[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 107 (Tuesday, July 20, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S6027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 587--DESIGNATING AUGUST 26, 2010, AS ``MONTFORD POINT 
                             MARINES DAY''

  Mr. BURR (for himself and Mr. Burris) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 587

       Whereas on June 25, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 
     issued Executive Order 8802, which established the fair 
     employment practices that began to erase discrimination in 
     the Armed Forces;
       Whereas in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a 
     Presidential Directive that integrated the United States 
     Marine Corps;
       Whereas approximately 20,000 African-American Marines 
     received basic training at Montford Point in the State of 
     North Carolina between 1942 and 1949;
       Whereas the African-American Marines trained at Montford 
     Point became known as the Montford Point Marines;
       Whereas the African-American volunteers who enlisted in the 
     United States Marine Corps during World War II--
       (1) joined the United States Marine Corps to demonstrate 
     their commitment to the United States, despite the practice 
     of segregation;
       (2) served the United States in a most honorable fashion;
       (3) defied unwarranted stereotypes; and
       (4) achieved distinction through brave and honorable 
     service;
       Whereas during World War II, African-American Marine Corps 
     units fought and served in the Pacific theatre, participating 
     in the liberation of the Ellice Islands, the Eniwetok Atoll, 
     the Marshall Islands, the Kwajalein Atoll, Iwo Jima, Peleliu, 
     the Marianas Islands, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, and Okinawa;
       Whereas Robert Sherrod, a correspondent for Time magazine 
     in the central Pacific during World War II, wrote that the 
     African-American Marines that entered combat for the first 
     time in Saipan were worthy of a 4.0 combat performance 
     rating, the highest performance rating given by the Navy;
       Whereas the heroism, commitment, and valor demonstrated by 
     the Montford Point Marines--
       (1) changed the negative attitudes of the military 
     leadership toward African-Americans; and
       (2) inspired the untiring service of future generations of 
     African-Americans in the United States Marine Corps;
       Whereas in July 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued 
     Executive Order 9981, which ended segregation in the 
     military;
       Whereas in September 1949, the Montford Marine Camp was 
     deactivated, ending 7 years of segregation in the Marine 
     Corps;
       Whereas in September 1965, over 400 former and active duty 
     Marines met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at a reunion to 
     honor the Montford Point Marines, leading to the 
     establishment of the Montford Point Marine Association;
       Whereas 2010 marks the 45th anniversary of the 
     establishment of the Montford Point Marine Association; and
       Whereas the sacrifices, dedication to country, and 
     perseverance of the African-American Marines trained at 
     Montford Point Camp are duly honored and should never be 
     forgotten: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates August 26, 2010, as ``Montford Point Marines 
     Day'';
       (2) honors the 68th anniversary of the first day African-
     American recruits began training at Montford Point;
       (3) recognizes the work of the members of the Montford 
     Point Marine Association--
       (A) in honoring the legacy and history of the United States 
     Marine Corps; and
       (B) in ensuring that the sense of duty shared by the 
     Montford Point Marines is passed along to future generations;
       (4) recognizes that--
       (A) the example set by the Montford Point Marines who 
     served during World War II helped to shape the United States 
     Marine Corps; and
       (B) the United States Marine Corps provides an excellent 
     opportunity for the advancement for persons of all races; and
       (5) expresses the gratitude of the Senate to the Montford 
     Point Marines for fighting for the freedom of the United 
     States and the liberation of people of the Pacific, despite 
     the practices of segregation and discrimination.

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