Story Category: Defense »

Before President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 integrating the military on July 26, 1948, African Americans fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Spanish American War and World War I in segregated Army units.

While 13 African American Marines served during the Revolutionary War, the Marine Corps was prohibited from enlisting African Americans when the service was re-organized in 1798.

It wasn’t until June 25, 1941 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802 the Marine Corps could again enlist African American Marines, albeit in segregated units.

While not law, this order was the first Federal act to promote equal opportunity and prohibit employment discrimination in the United States. The order required the government to “encourage full participation in the national defense program by all citizens of the United States, regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin, in the firm belief that the democratic way of life within the Nation can be defended successfully only with the help and support of all groups.”

With this order, the Marine Corps created a separate boot camp at Montford Point aboard what is now Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for their African American Marines.

These Montford Point Marines went on to serve in two Defense Battalions, 49 Depot Companies and 12 Ammunition Companies. Many of these Marines served in the Pacific theater during World War II. It was the Depot and Ammunition companies who saw the most combat.

From 1942 to 1949, 20,000 African Americans went through Montford Point.

One of those Marines was Eddie William Henry Morgan. He enlisted in the Marine Corps July 9, 1944 and attended the Montford Point boot camp. Following boot camp and initial training, Morgan was one of 2,000 African American Marines to participate in the seizure of Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. In fact, his unit was one of the seven Montford Point Marine units to land at Okinawa on D-Day, 1 April 1945.

Morgan became Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9) in just 16 years! He served in Korea and two tours in Vietnam. MGySgt Morgan retired after 30 years, one month and eleven days of service.

MGySgt Morgan's career inspired his son, Elrado Morgan of Lexington Park, to enlist in the Marine Corps. Elrado became a AH-1W/UH-1N Avionics technician serving mostly with East Coast helicopter squadrons. He has two tours in Iraq and Mediterranean cruises before he retired a Gunnery Sergeant 22 years later. Elrado currently works aboard Patuxent River Naval Air Station with the H-1 USMC Light/Attack Helicopter program office (PMA-276). His wife is also a retired Marine with 21 years of service; she retired as a Master Sergeant.

While attending the Montford Point Marine Association reunion in Atlanta, GA on July 30, 2011, Commandant of the Marine Corps General James F. Amos announced that Florida Representative Corrine Brown and Senator Kay Hagan from North Carolina were drafting bills to recognize the Montford Point Marines with the Congressional Gold Medal. General Amos stated, "It’s long overdue … we need to quit admiring this oversight and make this happen!"

And happen it did. Public Law 112-59 was signed November 23, 2011.

Several hundred surviving Montford Point Marines and their families, including Elrado Morgan, attended the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in Emancipation Hall inside the Capital building Wednesday afternoon July 27, 2012. There, Representative Alan West, a retired Army officer, referred to the Montford Point Marines as “Giants” and Senator Mitch McConnell called them “the Greatest of the Great Generation.” The Congressional Gold Medal was presented collectively, in recognition of their personal sacrifice and service to their country.

The Montford Point Marines also attended a special parade hosted by Commandant General Amos at Marine Corps Barracks Washington, otherwise known as “8th and I” Thursday morning July, 28th. The Montford Point Marines were presented individual replica medals by the Commandant and Assistant Commandants. Elrado Morgan accepted the medal in honor of his father who passed away April 8, 2012.

For many of those Montford Point Marines, the ceremony was something they thought they “would never see in their lifetime.”