its defense, I hope we are all encouraged to remember, honor and learn more about the stories of this collection of men as well, men who helped defend and carry the promise of America abroad, even while - for them - it hadn't been fully realized at home.

Via PRNewswire

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Recounting the days of Montford Point
MCB Camp Pendleton
Story by Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Feb. 2, 2006) -- They were segregated, discriminated, and branded “colored”, and in 1942 the men of Montford Point made history.

The enlistment of one African-American Aug. 26, 1942, changed the face of the Corps for years to come.

Howard P. Perry was the first African American to enlist in the Marine Corps, opening the doors for more to follow and changing the face of discrimination in the Marines.

But the shift to equality was still years away.

African Americans were trained apart from their Caucasian counterparts until 1949 at Montford Point, N.C. Their service record books and enlistment contracts were stamped “COLORED.”

“It was rough,” said retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Nathaniel R. Hosea, recounting his days at Montford Point in 1945, three years after Perry.

The integration started after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, establishing the Fair Employment Practice Commission, which prohibited racial discrimination by any government agency.

Hosea, and other Montford Point Marines, remember the drill instructors being tough on them because they weren’t expected to make it through the training.

“They sent us there (to Montford Point) because (many) didn’t think they could make Marines out of us, but we went through boot camp and graduated,” said William Vann, who retired from the Marine Corps as a sergeant major.

“The fact that our (drill instructors) were black didn’t lessen the rigors of boot camp. If anything, they may have been tougher,” Vann added.

Not only was the training segregated, but the African-American Marines felt discrimination even after earning their title.

“We had to be escorted by white Marines everywhere we went,” said Vann.

Even when leav-ing base, African Americans and Caucasians had to take different buses. Even when returning to base, the African-American Marines faced hard-ship.

“One time we had to commandeer the bus because the driver refused to drive us back to the base,” recounted Vann.

Despite the odds against them, African-Americans continued to enlist in the Corps.

From July 1942 through the end of World War II, 20,000 African-American men were trained at Montford Point, many of who served overseas in support of the war.

Hosea, who served for 22 years, believes the Marines of Montford Point went on to serve their country with honor.

Hosea said if it weren’t for men like Perry, most African Americans wouldn’t have been in the Marine Corps.

In today's Marine Corps, African-American Marines serve in a fully integrated Corps thanks to the sacrifices made at Montford Point.

[thedrifter]

OUR<2008>OPINION
February 05,2006
Jacksonville Daily News, NC

When an audience gathered at Camp Johnson last week to hear Master Sgt. Brennett Ford, a minister and career Marine, conduct the opening-night ceremonies for Black History Month at Camp Lejeune, they were standing on the very spot where a significant chapter of this nation’s history was written.Among those in attendance were some of the pioneers who wrote those chapters of military history and the history of the Marine Corps with their blood, sweat and tears.

Camp Johnson, originally known as Montford Point, was home to the Marine Corps’ first training camp for black Marines. Until the outbreak of World War II, black Americans were forbidden to serve in the Marine Corps. That began to change when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order in June 1941 banning discrimination in defense industries and establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission, which prohibited discrimination by any government agency, including the U.S. Marine Corps. In June 1942, blacks were recruited as leathernecks for the first time.

Many of the Marine Corps’ first black recruits had been working other jobs. Some were U.S. Navy stewards, while a few had served in the Army. Few of them had any idea about what was in store for them as they left their families and headed for North Carolina.

Basic training for black Marines would become twice as hard as it was for their white counterparts because of the scrutiny they would receive. The racism and segregation of that era mandated that initially they would be under the command and control of white officers and NCOs. Ultimately, leaders began to emerge among the recruits and they became the drill instructors and NCOs in charge of the training. Those drill instructors were tougher on them than some of the white ones had been as they — more than anyone — wanted to see black Marines succeed.

And succeed they did. They became not just good Marines, but great Marines. In 1974, Montford Point was renamed in honor of one of those original Marines — Sgt. Maj. Gilbert H. “Hashmark” Johnson.

African-Americans, originally excluded from combat roles, have seen their choices expand within the Corps — but it has been a long journey. They have had to fight against racism, segregation and prejudice while maintaining an unswerving dedication and ability to overcome obstacles that would have stopped lesser individuals cold.

What a great testimonial to the human spirit that as Col. Adele Hodges takes her place in Marine Corps’ history as commanding officer of Camp Lejeune, some of the same faces who once made history at Montford Point join her in celebrating the mosaic that is our history. It’s testimony to the hard work, positive attitude and capabilities of the men who first broke the color barrier and became an integral and important part of preserving this nation’s freedoms. In so many ways, it could not have been done without them.

[thedrifter]

Black Marine history starts at Montford Point
MCB Quantico
Story by: Lance Cpl. Sha'ahn Williams

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.(Feb. 23, 2006) -- “Growing up, I was forced to go to church. I told myself that when I was old enough, I would never step foot in a church again. But with all the hell I went through in boot camp, when the drill instructor came in the hut and asked if any of us maggots wanted to go to church, I almost broke down the door!”

In 1943, these were the thoughts of retired Gunnery Sgt. Reuben J. McNair, one of the first black men allowed to enlist in the Marine Corps. He trained at Camp Mont-ford Point, N.C., near Jacksonville, as a Marine in the 51st Composite Defense Battalion.

Before Camp Montford Point was established, the blacks and whites in the U.S. armed forces had not been integrated. But at the urging of his wife, Eleanor, and threatened by civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph with a march on Wash-ington, on June 25, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802, according to Carolyn Ferren, member of the Montford Point Marine Assoc-iation.

It established the Fair Employ-ment Practice Commission, which prohibited racial discrimination by any government agency. The integration of the Marine Corps marked the beginning of the end for officially sanctioned segregation in America.

According to the “Men of Montford Point – The First Black Marines” Web site, recruiting began June 1, 1942. Although the public announcement was not made until May 20, the basic instructions were sent in a letter from the commandant of the Marine Corps May 15. This letter set a quota of 200 recruits each from Eastern and Central Divisions while the Southern was to furnish 500 of the initial 900 recruits.

These men were to be citizens between 17 and 29 years of age, and they were to meet the existing standards for enlistment in the Corps. They were to be enlisted in Class III, Marine Corps Reserve, and assigned to inactive duty in a general service unit of their reserve district. Both the service record book and the enlistment contract were stamped “COLORED,” Ferren said.

On August 18, 1942, Headquarters and Service Battery of the 51st Composite Defense Bn. was activated at Montford Point. The first African American recruit to arrive at the camp was Howard P. Perry of Charlotte, N.C. He arrived Aug. 26 and was later joined by 119 others who began recruit training in September. Although Montford Point was the beginning of the road to integration, the black Marines were totally separated from their white counterparts.

“Montford Point was just a stone’s throw from Camp Lejeune, where the white Marines were trained. It was set up to prevent the white and black troops from training together,” Ferren said. “Unless accompanied by a white Marine, they [black Marines] were not allowed to set foot in Camp Lejeune. And after they were shipped off to battle zones, they served exclusively in all-black units.”

“We all thought we were going to fight when we got shipped to the South Pacific because World War II was going on,” McNair said. “We had a lot of combat training, but we didn’t fight. We just ran ammo to the white troops who were fighting. They didn’t want us to fight alongside them.

“They knew we were there, but we weren’t accepted,” he said. “It was as if we weren’t there.”
In the beginning of 1943, the first black commissioned officers were trained and appointed at Montford Point. It was at this time that the white drill instructors began to be phased out and replaced by black sergeants and corporals who had gone through training the year before.

In May of the same year, the recruit battalion’s field sergeant major and the last white drill instructor, 1st Sgt. Robert W. Colwell, was transferred and replaced by Sgt. Gilbert “Hashmark” Johnson. From the time Johnson took his post, black noncommissioned officers conducted all recruit training at Montford Point.

With the challenges of racism and intolerance the Marines of Montford Point faced, they never lost the determination and pride that it takes to earn the eagle, globe and anchor.

McNair was among the 150 Marines present when Maj. Gen. Henry L. Larsen, the commander of Camp Lejeune, first spoke at Montford Point.

“He told us he just came back from Guadalcanal and he didn’t realize there was a war going on until he came back to the United States and found women at Camp Lejeune and black men here at Montford Point wearing his globe and anchor,” McNair said. “The general said our country must be in a bad situation to need black people to help fight the war.”

The Marines, who had just come back from the South Pacific, were insulted and shouted Larsen down.

“People have asked me why I would want to go to a place I wasn’t wanted,” McNair said. “Myself and other young black men in those days wanted to challenge the world and prove that we could do anything white people could do. I figured that the first place to show a change in the way black people were treated would be the military. I prayed for another war because without one, we were stuck in a social rut.”

McNair’s foresight was accurate and his prayers were answered, because in 1950 along with the Korean War came integration on the battlefield.

“During the Korean War, black men were finally allowed to fight with white units. I was a sniper and a heavy machinegun section leader with an integrated infantry unit,” McNair said. “The officers who were trained in 1943 were not allowed to serve active duty before, but they were brought in for this war.

“Before that, the only units a black man could serve in were the ammo supply and depot platoons, which were made up of servers and cooks,” McNair said.

There were other positive outcomes brought on by the Korean War. One was the desegregation of the public schools on Camp Lejeune.

The Marine Corps continued to train recruits in a segregated environment until the fall of 1949 when an executive order from President Harry S. Truman established a policy of full integration.

More than 20,000 African American men received their basic training at Camp Montford Point. One third of these men would serve overseas during World War II.

Camp Montford Point was renamed Camp Johnson in 1974 in honor of the aforementioned Sgt. Maj. Gilbert “Hashmark” Johnson. Johnson earned the nickname “Hashmark” because of the service stripes he earned in the Army and Navy prior to his acceptance in the Marine Corps.

According to the Men of Montford Point, it is the only military installation named in honor of an African American. Today, all Marines from the East coast are trained on Camp Johnson for Marine Combat Training. The School of Infantry is also located there.

“Everything I went through at Montford Point to become a Marine was for my own good,” McNair said. “If I had to do it over again, I would, because some of the training saved my life.”

For more information about Camp Montford Point, visit The Men of Montford Point- The First Black Marines’ Web site at www.geocities.com/nubiansong/briefhistory.htm.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Friday, February 24, 2006
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Event salutes black Marines
Oldest black elected official also honored

By Elisabeth J. Beardsley
ebeardsley@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Clarence Hunt was taken aback when he arrived at boot camp in 1943 as one of the first African Americans admitted to the Marine Corps.

Hunt, a native of Louisville who was drafted into World War II at age 18, chafed when his white sergeant barked "you people" and other verbal abuse at members of his all-black unit.

Even so, Hunt often didn't want to go into town at Jacksonville, N.C. -- the location of the segregated Montford Point camp that trained 20,000 black Marines between 1942 and 1949, when the military was ordered integrated.

"It was hard for me," said Hunt, now 80. "I wanted to be a tough Marine, but I didn't want to be mistreated. I had to fight race prejudice all the while I was in the Marine Corps."

Yesterday, Hunt and other members of the Louisville chapter of the Montford Point Marines Association were honored at the third annual Black History Month celebration at the state Capitol.

The ceremony also recognized Adairville city council member Bernice Dickerson, who at age 92 is the oldest black elected official in Kentucky.

Dickerson couldn't attend the ceremony, but in a phone interview, she said that patience, a positive outlook and a love for people help her keep the council on its toes. She said she has never encountered discrimination in her 22 years in office.

"We don't see color here," she said. "We see people."

With a crowd packed into the Capitol rotunda, Rep. Derrick Graham, D-Frankfort, read a roll call of the 24 black lawmakers who have served in the Kentucky General Assembly, including six sitting members.

Rep. Darryl Owens, D-Louisville, paid tribute to former Rep. Leonard Gray, who died in July -- remembering his "signature bowties" and a "contagious smile" that was capable of soothing heated debates.

Doris Clark Parham, president of the Kentucky Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, said the caucus' top priorities are education, health care and restoration of voting rights for felons who have served their sentences.

Reporter Elisabeth Beardsley can be reached at (502) 875-5136.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Montford Point Marines Honored at DoD Observance
By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 28, 2006 – The Defense Department honored five black military pioneers during its observance of National African American History Month here at Huston-Tillotson University Feb. 24-25.

Among the five honorees were two battlefield heroes, Silver Star medal recipient Barnett Person of Fort Worth, Texas, and Bronze Star with V device for valor recipient Jack McDowell of Long Beach, Calif.

Person, a retired first sergeant decorated with the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in Vietnam, also received two Purple Hearts in Vietnam. Person said he was hit by enemy fire on May 8, 1967, and again on Aug. 29.

The tank retriever driver and later a tank gunner said wasn't wounded during the Korean War.

The Silver Star citation cited Person for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a platoon sergeant with Company A, 3rd Tank Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, in Vietnam.

The decoration's citation stated that during the early morning hours of May 8, 1967, the area in which Person's and other units came under intense enemy mortar and artillery fire from a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force.

When the enemy penetrated the perimeter defenses in several place, "Person reacted instantly, calmly directed his 90 mm canister fire into the oncoming Viet Cong," the citation read. "Disregarding enemy attempts to destroy his tank by exploding satchel charges against the turret, Person fearlessly increased his fire, employing both his main armament and his machine guns.

The citation said he "was responsible for killing more than 40 North Vietnamese soldiers, preventing the perimeter from being overrun and undoubtedly turned what could have been a potentially dangerous situation for friendly troops into a complete rout of a numerically superior enemy force."

Retired 1st Sgt. Jack McDowell, 79, joined the Marines in April 1945, and served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as well. He earned the Bronze Star with V device for valor and three Purple Hearts.

He suffered a gunshot wound to his left foot in North Korea in 1951. McDowell was wounded in his back by shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade in Vietnam in May 1967. He received gunshot wounds to his left leg by a .51-caliber machine gun on July 29. His leg was amputated on Navy hospital ship USS Sanctuary.

McDowell was decorated with the Bronze Star with V device for valor in Vietnam. The award citation stated that McDowell was cited "for heroic achievement in combat operations as first sergeant of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, on July 29, 1967.

"The battalion's lead company triggered an ambush that soon engulfed the unit in a heavy barrage of small arms, automatic weapons fire and artillery," the citation continued.

McDowell assisted in gathering casualties and directing the priorities of fire, the citation stated. "After being wounded by a gunshot in the foot, McDowell continued his actions and assisted in establishment of a secure defensive position," the citation read. "Throughout the encounter, he bolstered morale and aided in re-establishing organization amidst the confusion generated by the attack."

Retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Joe Geeter, national president of the Montford Point Marine Association, introduced the two veterans and told the audience about the contributions of five American military pioneers.

Geeter, who said he's too young to be an original Montford Pointer, then introduced retired Lt. Col. Joseph Carpenter, a Montford Pointer who was later commissioned. He served as a data processing officer and later worked as a civil affairs officer.

Carpenter, who retired on June 19, 1986, said he was assigned a chief clerk at Montford Point.

Geeter pointed out that Carpenter, who resides in Washington, is national historian for the Montford Point Marines Association and travels with presentation that tells the story of Montford Point.

"Retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Robert Reid served during the Korean and Vietnam wars and reached the highest enlisted rank and paved the way for the next generation of African-American Marines like myself," said Geeter. Reid lives in Norco, Calif.

Charleston, S.C., resident Ellis Cunningham, a retired first sergeant, is an Iwo Jima survivor and Korean War Purple Heart recipient.

More than 2,000 African Americans participated in the World War II fight for Okinawa. American flag was raised on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945.

Maj. Gen. James R. Myles, commander of the Army Test and Evaluation Command, walked gave special recognition to Cunningham and his wife, Lucille, for being married for 52 years. The command co-hosted the reception with DoD.

Geeter said he joined the association because he was motivated when he first heard the story of these heroes. "I wanted to make sure their legacy was not forgotten," said Geeter, a corporate employee relations manager for AmeriGas Propane. "I've been teaching younger Marines about their African American heritage since 1978."

Geeter said, on June 25, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order No. 8802 establishing the fair employment practice that began to erase discrimination in the armed forces and paved the way for African Americans to enlist in the Marine Corps.

But it wasn't until 1942 when Roosevelt established a presidential directive giving African Americans an opportunity to be recruited into the Marine Corps. But instead of training at the Parris Island, S.C., and San Diego boot camps, they trained separately at Montford Point Camp - a part of Camp Lejeune and New River, N.C.

African Americans who trained the nation's first black Marines became known as the Montford Point Marines.

"It was a long time coming," Geeter said. "These men had to fight to get into Montford Point."

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/lowres_20060228184813_1montford_point-person.jpg

Silver Star medal recipient retired 1st Sgt. Barnett Person of Fort Worth, Texas, (left) chats with Horace P. Williams, president of Buffalo Soldiers/First Ladies of Texas, at an outdoor exhibit at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, Feb. 25. Person was in town to be honored along with four other Montford Point Marines - the first black Marines during World War II. Photo by Rudi Williams

Ellie