Honoring Black Marines 70 years later

In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the United States Marine Corps to accept African Americans in their ranks. But for most of these black recruits, the rigors of Marine boot camp were made even tougher because of racism. These men were welcome to risk their lives and pay the ultimate sacrifice in World War II, but they were forced to endure segregated, violent treatment, even during their earliest days of training.
Nevertheless, retired Capt. Edward Hicks says he wears his Marine Corps cap with pride, and is frequently stopped by other marines.

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"And the first thing they ask you is what outfit you served in, where'd you go to boot camp? You tell them Montford Point -- 'Where's that?' I never heard of that,' " says Hicks.
The country's first black Marines, more than 19,000, trained at Montford Point in North Carolina. They were segregated from white Marines that trained at nearby Camp Lejeune, where black Marines were not allowed to enter, unless accompanied by a white officer -- until 1949 when Montford Point was closed and Marine training was integrated.

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