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Marines at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and across the Marine Corps are taking time to observe African American History Month. Every year since 1976, the President of the United States has designated February as the national observance month.
“Recognizing the African American Marines of the past is where we start,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jammia Bentley, the equal opportunity advisor of MCAS Beaufort.“They gave us the chance to achieve the greatness and success that we know today. Reflecting on myself, I know that without their sacrifices, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t be a gunnery sergeant in the Marine Corps. What they went through — the racism, the sexism — enabled us to be the Marine Corps that we are today.”
National African American History month has its roots in 1915 when Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association of the Study of African American Life and History. In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the first week of observance. Now the entire month is designated to remember and observe the contributions of African Americans.
“The important thing about this month is that yes, we are recognizing African Americans, but more than that. This is a chance for Marines who are not African American to recognize and learn the vital role African American Marines have played in the history of our Marine Corps,” said Bentley. “Without their sacrifices in paving the way, women, African Americans, and any other Marine with a different ethnicity today, would not have it so easy.”
From the Revolutionary War until World War II African Americans have served and sacrificed. In June of 1942 the first African American troops arrived in Montford Point,Jacksonville, North Carolina. On November 10, 1945 2nd Lt. Frederick C. Branch was the first African American Officer to be commissioned. The following year President Harry S. Truman issued an Executive Order establishing equality in treatment of all in the U.S. military.
“One of the defining qualities about Marines is that from the moment we step foot on those yellow footprints, we are taught to learn and respect the history of the Marine Corps,” said Bentley. “We learn about our history so that we don’t repeat those mistakes. It wasn’t glamorous or easy what those first African American Marines went through, but they built the Marine Corps’ legacy that we now stand upon. As an African American Marine, I am proud of those Marines who went before me, but at the end of the day I look to my right and my left, and there is no gender, race, or age; simply Marines. There is always room for improvement, but one thing the Marine Corps has gotten right is how we are taught to view our fellow Marines, they are our brothers and sisters. We are a strong Marine Corps because of our history, we are a successful Marine Corps because we take care of each other.”
| Date Taken: | 02.16.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.16.2018 10:36 |
| Story ID: | 266326 |
| Location: | BEAUFORT, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, MCAS Beaufort observes National African American History Month, by Sgt Ashley Phillips, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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