[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16736]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING MONTFORD POINT MARINES FOR SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 3, 2011

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in honoring 
the Montford Point Marines for their great sacrifice and courage in 
becoming the first African Americans admitted to the Marine Corps, and 
their service to our country during multiple wars, including World War 
II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Their service to the country 
was great, which is why I voted in favor of H.R. 2447 to grant the 
Congressional Gold Medal to the Montford Point Marines. The 
Congressional Gold Medal is a prestigious honor that these men truly 
deserve.
  After President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Fair Employment 
Practices Commission in 1941, allowing for equal opportunity in all 
branches of the armed forces, the first black recruits entered boot 
camp at Camp Montford Point in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The 
recruits were prohibited from training with white recruits in nearby 
Camp Lejeune, and the conditions during their training in the snake-
infested swamps of New River were much more difficult than those of 
their white peers. These men dealt with unsanitary drinking water, 
inferior barracks made of cardboard, and freezing living quarters, all 
of which were unfit for any American, let alone the men and women that 
protect our country.
  As a testament to the resolve of the Montford Point Marines, after 
completion of their training in North Carolina, the 8th Ammunition 
Company and the 36th Depot Company were deployed to Iwo Jima on D-Day 
during World War II, receiving praise from fellow officers for their 
actions under fire. In addition, Marines trained at Montford Point 
participated in the seizure of Okinawa and helped with clean-up of 
debris from the atomic bomb attacks in Japan.
  After the announcement of U.S. victory in the war, nearly 17,500 of 
the 19,000 black marines were discharged from the Corps. A few of the 
Montford Point men remained in the service completing tours of duty in 
the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Today, few of these men are still 
with us, but their legacy continues to inspire young men and women who 
strive for participation in the U.S. Armed Services.
  I salute the Montford Point Marines for their endless determination 
to bring about change in the Marine Corps, and for their exceptional 
contributions to equality in this country. Their sacrifices opened 
doors for many individuals seeking to serve this country, and we are 
forever grateful for their accomplishments.

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