pagesofhistory Montford Point
Black Marines who trained during World War II in a segregated North Carolina camp are awarded the congressional gold medal, after a unanimous vote by the House of Representatives.
O
n Oct. 25, 2011, the House awarded the congressional gold medal to a group of black Marines
for their service during World War II in the face of discrimination. Four of those Ma- rines were in the House gallery for the vote. “I had to somewhat hold back tears,”
says retired Marine Sgt. Ruben McNair. “It’s a long time coming. ... [It’s] something you look forward to [and] wonder if you are going to ... live long enough to see it.” The Marines began their training at
Montford Point Camp, on the grounds of then-segregated Camp Lejeune, N.C., after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order in 1941 opening the Marine Corps to African-Americans. About 20,000 black Marines were trained at Montford from 1942 to 1949. At the height of World War II, about 75 percent of those trainees served overseas. Called the Montford Point Marines, they
faced racism at the camp and overseas, suffering mental and physical abuse. Black Marines were barred from being stationed with whites at Camp Lejeune and lived in substandard facilities while training. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James
Amos said in a letter to lawmakers that the Marines “served with distinction in three of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific — Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa ... defended a so- ciety that enjoyed freedoms they did not share ... [and] contributed, in large measure, to President Truman’s decision to order the desegregation of the Armed Forces in
1948.’’ Similar legislation is pending in the Senate, with bipartisan support. The camp was deactivated in 1949 fol-
lowing President Truman’s executive order barring segregation. In 1974, it was renamed in honor of Marine Corps Sgt. Major Gilbert “Hash- mark” Johnson, a notable instructor at the camp.
Jewish Chaplains Honored
A
monu- ment to 14 rabbis
who died while serving their country was dedicated Oct. 24, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery, Va. A two-hour service in the cemetery’s amphitheater brought together Jewish veterans from across the country, as well as family members of the rabbis, members of Congress, and military officials. Jewish cadet chapel choir members from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., sang in Hebrew and English. Rabbi Alexander Goode, who died after a German torpedo struck the USAT Dorches- ter in World War II, was among those hon- ored. He and three Army chaplains aboard gave their life vests to other soldiers and went down with the ship. MO
*extra: Read more about the Battle of New Orleans in Visit a Novel, page 22. IMAGE: CPL. MARY E. CARLIN, USMC
A 2011 painting shows World War II-era black Ma- rines training at Montford Point Camp, N.C., prior to full integration of U.S. service- members.
History Lesson On Jan. 8, 1815, the troops of Andrew Jackson defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans. The War of 1812 had ended two weeks earlier, but news of the Treaty of Ghent had not yet reached either side.
JANUARY 2012 MILITARY OFFICER 75
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