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Montford Point Marines | Photos

Before 1942 no African-Americans had been officially accepted into the U.S. Marine Corps. This changed with President Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s presidential directive that gave African-Americans a chance to volunteer for the Marine Corps. However, these recruits were not allowed to go to the traditional Marine boot camps of Parris Island, S.C. and San Diego, Calif., but were segregated at a separate facility, Montford Point, which was part of the larger Camp Lejeune, N.C. Many of the Montford Point Marines, as they became known, went on to render distinguished service in the Pacific Theater during World War II by performing a wide variety of assignments. Their valiant service broke down barriers in the Marine Corps, and helped lead to President Harry S Truman‘s decision to desegregate the U.S. military with the issuing of Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948. Today, the Montford Point Marine Association keeps alive the legacy of these Marines and ensures they won’t be forgotten by history.

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Steven Hoarn is the Editor/Photo Editor for Defense Media Network. He is a graduate of...