[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 182 (Thursday, November 16, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17185-S17186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SENATE RESOLUTION 195--TO HONOR FREDERICK C. BRANCH

  Mr. SANTORUM (for himself and Mr. Specter) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                              S. Res. 195

       Whereas November 10, 1995, marks the 220th anniversary of 
     the founding of the United States Marine Corps;
       Whereas November 10, 1995, marks the 50th anniversary of 
     Second Lieutenant Frederick C. Branch becoming the first 
     African American commissioned officer in the United States 
     Marine Corps;
       Whereas Second Lieutenant Branch's commissioning has 
     encouraged African Americans and other minorities to become 
     commissioned officers in the United States Marine Corps; and
       Whereas Second Lieutenant Branch has dutifully served his 
     country: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate honors Frederick C. Branch on the 
     50th anniversary of his becoming the first African American 
     commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps.

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, today I rise with my colleague Senator 
Specter to submit a resolution which pays tribute to Frederick C. 
Branch, the Marine Corps' first African-American commissioned officer. 
The fiftieth anniversary of this historic event will be honored 
tomorrow night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This man's dedication and 
perseverance paved the way for the some 1,200 African-American Marine 
Officers serving their country today, 50 years later. I would like to 

[[Page S 17186]]
enter into the Record a recent article published in The Navy Times 
which recently celebrated his remarkable career. This article details 
his determination in becoming a young officer.
  Fifty years later, Lt. Branch returns to Quantico, Va.--The Marine 
Corps first black lieutenant was greeted at Officer Candidate School by 
the school's first black commander, 50 years after his commissioning.
  Frederick C. Branch, one of the original Montford Point Marines and 
now a retired science teacher, visited the school where his wife Peggy 
pinned him with the gold bars of a second lieutenant on Nov. 10, 1945.
  Back then, the South was segregated and blacks drank from separate 
water fountains. ``Whenever we left the base, we ran directly into 
those segregation laws,'' said Branch, his face framed by peppered hair 
and moustache and his walk helped slightly by a cane.
  During one rail trip, he recalled, he (then a corporal) and 200 other 
noncommissioned officers were returning to the United States from the 
South Pacific, where they were stationed in 1944. Stopping at a 
restaurant, he and two other blacks were not served and were referred 
to another eatery--literally on the other side of the railroad tracks, 
he said.
  Branch was drafted into the Corps in 1943, and was the first black to 
graduate from officer training in 1945. Six others preceded him but all 
were dropped because of injuries or academics, even though all six were 
college graduates.
  It remains a sore spot but nevertheless it did not dissuade him from 
applying. However, ``I did not encounter any flack during training at 
all,'' he said.
  Branch was a reserve officer but served on active duty and was a 
battery commander with an anti-aircraft unit at Camp Pendleton. He then 
took what he learned as a Marine into the schoolhouse in 35 years as an 
educator.
  The Branches' return to Quantico a half-century later saw to a 
slightly different Corps. The basics of screening and training 
potential leaders remained the same, although more specialized, he 
said. And Marine leaders reflect the Nation's ethnic and racial 
diversity, like Officer Candidate School commanding officer, Col. Al 
Davis.
  ``Now officers are integrated,'' Frederick Branch said. ``Here, the 
commander of OCS is black, and his staff is black and white.''
  Officer training actually was conducted a short distance away on the 
Quantico Marine Base, but Branch wanted to visit with school officials 
and learn a little about today's screening and training of Marine 
leaders. During a short morning tour, Branch and his wife watched 
officer candidates training in the ropes and obstacle courses before 
giving lunch a try at the OCS chow hall.
  Branch said he would like to see black representation among officers 
increase further. But he took note of the advancements in the last few 
decades that brought a black three-star general and first black 
aviator, a black two-star general and three brigadier generals, two of 
whom are on active duty.
  ``The black officers now have advanced all the way up to three stars, 
and there is still room for improvement,'' he said.
  Frederick Branch rose to the rank of Captain and proudly fought with 
his fellow soldiers in Korea before leaving the service in 1972.

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