The Montford Point Marines were the first African American men to integrate the Marine Corps. August 26 marks their 80th anniversary.
Eighty years ago, at the height of World War II, the first Black Marines arrived for basic training at Camp Montford Point, a segregated section of Camp Lejeune. Between 1942 and 1949, 20,000 men trained there. A ceremony was held at the Montford Point Marine Memorial to recognize those trailblazers who often go unmentioned in stories of African Americans in the military.
"What I saw, I was ready to turn around," said McIvory. "They want you to fail, but knowing me, I'm dogmatic. I don't believe in giving up." Her father, Sgt. Thomas Reeves of Princeville, North Carolina, was a Montford Point Marine and she never knew of her dad's unsung role in history until recently. Her family is one of 11 who received the Congressional Gold Medal at the 80th-anniversary celebration. All of the families were overwhelmed with emotion over the memory of their loved ones and the historical significance of the day.
"He would be so proud. It would make him so proud to know he has a grandson that followed in his footsteps," she said.
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