PDA

View Full Version : Montford Point Marines: The toughest Marines you've never met



thedrifter
11-12-08, 06:33 AM
Montford Point Marines: The toughest Marines you've never met

07:18 PM EST on Tuesday, November 11, 2008


WHAS11 Coverage

Interview: Montford Point Marines

(WHAS11) - Get ready to meet some of the toughest Marines you may have never heard of. A handful of them live right here in Kentuckiana.


As America elects its first African American president, their story needs to be told.


In the 1940’s it was the story of black and white for the Montford Point Marines.


They are among the first African Americans to join the Corps.


Military music, marching bands and Veterans being saluted are all slices of Americana that will play out over the country on Veterans Day.


But for the Montford Point Marines, it is respect that has been a long time in coming.


To understand this day and why it means so much, you have to travel back in time to 1941 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued executive order 8802 which allowed and ordered blacks to be recruited into the Marine Corps.


That’s the year George Bennett first wore the marine uniform and now at the age of 83, it still fits.


Thomas Cork wore the uniform proudly back in 1948, as did Luther Goodwin, Clarence Hunt and Albert Jones. They are all local Marines who sat down to talk with WHAS11’s Rachel Platt at the Filson Historical Society.


They wanted to fight for their country. Some were inspired by the uniform and others by famous shots of Iwo Jima.


Thomas Cork was supposed to join the black Marines at a place called Montford Point in North Carolina which was across the street from the white base at Camp Lejeune. Montford Camp was a former swamp that had been drained. It had mosquitoes, barracks more like huts and snakes.


These Marines say they fought the elements and they fought bigotry at home and in their travels.


But the Montford Point Marines trained on, paving the way for others.


From 1942 to 1948 about 20,000 African Americans would train before integration.


Albert Jones and Thomas Cork would see combat. Cork would fight in bitter cold conditions in Korea in 1950. It was so cold he would lose part of his foot.


But, despite the bad and despite the ugly, these men want to talk about the good.


They brought their papers and they brought pictures to show WHAS11’s Rachel Platt.


They want to get the word out about who they were, who they became and who they are. They are proud to be the Montford Point Marines.


Now that you know their story, the next time you see the Montford Point Marines be sure to salute. They deserve it because they earned it.


The organization is reaching out to any local veterans who may have trained at Montford Point.


If you would like to call, the contact name is Charles Stallard. His number is 502-550-2423.

Ellie