Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Devin Nichols | Lt. Col. Jesse Kemp (left), the commanding officer of 2nd Supply Battalion, 2nd Marine...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - The Marine Corps opened its doors to the first African-American recruits more than seven decades ago. Even in the face of expanding fascist threats on two fronts during World War II, it was not a warm reception. The new Marines faced discrimination at every turn, yet managed to persevere and eventually leave an indelible mark on the Marine Corps.
In recognition of these pioneering service members, the men and women of 2nd Supply Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group unveiled a new battalion logo, which binds their unit to the legacy of the Montford Point Marines, in a ceremony here, May 6.
THE BEGINNING
It was a long road to respect for the Marines who reported to Montford Point, N.C. in 1942. Under executive order 8802, signed by President Franklin Roosevelt during the early stages of the war, discrimination was banned within the defense industry.
In the belief that “the democratic way of life within the nation can be successfully defended only with the help and support of all groups within its borders,” Roosevelt faced the approaching tide of the nation’s enemies by calling for support from some of its most marginalized citizens.
Approximately 20,000 African-Americans answered the call and enlisted into the Marine Corps during the war.
The presidential order did not, however, relieve the strain of racism faced by the recruits at Montford Point. These new Marines underwent the same rigorous Marine Corps training as their white counterparts, but remained segregated from their fellow service members during training and on liberty out in town.
When the time came to join the fight in the Pacific, graduates of Montford Point were told they would only hold menial supporting roles.
PROVEN THROUGH SERVICE
As they pushed out to face the enemy in the Pacific, they were barred from the front lines and relegated to all-black logistics units.
“Indeed, many of the Montford Point Marines in their own stories will tell you they were disappointed to learn they would not be allowed to fight alongside the frontline units,” said Lt. Col. Jesse Kemp, the commanding officer of 2nd Supply Battalion. “They felt their assignment to these types of units were assignments to menial tasks, behind the scenes.”
Even so, the War in the Pacific proved ferocious and blurred the concept of “frontlines.”
Even segregated, Kemp noted, the Marines of Montford Point fought from island to island – Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Oral accounts of the Battle of Iwo Jima include tales of African-American Marines dropping their cargo and grabbing their weapons to fight off Japanese attacks. In one instance, despite having two amphibious trucks disabled by enemy fire at Iwo Jima, a black Marine continued to enter the fray with his vehicle to lend support to troops fending off Japanese soldiers.
“They earned the respect and admiration of their fellow Marines, and they earned the moniker ‘Black Angels’ for their role in evacuating the wounded from the battlefield,” said Kemp during the ceremony.
Their actions so impressed the commandant of the Marine Corps at the time, Lt. Gen. Alexander Vandegrift, that after the Battle of Saipan in 1944 he remarked, “[They] are no longer on trial. They are Marines, period!”
SHARED LEGACY
“Our ties to the Montford Point Marines are historic,” said Kemp. “Marines who graduated Montford Point were by-and-large placed in [units] whose job it was to provide sustainment, supplies and ammunition across the Pacific Campaign in World War II. While their placement in these units was a form of segregation … it does not take away from the significance of the role they played. Indeed, these unsung heroes were probably the [difference] between victory and defeat in some of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific.”
The untold merits of their support for operations in the Pacific aside, full integration into the military remained beyond reach during the war.
It wasn’t until several years later, when President Harry Truman desegregated the military in 1948, that African-American Marines were able to break through many of the limitations placed on their service.
Their success as logistics Marines, however, had its own unique impact on 2nd Supply Battalion.
“We celebrate their role as logisticians,” said Kemp. “[Our] battalion was formed in 1950, after President Truman issued the executive order banning segregation across the military.”
Even so, Kemp observed, 2nd Supply Battalion was modeled on the logistics companies that supported the campaigns of World War II.
“I can’t think of a better source of pride for our Marines and sailors than that today they perform the same mission as the Montford Point Marines in World War II,” continued Kemp. “We know the importance of what we do, and by extension, we are immensely proud of the legacy of the Montford Point Marines.”
INTEGRATION AND ASSOCIATION
Many in the military at the time questioned the future of African-American service members, who continued to hold marginalized positions directly after integration.
According to a 1959 Navy and Marine Corps military statistics report, scarcely more than 2 percent of the Marine Corps was African-American by 1950. By 1955, well after some predicted they would be compelled out of the military, that unprecedented but humble 2 percent climbed to 6.5 percent.
In 1965, more than twenty years after answering their nation’s call, approximately 400 Montford Point Marines gathered to reconnect the bonds they forged in war. The meeting laid the groundwork for the creation of the Montford Point Marine Association, which took on the task of maintaining the legacy of Montford Point as its new mission.
Today, there are 36 chapters of the MPMA. They work to document the history of those original 20,000 Marines and continue their history of service.
“LEGACY OF MONTFORD POINT”
“There’s always time to do the right thing,” said Dr. James Averhart Jr., the national president of the Montford Point Marine Association.
Discriminated against by the nation they fought for and segregated by the very military they served, the Marines who passed through Montford Point would nonetheless prove themselves as war fighters and set in motion a tide of change which continues to ripple through the Marine Corps today.
“They fought against the enemy during World War II while they fought for their civil rights and the respect of their fellow Americans,” said Averhart at the ceremony. “This gesture absolutely signifies the unity between 2nd Supply Battalion and the historical lineage of the Montford Point Marines approximately 70 years ago – a unique group of African-American men that changed the course of history and blazed a trail for others to follow.”
Today, in recognition of their bond, the logo for 2nd Supply Battalion is emboldened with the added line, “Legacy of Montford Point.”
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2014 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 129210 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 277 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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