With an executive order from President Franklin Roosevelt in 1941,
the United States Marine Corps--the last all-white branch of the
U.S. military--was forced to begin recruiting and enlisting African
Americans. The first black recruits received basic training at the
segregated Camp Montford Point, adjacent to Camp Lejeune, near
Jacksonville, North Carolina. Between 1942 and 1949 (when the base
was closed as a result of President Truman's 1948 order fully
desegregating all military forces) more than 20,000 men trained at
Montford Point, most of them going on to serve in the Pacific
Theatre in World War II as members of support units. This book, in
conjunction with the documentary film of the same name, tells the
story of these Marines for the first time.
Drawing from interviews with 60 veterans,
The Marines of
Montford Point relates the experiences of these pioneers in
their own words. From their stories, we learn about their reasons
for enlisting; their arrival at Montford Point and the training
they received there; their lives in a segregated military and in
the Jim Crow South; their experiences of combat and service in
World War II, Korea, and Vietnam; and their legacy. The Marines
speak with flashes of anger and humor, sometimes with sorrow,
sometimes with great wisdom, and always with a pride fostered by
incredible accomplishment in the face of adversity. This book
serves to recognize and to honor the men who desegregated the
Marine Corps and loyally served their country in three major
wars.