On Wednesday, June 27th, from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor’s Center, Congresswoman Corrine Brown will speak at the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony honoring the Montford Point Marines.
After President Franklin Delano Roosevelt opened the doors for African Americans to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, 20,000 brave African Americans enlisted in a time of war when the military services were still resistant to integration. Years before Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., these heroes joined the Marines to defend our great nation.
These Montford Point Marines were not sent to the traditional boot camps in Parris Island, South Carolina or San Diego, California. Instead, African American Marines were segregated, and went through basic training at Camp Montford Point near the New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
“Certainly, it is necessary to honor all of America’s war heroes’ selfless service and sacrifice, and in particular, those who served at Montford Point,” said the Congresswoman. “They answered our nation's call at a time when our society was deeply divided along racial lines. As such, many of their contributions went unrecognized and many times they were not given the respect and recognition they deserved as Marines, as Americans, and as patriots. Today’s ceremony will go a long way towards correcting this past injustice, as this Gold Medal will forever anchor their role in the history of our nation’s great military.”
Who: |
Congresswoman Corrine Brown and Congressional Leaders |
What: |
Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring the Montford Point Marines |
Where: |
Capitol Visitor’s Center, Emancipation Hall, Washington, DC |
When: |
June 27, 2012, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
Contact: |
David Simon 202-225-0123/ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
Note: |
Watch the ceremony on C-SPAN. |