Political Quotes

“on the 25th day of June 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order No. 8802 establishing the fair employment practice that began to erase discrimination in the Armed Forces. 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, SC and San Diego, CA. Instead, African American Marines were segregated--experiencing basic training at Montford Point--a facility at Camp Lejeune, NC. Approximately 20,000 African American Marines received basic training at Montford Point between 1942 and 1949. In July of 1948 President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order No. 9981 negating segregation. In September of 1949, Montford Marine Camp was deactivated, ending 7 years of segregation. On April 19, 1974, Montford Point Camp was renamed Camp Johnson, in honor of the late Sergeant Major, Gilbert H. ``Hashmark'' Johnson. Johnson was one of the first African Americans to join the Corps, a Distinguished Montford Point Drill Instructor and a Veteran of WWII and Korea. The Camp remains the only Marine Corps installation named in honor of an African American. The awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal came to fruition after the signing of H.R. 2447, Public Law 112-59 by President Obama on 23 Nov 11, which is the highest civilian honor for the distinguished achievement.…”