Famed Monfort Point Marines celebrated at Cherry Point

Famed Monfort Point Marines celebrated at Cherry Point
February 25, 2012
Distinguished as having planted the seed that led to civil rights for all Americans, the Montford Point Marines were honored Friday at Cherry Point.

From 1942 to 1949, about 20,000 African-Americans were trained to be Marines at a segregated camp known as Montford Point at Camp Lejeune.

“African-American men were willing to give their lives for their country at a time when they still were subjected to lynching and racism in their communities without the protection of their own government. In other words they fought to protect the government that did not fight to protect them,” said L. Shannon Sabsook, president of Cherry Point Chapter No. 36 of the Montford Point Marine Association, who was the main speaker at the event held in the base theater.

While no original Montford Point Marines were able to attend, their legacy was celebrated as having been a major turning point in integration of the Marine Corps and all of the armed services.
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This is one of them I interviewed a couple of weeks ago. Charles O. Foreman