Marines of Montford Point Essay

The book I chose to do my book report on is the marines of montford point. This is a true story of the marines of montford point, North Carolina. The first African American segment of the United States marine corps. In this book we find out the struggles they went threw because of the racial barrier as well as the political implications that were going on at the time. This was a very inspiring book and it reminds people of the cost of freedom. Nothing was easy for the black marines. All of the other service branches had allowed African Americans to serve in their ranks. In 1941 president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that prevented government agencies from refusing to hire Americans based on race, creed, or color. In 1942 recruitment activity began for the first African American marines as did the construction of their new base montford point. After seven years an order that ended discrimination in the military was signed. The black marines could finally join the white soldiers in Paris island and camp Pendleton. The story starts off talking about major general Thomas issuing an order to the marine corps recruiting districts of south to recruit over 400 African American soldiers. The men were restricted in all aspects of their lives from finding a sandwich when they arrived at Montford Point to finding a toilet when they had work detail at the all-white Camp Lejeune. George These black marines Couldn’t even get a hamburger in town. It was horrible down there. It says at bus bus station, there was a chain separating the blacks from the whites. One of the black marines mentions how prisoners of war had more privileges then they ever had. This Is More than a history book, The book gave face to face narratives with the black marines so the author had to do alot of studying of the journals, records, he had to find each man who was alive and get the story in their point of view. Most of the Montford Point Marines wanted to see combat, but they were largely disappointed since most of the black Marines served in auxiliary units and had clean-up detail after the Pacific islands were secured by white Marines. However, men in the ammunition and depot companies saw combat during the amphibious landings on the beaches of Iwo Jima, Saipan, Pelelui and Okinawa. From these experiences, the Montford Point Marines earned the respect of their white counterparts, in spite of the general notion at the time that blacks weren’t ready for combat. Even the fact that black Marines were present at the landing on Iwo Jima was suppressed. Steven Robinson comments on how the camera crews turned away when they saw black Marines. He also said we were fighting the war to liberate people who had more liberty than we had. † 60 veterans were interviewed threw out this story , so the author gets all of the experiences in their own words. we learn about their reasons for enlisting; their arrival at Montford Point and the training they received there; their lives in a segregated military. A very great bio of one of the characters was the one of Herman Darden Jr. He begins to talk about the reputation of the marines at the time which was marines were rough and ready to go. He then talks about his reason for joining which was â€Å"because marines are supposed to be the first to battle and the first ones home, so I don’t want to stay out that long†. Even though the racial barrier between the blacks and whites was big alot of these black men still found it in them to join the marines and fight with honor. Whether it was because they got drafted or because they had nothing else in life these men fought for their freedom and respect, which was eventually gained. The marines of montford point a true story of the marines of montford point, North Carolina. The first African American segment of the United States marine corps. In this book we find out the struggles they went threw because of the racial barrier as well as the political implications that were going on at the time. This was a very inspiring book and it reminds people of the cost of freedom.