The Montford Point Marine Legacy
Get to know our Los Angeles Chapter Montford Point Marines
All Montford Point Marines have touching, unique stories of how they served in the United States Marine Corps at Montford Point Camp, New River, North Carolina, from 1942 - 1949. Each story provides unique insight into these Veterans’ lives and what they did before and after their service in The Marine Corps.
We are honored to cherish and learn from those veterans who trained at Montford Point.
Of the nearly 20,000 African-American Marines who trained in Montford Point, less than 200 are still alive today.
Who are the Montford Point Marines?
In June 1941, President Franklin issued an Executive Order establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission. This monumental order marked a significant moment in African American history relating to racial discrimination in the workforce and military. Interested black men who enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps following the order, would be sent to Camp Montford Point in Jacksonville, NC between the period of August 26, 1942 and September 9, 1949 to train and prepare for battle. The largest number of black Marines to serve in combat during WW II took part in the seizure of Okinawa, with approximately 2,000 seeing action.
“The spirit of our Corps, embodied in the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, lives within the soul of every Marine. This spirit is born through arduous rites of passage at boot camp and officer training, after which a young man or woman is called a “United States Marine” for the first time. Our ethos has been shaped by ordinary men and women – patriots who showed extraordinary leadership and courage, both physical and moral. The essence of what we have been, who we are, and what we will always be…endures.”
– General James Amos
Montford Point Marine Association,
Los Angeles Chapter 8
Twenty years following WWII, in August of 1965, a reunion was organized by a group of enterprising Marine veterans and active-duty Marines from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the reunion was to renew old friendships and share experiences of former comrades who received recruit training at Montford Point Camp, Camp Lejeune, New River, North Carolina from 1942 to 1949. This group, chaired by then Master Gunnery Sergeant, Brooks E. Gray, USMC, formulated plans for a National reunion. Among those present was the late Civil Rights Leader, Attorney Cecil B. Moore.
From September 17 – 18, 1965, over four hundred former and active-duty Marines, representing seventeen states, attended the reunion held in the Adelphia Hotel in downtown Philadelphia. The great response led to the establishment of the Montford Point Marine Association; a non-profit veteran service organization chartered in Philadelphia. Subsequent charters were immediately organized in more than eleven additional cities. Now in existence for more than fifty years, the National Montford Point Marine Association, Inc., proudly boasts more than 35 active chapters and continues to strive to expand its programs and offerings to the community.
The Montford Point Marine Legacy
From 1942 to 1949, approximately 20,000 African American men enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at a time when our Nation was at war and the country’s military services were resistant to integration. However, in 1941, with Executive Order 8802 from President Franklin Roosevelt, 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. These pioneering African Americans arrived at Montford Point in 1941, destined to become outstanding Marines though they were made to train with inferior equipment. Sergeant Major Gilbert “Hashmark” Johnson, one of the first African American drill instructors in the U.S. Marine Corps, trained the Montford Point Marines to succeed in a segregated military and to survive discrimination. These men served with honor and dignity during a critical period in our Nation’s history.
Montford Point Marines distinguished themselves with countless acts of bravery and sacrifice, serving in three of the bloodiest struggles in the Pacific – Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Some died in these epic battles; many others continued their service in both Korea and Vietnam. Many Montford Point veterans – men like Gilbert “Hashmark” Johnson, Edgar Huff, and Frederick C. Branch – are now legends in the rich history of the United States Marine Corps.
Preserving the Legacy
The Memorial
We have also dedicated a memorial for the 20,000 African-Americans who served in the Marine Corps from 1942 to 1949. This memorial allows us to tell the story through architecture and sculpture. It’s located within the LeJeune Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, NC.
Museum Collection
We preserve the legacy of the Montford Point Marines by recording, collecting and showcasing all relevant artifacts in a museum for viewing and public education. In this museum, we have the largest collection of documents, papers, and photographs related to our veterans. This allows us to carefully study and teach about the unique history of the African American Marines from 1942 to 1949. The museum is located in the East Wing of building M101, Marine Corps Base, Camp Gilbert H. Johnson, Jacksonville, North Carolina.
