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First black U.S. Marines honored with national memorial

By Amy R. Connolly
The Montford Point Marines, the first black U.S. Marine Corps servicemen, will be honored with a national memorial at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Photo courtesy Montford Point Memorial Project/Facebook
The Montford Point Marines, the first black U.S. Marine Corps servicemen, will be honored with a national memorial at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Photo courtesy Montford Point Memorial Project/Facebook

JACKSONVILLE, N.C., July 29 (UPI) -- The Montford Point Marines, the first black servicemen to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, will be honored Friday with a national memorial at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The $1.4 million memorial is intended to recognize the approximately 20,000 Marines who, between 1942 and 1949, went through basic training at Montford Point at Camp Lejeune in preparation for battle during World War II and the Korean War. Hundreds of people, including 45 Montford Point Marines and their families, are expected to attend the dedication, which is taking place during the 51st National Convention of the National Montford Point Memorial Association.

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The memorial includes a rare restored 90-mm M1A1 anti-aircraft gun and a 15-foot bronze statue of a Montford Point Marine. A "Wall of Stars" represents the Marines who trained at the segregated Montford Point camp. The memorial stands near the Beirut and Vietnam memorials.

The Marines began accepting black servicemen in 1941 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Black recruits trained at Montford until 1948, when President Harry S. Truman signed orders to end segregation.

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The Montford Point Marines received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2012, the highest civilian award in the United States.

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