The Few, The Proud, The Montford Point Marines
Racial segregation in the United States has meant the physical separation and provision of various facilities, but it also referred to other manifestations such as separation of roles within an institution like the United States Armed Forces. Up to the 1950s black military units were separated from white units, but were still led by white officers.
It was in 1942, President Roosevelt established a presidential directive giving African Americans an opportunity to be recruited into the Marine Corps. These African Americans, from all states, were not sent to the traditional boot camps of Parris Island, South Carolina and San Diego, California. Instead, African American Marines were segregated, experiencing basic training at Montford Point, a facility at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Approximately twenty thousand African American Marines received basic training at Montford Point between 1942 and 1949.
Growing up in an era where segregation was at its prime, my grandfather, Creo M. McIver, Sr. became a product of the United States Marines during a routine draft in 1944. Although he thought he was being drafted into the Navy, he later found that because of his stature, he and 12 other men would be sent on a different bus where they would be taken to the Montford Point Camps a training base for black marines only.
Training at Montford Point was no easy task since most white marines didn’t accept that black men could stand beside them in uniform. According to a personal interview with my grandfather he stated, “there were all white officers and no blacks with high ranks at Montford Point. They trained us through harsher conditions and belittled our psyche trying to dehumanize the black race as best they could.” Terms such as the “N” word, boy and many other derogatory words became second names to the soldiers. Basic training consisted of learning to swim, shoot, march, various drills and martial arts. However, it was the psychological aspects of it all that separated black soldiers who were determined to make it out of the camp and into uniform from those who couldn’t withstand the brutal task of being a black marine. “Out of the 12 men that got sent to the other bus with me only five including myself made it out of training, everyone else was sent home,” he stated. During World War II, my grandfather’s battalion was sent to guard and watch over all ammunition. Their duty was not to assist in the war for Negroes were not wanted to represent the U.S. Many of the Marines participated in the Pacific Theater Campaign of World War II.
African Americans continued to serve in segregated units until the fall of 1949 when an executive order from President Harry S. Truman established a policy of full integration. Once the military integrated McIver, Sr. served an additional 22 years with the Marines fighting in battles including, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. He became a battalion instructor where he watched over 40 men in his troop and 160 men in the company. When asked what was the hardest thing he had to deal with while in the Marines all those years he simply stated, “flying.” He added, “there was just something about those aircrafts that never sat well with me.”
In 2013, McIver, Sr. and several others received the Congressional Gold Medal. The Gold Medal is the highest honor awarded to civilians, requiring 67 co-sponsors to be considered on the Senate floor. It is awarded to individuals who perform outstanding deeds or acts of service to the security, prosperity, and national interest of the United States. The Montford Point Marines were awarded the medal for their role in helping to desegregate the military and nation. The Marine Corps was the last branch of the armed services to admit blacks.
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With this post I am sharing personal history that was shared with me several years ago to honor my late grandfather, Creo McIver, Sr. and recognizing the contribution the Montford Point Marines made to our country. #HappyVeteransDay #BlackHistory365
