Political Quotes

“On June 27, 2012, Congress presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the first African Americans to serve in the United States Marine Corps, the Montford Point Marines. More recently, the personal story of three of those marines from southern Illinois was brought to my attention. Most people have heard of the Tuskeegee Airmen and the Buffalo Soldiers, but until recently, the Montford Point Marines were largely unknown to the general public. During the 1940s, segregation and discrimination were pervasive in this country. Unfortunately, the Marine Corps was no exception. To counteract the injustice, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an Executive order that prohibited racial discrimination in the national defense industry, including Federal agencies. This order forever changed the Marine Corps from an all-white fighting force to one comprised of those willing to serve. Camp Montford Point, NC, is the site where the first African Americans who joined the Marine Corps were trained. Nearly 20,000 African Americans trained there, many of whom served honorably in World War II. The marines established Camp Montford Point adjacent to Camp Lejeune and those who trained there were known as the Montford Point Marines. One man who answered the call to serve was Carbondale, IL, resident Archibald Mosley. In 1942, Mosley said that he was a ``girl-crazy'' typical teenager ready to graduate from high school in Jackson County, IL.…”