tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19684309714779748132024-03-13T06:22:18.141-04:00Montford Point Marines: Forgotten First Black MarinesThis blog details my father's experience as a Montford Point Marine. The Montford Point Marines were the nation's First Black Marines, and they served bravely in a branch of the military that initially refused to accept them. The Montford Point Marines exceeded expectations and served tenaciously in World War II and The Korean War. These surviving men were finally recognized by Congress and received the Gold Medal of Honor as a group on June 28, 2012.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-26058701687054182802014-07-09T13:25:00.000-04:002014-07-09T13:25:03.435-04:00The Wereth 11: Execution of Black Soldiers <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It all started with a 12 year old Belgian boy named Hermann Langer. Langer witnessed eleven African American Soldiers being marched in his village during the cruel winter of 1945. They had managed to escape the early mass destruction of World War II's Battle of the Bulge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SS troops apprehended them from Langer's family farm house after being tipped off by a German sympathizer. Langer</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> never forgot the look of fear in the soldier's faces as they were captured and led away, as reported by usatoday.com</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tx7hUmK1r2Q/U7dHJwNvfiI/AAAAAAAAFm0/wWhatyQJLCc/s1600/wereth_11_propaganda_film_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tx7hUmK1r2Q/U7dHJwNvfiI/AAAAAAAAFm0/wWhatyQJLCc/s1600/wereth_11_propaganda_film_3.jpg" height="368" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captured members of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion were used in Nazi Propaganda Films<br />
Source: 40daysofhonor.com<br />
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over 50 years later, in 1996, Hermann Langer left a cross on the site as a tribute to the soldiers that his family housed. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His makeshift memorial was discovered by historians. Most of the world was unfamiliar of the story, until the nineties, when amateur military buffs, journalists, and family members of the soldiers joined forces to discover what happened on that fateful day many years ago. Family members of the Wereth 11, as they were known, were told that they died in combat, not tortured and executed. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(history.net)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to the efforts of eyewitness Hermann Langer, the world now knows the truth of what happened to the Wereth 11.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Battle of the Bulge </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(December 16, 1944 - January 25, 1945)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Battle of the Bulge was a secret offensive launched by Adolf Hitler to splinter the British and American Allies via the Ardennes region of Belgium, France and Luxembourg.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Hitler's objective was to decimate defenders, forcing the Allies to sign a treaty. This would allow Hitler to concentrate his energies on the Eastern Front. Originally, the Germans were at an advantage in the early stages of the battle. Heavy casualties were sustained with this World War II battle ranking as the deadliest for Americans, according to armymilitary.com. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personnel of the segregated Army's 333rd Field Artillery Battalion were obliterated by death or capture.* </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somehow, 11 soldiers of the 333rd manage to escape. They traveled through the snow for miles and arrived at the Langer farmhouse. It just so happened that the Langer Home was a haven for German Army deserters, and owner Mathias</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Langer was anti-war. The Langers risked their lives by housing the African American Soldiers.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (40daysofhonor.com)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Soldiers were captured by the German Army and forced to run in the extreme cold at gunpoint. Meanwhile, the Battle of the Bulge waged on with the Allies gaining the advantage. Change in tactics and reinforcements stopped the Germans from advancing, and it was the last time Hitler waged an offensive against the west, purports armymilitary.com. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Townspeople remained inside their homes out of harm's way for months. February 1945 yielded this gruesome discovery : Hands were spotted from underneath the snow. The Wereth11 Soldiers had been left to die without a proper burial. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(40daysofhonor.com)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Wereth 11 Soldiers were deliberately abused and killed, rather than taken Prisoners of War. It was a blatant violation of the Geneva Convention as the German soldiers had no intentions of placing the captured men in a camp. Usatoday.com describes how the Wereth 11 Soldiers were stabbed repeatedly with bayonets, and struck in their heads with a rifle. A surgeon's report mentions a finger almost severed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which brings us to the Wereth Memorial. Because of Hermann Langer's makeshift memorial as an adult, his heartfelt actions generated interest in the African American Soldiers of the 333rd. The Wereth Memorial</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was erected in 2004 in Wereth, Belgium.<b> It is the first memorial of its kind in Europe--a Memorial dedicated to the contributions of all African Americans G.I.'s and segregated units that served in World War II.</b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(werethmemorial.org)</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Wereth, Belgium, is a tiny hamlet near the German border where, during the Battle of the Bugle in 1944, 11 black American soldiers were captured by German troops. The story of the 11 men would probably have remained buried in a dusty file in the National Archives if not for the efforts of a Belgian man who was 12 years old at the time." src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/0a426ca2e7572b2561838d903f7d90e149f58f88/c=163-0-4987-3630&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/11/07/1383856671000-wereth01.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The site where 11 Black soldiers were captured by German troops.<br />
Source: usatoday.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Winston Churchill remarked that the Battle of the Bulge was "one of the greatest battles of the war," as stated in armymilitary.com. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When official reports on the various German atrocities were revealed, the Wereth 11 were omitted. A resolution by Congress, and memorials in the US finally shed light on the Black Soldiers decades later.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>Wereth 11,</i> a documentary released in 2011, depicted the heinous massacre of African American Soldiers. It won a prestigious G.I. Film Festival Award. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To conclude, the Wereth 11 represent yet another group of African Soldier's whose story was untold. They were members of the United States Army's 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, a segregated unit known for its marksmanship. A gesture by a witness, the combined efforts of historians, journalists and family members brought their story to the media. The Wereth 11 Memorial in Belgium is a tribute to these Soldiers of segregated units, and draws international visitors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I included the Wereth 11 story because of the similarities to the Montford Point Marines. They were unsung heroes and represented the tremendous sacrifice made by a segregated military unit. Below are names of the Wereth Soldiers. Note that every single Soldier was from the South, where segregation was the law of the land.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They died defending America from Hitler, but were second class citizens at home.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;">The 11 soldiers massacred, known as the "Wereth 11", were: Curtis Adams of South Carolina; Mager Bradley of Mississippi, George Davis Jr. of Alabama; Thomas Forte of Mississippi; Robert Green of Georgia; James Leatherwood of Mississippi; Nathaniel Moss of Texas; George Motten of Texas; William Pritchett of Alabama; James Stewart of West Virginia; and Due Turner of Arkansas </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;">(40daysofhonor.com)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;">.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wereth 11 Motion Picture<br />
Source: Amazon.com<br />
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* 40daysof honor.com states that the 333rd were known for excellent marksmanship. They once hit a target dead on that was 9 miles away.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_932531283"><br /></a></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.40daysofhonor.com/Day-1-Jimmie-Lee-Leatherwood.html">40daysofhonor.com</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.army.mil/botb/">Battle of the Bulge</a></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/07/wereth-black-soldiers-battle-of-bulge-army-world-war-ii-history/3465059/" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;">usatoday.com</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;"><a href="http://www.historynet.com/the-wereth-11-a-little-known-massacre-during-the-battle-of-the-bulge.htm">The Wereth 11, A Little Known Massacre</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.wereth.org/en/home">wereth.org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wvculture.org/history/wvmemory/vets/stewartjames/stewartjames.html">wvaculture.org</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-82151074332255668302014-06-26T14:52:00.000-04:002014-06-26T14:52:16.815-04:00Why Your Contribution is Vital to the Crowdrise.com Fundraiser <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In order to move forward with publishing a book and doing a <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-fathers-story-of-montford-point.html">documentary</a> on my father's life, it requires funding. So I am respectfully asking from both my loyal readers and new readers to contribute to my fundraising account at:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://www.crowdrise.com/MyFathersMontfordPointMarineStory/fundraiser/desireeprimus</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corporal Clifford Primus<br /> Source: Primus Family</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes in life if you want something, you simply have to ask. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your contributions will help with book publishing costs and media equipment. As this is my first attempt at Internet fundraising, I decided to not have an exorbitant amount for this initial campaign. We will see how this goes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am also requesting that you share this fundraiser with friends or families that may have an interest in promoting the story about the Montford Point Marines, and anyone that was or currently in the military. Perhaps you might know of an educator or a history expert that enjoys the study of World War II or life in a segregated culture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conceivably, you might be a reader from countries outside of the United States. United Kingdom, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil--you have read about the Montford Point Marines or any of my other stories and were inspired to help. Some themes are universal and demonstrates our commonality as a truly global community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Voices from underrepresented groups need to heard. Perspectives from socially marginalized groups brings a unique viewpoint to the table and promotes diversity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Specifically, I feel that the study of the Montford Point Marines would be a great addition to any school curriculum. Students can learn about these men who made significant sacrifices for our country. Black History Month in the month of February would have additional subject matter, as opposed to the same five people, year after year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And last but not least, these blog entries take time to research, fact check and edit. Sometimes I wonder to myself why don't I just write about something mundane, or celebrity gossip. Who knows, I might try it. I could write a post about Blue Ivy's hair or "Top Five Fuchsia Lipsticks" in ten minutes, push the publish button and be done with it. But it would be a fleeting, short term experience and not lasting, which brings us back to the purpose of this blog: To educate the world about the Montford Point Marines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thank you readers for the journey and your anticipated support! A portion of the proceeds from the book will go to a Veterans organization. You are the person responsible for helping the legacy of these forgotten soldiers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.crowdrise.com/fundraiser/edit/myfathersmontfordpointmarinestory/desireeprimus">Crowdrise.com/fundraiser/myfathersmontfordmarinestory/desireeprimus</a></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Montford Point Marines on leave, Harlem, NY,1943.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: archives.gov</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without looking at a previous post, can you name the photographer of this picture? Don't forget to share this information. I am hoping that you can donate to<a href="https://www.crowdrise.com/fundraiser/edit/myfathersmontfordpointmarinestory/desireeprimus"> Crowdrise.com</a> and will keep you posted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See Also:</span><br />
<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-fathers-story-of-montford-point.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Father's Story of the Montford Point Marines and the 51st Defense Battalion</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-matter-of-public-discussion-and-images.html">A Matter of Public Discussion and Images</a></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-76469742125380506052014-06-18T09:57:00.000-04:002014-06-18T09:57:18.886-04:00Battle of Saipan: Beginning of the End<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another memorable battle that the Montford Point Marines were known for was the Battle of Saipan. The Battle of Saipan on June 15, 1944, marked the beginning of the end of World War II in the Pacific Campaign. This pivotal fighting resulted in an Allied victory and heavy casualties. The Battle of Saipan also marked the first time that African American Marines saw combat in WWII. Lamentably, mass suicides among the Japanese occurred in levels never seen before in modern warfare.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saipan is one of the three largest Marianas Islands located in the Pacific Ocean. The other two are Guam and Tinian. Saipan was considered a prized possession because of its proximity to mainland Japan. Here, the United States forces would have access to the Aslito airfield to launch their sizable B29 bombers. History.com states that over 20,000 Japanese troops were part of a garrison on the island. Japan occupied Saipan since 1920. Without question Saipan was a valuable island; Japanese forces from the south would essentially be cut off from Japan once the US seized the highly desirable island.</span><br />
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Fast Facts*</span><br />
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<strong style="font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allies</span></strong></div>
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<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lieutenant General Holland Smith</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">approx. 71,000 men deployed</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3,426 Americans dead</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13,000 wounded</span></li>
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<strong style="font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Japan</span></strong></div>
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<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Admiral Chuichi Nagumo</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">approx. 31,000 men deployed</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">30,000 Japanese died (action and suicide)</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">20,000 Japanese civilians (action and suicide)</span></li>
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On the morning of June 14,1944, 8,000 Marines landed on the treacherous beaches of Saipan. The beaches were fortified with barbed wire placed by the Japanese defenders. Lying in wait for the 2nd and 4th Division Marines were trenches and machine gun posts. The Marines successfully established a beachhead with a width of six miles by nightfall. Viewing this, the Japanese Lieutenant General Saito decided to launch a counterattack at sea, called the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The move proved disastrous, as the Japanese lost three aircraft carriers and aircraft, rendering Japanese forces unable to become resupplied and reinforced. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_saipan_1944.htm">historylearningsite.com.uk</a>)</span></span><br />
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<b>Montford Point Marines at Saipan</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What were the early morning hours of June, 1944, like for a Marine first descending on the beaches of Saipan? 800 African African American Marines participated in combat for the first time in World War II. The first one of the Montford Point Marines to die was Kenneth Tibbs, an orderly to the 20th Depot Battalion commander. He was instantly struck shortly after landing the beach. Kenneth Rollock of Harlem, NY was a member of the 3rd Ammunition Company. According to historynet.com:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;"> "We got caught in the early part of Saipan in the Japanese counterattack. About a quarter mile from the beach, they came out screaming, and we just opened up. Anything moving we shot at."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Rollock<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;"> said later he would never forget the sound and sight of the enemy force closing on him and his comrades. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></span><a href="http://www.historynet.com/pride-and-prejudice-the-montford-point-marines-on-saipan.htm" style="line-height: 23.03999900817871px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">history.net</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; line-height: 23.03999900817871px;">)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4a4a4a; line-height: 1.6em;">Montford Point Marine Private Vincent Long of Hempstead, NY recalled: </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">"There was one guy, I think his name was Tibbs, who was no farther from me to you, All of a sudden, I realized he wasn't talking anymore. He'd been hit. I never saw him again. </span><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">It was tough going and everything was coming down on us.</span><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> I picked up a Browning automatic [machine gun] and started </span><a href="http://www.newsday.com/topics//Shooting_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #1a557b; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.399999618530273px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">shooting</a><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> like everyone else. Until then, I'd never had any one's blood on me before." <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.newsday.com/long-island/li-life/montford-point-marines-talk-discrimination-earning-congressional-gold-medal-1.5185588" style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">newsday.com</a>)</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-muxjFjo4ZnQ/U6BK78D3K_I/AAAAAAAAFXc/YAFlkkiCo4I/s1600/montford+point+marines+in+saipan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-muxjFjo4ZnQ/U6BK78D3K_I/AAAAAAAAFXc/YAFlkkiCo4I/s1600/montford+point+marines+in+saipan.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Montford Point Marines taking a break during the invasion of Saipan. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source:archives.gov</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flamethrowers and Caves</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, upon discovering that the Japanese could not be resupplied, General Saito had his men fight in mountainous areas of the island. The terrain of the island was a plethora of caves, which provided easy cover for the Japanese defenders instructed to fight to the end and not surrender. History.com.uk states that the American forces had to use flamethrowers to eliminate the Japanese from the caves. Flamethrowers was a new technology at the time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">History.com described the intense fighting around Mount Tapotchau, Saipan's highest peak. Battle areas were given names such as "Death Valley" and Purple Heart Ridge."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rFjEeoQcXzQ/U6CamHfmnnI/AAAAAAAAFXw/sZurHNLD9Qo/s1600/japanese+family+hiding+in+cave+saipan.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rFjEeoQcXzQ/U6CamHfmnnI/AAAAAAAAFXw/sZurHNLD9Qo/s1600/japanese+family+hiding+in+cave+saipan.gif" height="522" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Japanese Family Holding in Cave</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">WWII lettersblogspot.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>Mass Suicides and Suicide Cliff</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">With the situation in Saipan basically grim, Japanese General Saito instructed his men to undergo the largest Banzai Attack in World War II. Thousands of soldiers participated in this assault along with Japanese civilians. Banzai attacks or charges make for imminent death. The assault lasted for fifteen hours and American forces were able to regain strength.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6em;">As the Americans were making significant progress on the island of Saipan, Japanese officials turned to the civilians and urged them under no circumstances to surrender to the American forces. Civilians were promised an elite status in the afterlife, raising their social class rank. The civilians of Saipan were told that the Americans would do heinous things to them if they surrendered, thus instilling fear. Emperor Hirohito made a direct order to the civilians to commit suicide, and approximately 1,000 Japanese can be seen in Army footage films jumping to their deaths off of cliffs, appropriately named "Suicide Cliff." By battle's end on July 9, 1944, Japanese leaders Saito and Nagumo both committed suicide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6em;"><b>Montford Point Marines Considered Marines</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6em;">A vital and strategic battle, the Battle of Saipan proved to be monumental. It marked the beginning of the end of the war in the Pacific Theatre. 800 African American Marines, the Montford Point Marines, saw combat for the first time, and the first casualty was Kenneth Tibbs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">Time's</i><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> war correspondent in the Central Pacific, Robert Sherrod, wrote: "The Negro Marines, under fire for the first time, have rated a universal 4.0 on Saipan." 4.0 is the Navy's highest ranking. And </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">Commandant of the Marine Corps, Lieutenant General Alexander A. Vandegrift declared: "The Negro Marines are no longer on trial. They are Marines, period."</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?locale=en_us&c=124&bd=pavilion&tp=iefavbar&s=amazon&pf=cnnb&TYPE=4">The Right to Fight</a>)</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sm69lOrngPg/U6DtVIvTppI/AAAAAAAAFYE/AxcHTDwrg4g/s1600/saipan+negroes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sm69lOrngPg/U6DtVIvTppI/AAAAAAAAFYE/AxcHTDwrg4g/s1600/saipan+negroes.jpg" height="640" width="516" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;"> Staff Sgt Timerlate Kirvenand and Cpl. Samuel J. Love, Sr.They received Purple Hearts for wounds received in the Battle of Saipan </span>Source: National Archives</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Battle of Saipan was the first time that flamethrowers were used to eliminate Japanese defenders from caves. Furthermore, the world was mortified to learn that thousands of Japanese civilians took their own lives by jumping off of "Suicide Cliffs." This was after a decree by Japanese Emperor Hirohito.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Japanese soldiers were bound by the honor code to die before surrendering. Many allowed themselves to be killed rather than to face shame. In fact, historylearningsite reports of holdouts who refused to surrender until <a href="http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_saipan_1944.htm">December 1945</a>--months after the war ended. News of the suicides disappointed the Japanese people. They thought the suicides represented defeat rather than "spiritual enlightenment." The Battle of Saipan indeed signified the beginning of the end of World War II for the Pacific Campaign.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ch2JJwvsAo4/U6DR2liTxfI/AAAAAAAAFX8/NSEMjMYzGmo/s1600/saipan+marines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ch2JJwvsAo4/U6DR2liTxfI/AAAAAAAAFX8/NSEMjMYzGmo/s1600/saipan+marines.jpg" height="640" width="458" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source:wwwcibmedia.com<br />Marines landing on the beaches in the Marianas.</span><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6em;">What are your thoughts about the Battle of Saipan? Feel free to leave your comments in the comment section.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6em;">See Also: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-battle-of-peleliu-originated.html">The Battle of Peleliu Originated the Thousand Yard Stare</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.6em;">Notes:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6em;">Banzai Attack-</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a mass attack of troops without concern for casualties; originated by Japanese who accompanied it with yells of `banzai'. Source, Freedictionary.com</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.6em;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">Guy Gabaldon- Also noteworthy at the Battle of </span>Saipan<span style="line-height: 1.6em;"> was a Mexican American soldier who was praised for his ability to speak Japanese. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Private First Class Guy Gabaldon, of Los Angeles, spent part of his life with a Japanese family growing up, allowing him to have a familiarity with the language. Gabaldon effectively convinced 1,000 Japanese enemy troops to surrender, and he was later awarded a Navy Cross.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.318561553955078px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Navajo codetalkers were instrumental in directing naval gunfire onto Japanese positions.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal;">Sources:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-saipan">history.com</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.historynet.com/pride-and-prejudice-the-montford-point-marines-on-saipan.htm">history.net</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_saipan_1944.htm">historylearningsite.co.uk</a>*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwarii/p/World-War-Ii-Battle-Of-Saipan.htm">militaryhistory.about.com</a>*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.newsday.com/long-island/li-life/montford-point-marines-talk-discrimination-earning-congressional-gold-medal-1.5185588">newsday.com</a></span><br />
<a href="http://redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?locale=en_us&c=124&bd=pavilion&tp=iefavbar&s=amazon&pf=cnnb&TYPE=4"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right to Fight</span></a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-31081216896998719652014-06-10T13:20:00.000-04:002014-06-10T13:20:25.186-04:00The Battle of Peleliu Originated "The Thousand Yard Stare"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, Times, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the longest time, Dorie Miller represented the lone figure when it came to African Americans in WWII history. <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/08/dorie-miller-first-african-american-to.html">Miller</a> became a household name because of his heroic deeds at Pearl Harbor. I happened to watch the 1970 seminal film <i>Tora,Tora,Tora</i> with my father several months ago. With the exception of a non-speaking Miller grabbing a machine gun and spraying the Japanese, this was the extent of depictions of African American soldiers with a weapon. "There goes Dorie Miller," My father announced. If I blinked, I would of missed him.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> Montford Point Marines participated in amphibious landings throughout the Pacific. While my father was in the Marshall Islands, a battle that was significant to the Montford Point Marines History was <b>The Battle of Peleliu</b>. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k3W7ywYnbio/U5TkJmLh5nI/AAAAAAAAFOc/-ev4_KA5-1M/s1600/npa.gov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k3W7ywYnbio/U5TkJmLh5nI/AAAAAAAAFOc/-ev4_KA5-1M/s1600/npa.gov.jpg" height="496" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="smcap" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant: small-caps;">D-Day on Peleliu</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Montford Point Marines participating in the landing of 1st Marine Division.<br />Source: npa.gov</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From <i>Right to Fight</i>:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">When the 1st Marine Division, on 15 September 1944, attacked the heavily defended island of Peleliu in the Palau group, the 16th Field Depot supported the assault troops. The field depot included two African-American units, the 11th Marine Depot Company and the 7th Marine Ammunition Company. The 11th Marine Depot Company responded beyond the call of duty and paid the price, 17 wounded, the highest casualty rate of any company of African-American Marines during the entire war. Major General William H. Rupertus, who commanded the 1st Marine Division, sent identical letters of commendation to the commanders of both companies, praising the black Marines for their "whole hearted cooperation and untiring efforts" which "demonstrated in every respect" that they "appreciate the privilege of wearing a Marine uniform and serving with Marines in combat."- <a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/npswapa/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003132-00/sec10.htm">The Right to Fight</a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Montford Point Marine Lee Douglas, Jr vividly recounted his time there:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Third day, we went ashore. We went ashore in the barges to beachhead. Because you must go in. You got to go in the barges and go in with your rifles and everything. The ammunition stuff doesn't take place until after you take the islands and settle. But you got go in to do that. Once you go into the Marines Corps, regardless of the assignment, you must learn the rifle, the pistol, the range, your combat, you have to learn all of that.You may be a mechanic, you may be a cook, but the rifle comes first. You must learn that part of combat. So whenever you get overseas, your second job, that's all becomes second, first becomes the rifle. The invasion is first. My company, when we went in, we went in with our rifles blazing. There is no second hand nothing. We had looked forward to taking the airfield in a day or two. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And there was no such thing as that you know they were dug in. The enemy was dug in so strong until everybody was held up at the beach." -<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Marines-Montford-Point-Americas/dp/0807861766">Men of Montford Point Marines</a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wNYG3yhzrSk/U5TkYoJ0rGI/AAAAAAAAFOk/9wCM04bSpdk/s1600/peleliu+hut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wNYG3yhzrSk/U5TkYoJ0rGI/AAAAAAAAFOk/9wCM04bSpdk/s1600/peleliu+hut.jpg" height="526" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Medical Attendants at Rest, Peleliu, October, 1944<br />Source: Gutenberg.org</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another Montford Pointer Laurence Diggs* climbed caves to eliminate the Japanese defenders. Flamethrowers were used and contained the deadly chemical napalm. Oxygen was then removed from the fortified cave, rendering occupants unable to breathe and dead. Also, the intense, searing heat of napalm sticking to the skin caused its targets unthinkable pain and death. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coincidentally,<b> "Thousand Yard Stare"</b> was featured in Tom Lea's painting of Peleliu. Lea's subject was described poignantly:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;">“He left the States 31 months ago. He was wounded in his first campaign. He has had tropical diseases. He half-sleeps at night and gouges Japs out of holes all day. Two-thirds of his company has been killed or wounded. He will return to attack this morning. How much can a human being endure?”</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zC5_RH4-8qo/U5T3s89ZSXI/AAAAAAAAFOw/V3horWgXmXs/s1600/Tom_Lea_-_2000_Yard_Stare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zC5_RH4-8qo/U5T3s89ZSXI/AAAAAAAAFOw/V3horWgXmXs/s1600/Tom_Lea_-_2000_Yard_Stare.jpg" height="640" width="496" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Lea "Thousand Yard Stare" Painting<br />
Tom Lea.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From that point on, the term "Thousand Yard Stare" was used to refer to the gaze of someone that had battle fatigue. It is clearly a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Tom Lea was a war correspondent and witnessed first hand the carnage. The appearance in the soldiers' eyes prompted Lea to create this work after an assignment in Peleliu. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Battle of Peleliu</b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Key Points-</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most fiercely fought battles of the Pacific War</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Began on September 15,1944 and originally thought to last only three days, ended in November</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5,000 Marines wounded, 1,749 Marines Killed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Montford Marines participated in the invasion as members of the 11 Marines Depot Company and 7th Marine Ammunition Company</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They supported the 1st Marine Division</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Part of the Palau Islands. Peleliu was important because it was needed to recapture to the Philippines</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The island had over 500 caves which served as forts for the well- dug Japanese. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some 11,000 Japanese were killed, only 200 survived. The Japanese were taught to die before surrendering. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Included the Army 81st Infantry Division <span style="font-size: x-small;">(additional facts from about.com)</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Story after story emphasized the Montford Point Marines gallant actions. They finally earned the "right to fight" during the fiery battle of Peleliu. In fact, this battle would always be listed in the opening lines of Montford Point Marine history. They entered the brotherhood of United States Marine Corps with their amphibious landing in September, 1944. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The phrase "Thousand yard stare" was introduced by artist Tom Lea. He painted a war weary Marine who endured unspeakable hell in this lesser known, but important Pacific World War II battle. "Thousand yard stare" marked a crucial intersection of military, art, and psychology and called attention to the effects of war on its combatants.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">For a Video of the Battle of Peleliu click <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-peleliu">here.</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><u>Sources:</u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-peleliu">Battle of Peleliu- History.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Marines-Montford-Point-Americas/dp/0807861766">Men of Montford Point</a>, Melton McLauren*</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/npswapa/extcontent/usmc/pcn-190-003132-00/sec10.htm">Right to Fight</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">See Also:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.historynet.com/capture-of-peleliu-bravery-on-the-beach-september-98-world-war-ii-feature.htm">Capture of Peleliu</a></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.commandposts.com/2012/07/the-winning-score-dan-bankhead-and-the-montford-point-marines-baseball-team/">Commandposts.com</a> for Marine Dan Bankhead story of the Montford Points in The Battle of Peleliu. Bankhead was a former pitcher for the Marines Baseball Team. His team played against Montford Point Marines.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-30300657844306140832014-05-31T20:07:00.000-04:002014-06-01T15:42:24.160-04:00Contributing to the Veterans History Project"Desiree!!" My father's voice bellowed throughout the house. "Come here, please!" I ventured down to the lower level where my father was sitting. His large hand held the Sunday edition of the local newspaper, the <i>Hartford</i> <i>Courant</i>. It prominently displayed pictures of World War II Veterans in a special Memorial Day tribute. I looked at the faces and glanced at the articles. "How come I'm not there?", my father inquired, feeling left out.<br />
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"I don't know Dad, there are 13,000 living World War II Veterans in Connecticut, you already had an article."<br />
"Well, I want you to look into it, maybe there is a number you can call."<br />
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I read further and located a contact person. It was the director at The Veterans Project* at Central Connecticut University. You might have seen the Veterans History Project dog tags logo in stories about Soldiers. The Veteran History Project is a national initiative that acts as clearinghouse for collecting Soldiers' stories and memorabilia. I recalled seeing them for the first time when I was researching my post "<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/09/six-bailey-brothers-served-country-in.html">Six Bailey Brothers Served the Country During World War II</a>". The photos accompanying that blog post were repinned over three hundred times from the "Montford Point Marines and Honor Board" on Pinterest.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vs48QQ7VJHw/U4fuhtfGf2I/AAAAAAAAFNM/M3bIjoT5p0Q/s1600/veterans+project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vs48QQ7VJHw/U4fuhtfGf2I/AAAAAAAAFNM/M3bIjoT5p0Q/s1600/veterans+project.jpg" height="318" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Nationalmall.org</td></tr>
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"They're not open on Memorial Day, it's a holiday for the school. I will contact them on Tuesday."<br />
I emailed the Veterans Project and immediately got a reply. Within minutes. The director wanted to know if my father had letters or kept a journal. Did he have any military documents or photos? She asked if my Dad was available for two hours and I thought to myself, better plan for three. Dad puffed up with pride.<br />
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If you go to the Veterans History Project site there are links where you can find Veterans to speak at events, curriculum guides for educators and more importantly, places where you can view actual materials in person. Based on the their site, the program was established in 2000 by an act of Congress. Additional funding is provided by<i> AARP</i> magazine.<br />
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<b>War Letters</b><br />
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Letters are important because the reader can get a sense of exactly what the soldier experienced during war time. Moreover, writing letters is a dying art due to the advent of technology. Someone deployed overseas today can instantly communicate with a loved one via a web camera or email. (when possible)<br />
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War letters written from <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/05/robert-gould-shaw-leads-54th-regiment.html">Colonel Robert Gould Shaw</a>, for example, formed the basis of a book detailing his experience as commander of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. Thoughts communicated on scarce paper two centuries ago was used for educational purposes and made into a motion picture, such as in the case of the Civil War epic film <i>Glory</i>.<br />
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Continuous communication among loved ones and friends was something that Soldiers appreciated. These letters show how service personnel counted the days until they returned home. Correspondence had a chance of being delayed for various reasons such as enemy interception, censorship and various other logistical causes. Nonetheless, Soldiers looked forward to receiving mail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hV5-Pu5M5aM/U4fvvf3hrCI/AAAAAAAAFNU/uYAaDaJITvA/s1600/library+of+congress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hV5-Pu5M5aM/U4fvvf3hrCI/AAAAAAAAFNU/uYAaDaJITvA/s1600/library+of+congress.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Library of Congress<br />
Source: Flickr</td></tr>
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Hand written correspondence during World War II was sometimes heavily censored. In looking at pictures of old letters, information deemed sensitive were redacted and an official stamp indicated that the contents were reviewed. Posters and films of that era reminded soldiers that "<a href="http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lslips.htm">"loose lips sink ships."</a> Censors and military officials were concerned about details that gave away troop locations, which would put a mission in a danger. The element of surprise is certainly a critical military tactic.<br />
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Also, a pbs.org article on censorship and war letters states:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #55514c; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was some censoring in the Civil War because letters sometimes had to cross enemy lines. Most of the censoring comes from the prisoner-of-war camps. For example, if someone was writing a letter from Andersonville [a Confederate prison camp where many Union soldiers starved] those at the camp didn't want people to know what was happening, so the prisoners wouldn't be allowed to say anything bad about a camp. The first heavy censorship of U.S. soldiers took place during World War I.</span></span></blockquote>
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<b>Journals and Photos</b> <br />
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Journals kept by young men in battle captures the Soldier's innermost thoughts and provide commentary for the events. Reader feels like they are part of the action. To illustrate, a seaman penned his observations as a member of the <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/09/uss-mason-wwii-navy-ship-with-mostly.html">USS Mason, the WWII Navy ship with the mostly Black crew</a>. Sailor James A. Dunn's journal eventually became a published book. The first person account drives the story and allows people to connect.<br />
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And speaking of witnesses, in the <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/04/william-scott-african-american.html">"Witness to the Holocaust"</a>, photographs left an indelible impression. Trained photojournalist William Scott III deftly captured images in order to document the ghastly atrocities of war. General Dwight Eisenhower instructed his men to take photos of concentration camps-- he accurately predicted that people would later deny the fact that the Holocaust happened.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">"I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give firsthand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to ‘propaganda.’” General Eisenhower (scenenewspaper.com)</span></blockquote>
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I bring up all these examples of military letters, photos, and journals to emphasize the importance of gathering materials from Veterans. Civilians and service people can create a better understanding of wars and conflicts. The experiences of African American Soldiers and Sailors are under-represented. I would imagine that the Veterans History Project would seek out stories from this group and other ethnic groups. Perhaps their stories will later be turned into films, plays and literature. Validation can at last be achieved.<br />
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For the Montford Point Marines, comprehensive history has been curated at their official museum in Jacksonville, NC, and the University of North Carolina (Wilmington). Office of War <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/04/photographer-roger-smith-captured.html">Photographer Roger Smith</a> took over two hundred photos showing young African American men transitioning into Marines at boot camp. A good portion of Smith's Montford Point Marines photos are obviously archived in the Library of Congress.<br />
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My father's interview with the Veteran's History Project will be held soon. I suggest my readers to encourage Veterans to participate in the project. Artifacts and recordings insure future generations understand our comprehensive history.<br />
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One of my readers recently discovered that his father was an officer at Montford Point on Memorial Day. In his comments he also mentioned that his father was injured at Peleliu. Peleliu was one of the fiercest Pacific Battles of World War II. In honor of his discovery, my next series of posts will explore locations where Montford Point Marines saw intense combat. Ironically enough, support divisions ended up assuming combat duties.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M6trr0kPG6M/U4f_VWxPZvI/AAAAAAAAFNs/fIwgVPBSmMM/s1600/THANKS_ALL_SERVICE_222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M6trr0kPG6M/U4f_VWxPZvI/AAAAAAAAFNs/fIwgVPBSmMM/s1600/THANKS_ALL_SERVICE_222.jpg" height="520" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Thanks All Service"<br />
Mpa. 28.com</td></tr>
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Sources:<br />
<a href="http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lslips.htm">eyewitnesstohistory.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/warletters-censorship/">pbs.org</a><br />
<a href="http://new.scenenewspaper.com/2014/04/wwii-veteran-shares-memories-in-new-book/">scenenewpaper.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.loc.gov/vets/">Veterans History Project</a><br />
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*<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;"> U.S. citizen civilians who were actively involved in supporting war efforts (such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, etc.) are also invited to share their valuable stories</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">.-From Veterans History Project Site.</span></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-24668126065596119482014-05-26T13:06:00.000-04:002014-05-26T13:06:00.377-04:00Origins of Memorial Day<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For many Americans, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, a long three day weekend where barbecue grills are fired up. Beach-goers eagerly head to the shoreline and fashionistas wear their white apparel for the first time. But for the patriotic, Memorial Day is a holiday where we celebrate soldiers who died for our Nation in battle. Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day in November, where we salute all <i>surviving</i> military personnel that served. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Holiday originally began to commemorate fallen soldiers of the Civil War. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, after World War I the holiday included the war dead from all American wars and became a federal holiday in 1971. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday during the month of May. It was previously known as Decoration Day because of the tradition of decorating grave sites with fresh flowers.</span><br />
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Have you heard about the Charleston,SC origins of Memorial Day? Yale professor David W. Blight's findings has been widely disseminated over the past several years and you might have seen his essays lately. Here is what Professor Blight has reported about the first Memorial Day:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25.600000381469727px;">Thousands of black Charlestonians, most former slaves, remained in the city and conducted a series of commemorations to declare their sense of the meaning of the war. The largest of these events, and unknown until some extraordinary luck in my recent research, took place on May 1, 1865. During the final year of the war, the Confederates had converted the planters' horse track, the Washington Race Course and Jockey Club, into an outdoor prison. Union soldiers were kept in horrible conditions in the interior of the track; at least 257 died of exposure and disease and were hastily buried in a mass grave behind the grandstand. Some twenty-eight black workmen went to the site, re-buried the Union dead properly, and built a high fence around the cemetery. They whitewashed the fence and built an archway over an entrance on which they inscribed the words, "Martyrs of the Race Course."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, black Charlestonians in cooperation with white missionaries and teachers, staged an unforgettable parade of 10,000 people on the slaveholders' race course. The symbolic power of the low-country planter aristocracy's horse track (where they had displayed their wealth, leisure, and influence) was not lost on the freedpeople. A <i>New York Tribune</i> correspondent witnessed the event, describing "a procession of friends and mourners as South Carolina and the United States never saw before." Excerpt from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/opinion/30blight.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">nytimes.com</a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-emuWFJlLwFo/U4NeHEP6mHI/AAAAAAAAFMo/pJNQEk7PkPk/s1600/memorial+day+history.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-emuWFJlLwFo/U4NeHEP6mHI/AAAAAAAAFMo/pJNQEk7PkPk/s1600/memorial+day+history.jpg" height="372" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Source: New York Times</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 25.600000381469727px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Participating in the festivities were the famous 54th Massachusetts and the 34th and 104th U.S.Colored Troops, who marched around the grave site. Professor Blight has authored many books on the American Civil War. His research sheds a compelling light on how the history of the enslaved African-Americans has been down-played and essentially ignored. Note the date of Charleston, SC celebration.</span></span></blockquote>
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Another town claims to have originated Memorial Day. This town is located in the North, in Union territory. Waterloo, New York claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. The idea was conceived when:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 18px;"> A prominent local druggist, Henry C. Welles, mentioned to some of his friends at a social gathering that while praising the living veterans of the Civil War it would be well to remember the patriotic dead by placing flowers on their graves.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">On May 5, 1866, the Village was decorated with flags at half mast, draped with evergreens and mourning black. Veterans, civic societies and residents, led by General Murray, marched to the strains of martial music to the three village cemeteries. There impressive ceremonies were held and soldiers' graves decorated. One year later, on May 5, 1867, the ceremonies were repeated. In 1868, Waterloo joined with other communities in holding their observance on May 30th, in accordance with General Logan's orders. It has been held annually ever since. (<a href="http://www.waterloony.com/memday.html">waterloony.com</a>)</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u2qwwbjsrp4/U4Nt6EiUiAI/AAAAAAAAFM4/hLzb6ZHJ1Ck/s1600/waterloo+ny.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u2qwwbjsrp4/U4Nt6EiUiAI/AAAAAAAAFM4/hLzb6ZHJ1Ck/s1600/waterloo+ny.jpeg" height="332" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: cdn.history.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On May 26, 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued a Proclamation citing Waterloo, NY as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. His signing came shortly after the New York State Legislature named Waterloo as the town that created Memorial Day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I then watched a video from <a href="http://time.com/110457/what-is-memorial-day/">Time Magazine</a> dated May 25, 2014, that included the above mentioned birthplaces of Memorial Day. In the video, Columbus, GA and Columbus, MS <i>both</i> claim the birthplace of Memorial Day, along with a handful of other American cities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In any event, Memorial Day is a time to pay tribute to our fallen soldiers. Memorial Day 2014 will be special to one reader who stumbled upon my blog post " <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/05/white-montford-point-marines-officers.html">White Montford Point Marine Officers and Letter of Information 421</a>." He had read his father's service papers earlier in the day where it stated that he was an Officer at Montford Point. He discovered this amazing fact on Memorial Day Weekend: His father made American history and could be eligible for a Congressional Medal of Honor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are your thoughts on all these Memorial Day origin stories? Do you have family members that you honor on Memorial Day?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sources:</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=louis+johnson+bass+player&rlz=1C1CHVN_enUS564US564&oq=louis+johnson&aqs=chrome.5.69i57j0l5.9796j0j8&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Origins of Memorial Day</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-downs/who-invented-memorial-day_b_5389129.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">huffingtonpost.com</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.snopes.com/military/memorialday.asp"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">snopes.com</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/opinion/30blight.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nytimes.com</span></a><br />
<a href="http://time.com/110457/what-is-memorial-day/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">timemagazine</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.usmemorialday.org/?page_id=2"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">usamemorialday.org</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=AUBURNVW_Fun+Facts+About+Memorial+Day"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">va.gov</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.waterloony.com/memday.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">waterloony.com/mem.day</span></a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-60244950854848178302014-05-19T14:40:00.001-04:002014-05-19T14:40:57.808-04:00Robert Gould Shaw Leads the 54th Regiment<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recent post on White Officers of the Montford Point Marines reminded me of another White leader of an African American unit. I previously described how White Officers and Special Enlisted Staff were selected to train Black recruits at the newly established Montford Point training facility in 1942 (New River, NC). The drill instructors and office staff were selected because of their prior interaction with Asians and Latinos in military campaigns. White Officers were also interviewed to determine if they objected to Black Marines in the Corps.</span><br />
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White Officers were needed to train Black recruits. Through testing and observation, capable Black recruits could then be promoted to become a non-commissioned officer. Letter of Information 421, a classified memo, stipulated that a Black person could not hold a rank above a White Officer. Despite progress in admitting Blacks to the Corps, racial guidelines had to be followed. </span><br />
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<b>The Film <i>Glory</i></b></span><br />
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I immediately thought of the critically acclaimed 1989 movie <i>Glory</i>. Why the connection? Training and guidance came from a White Officer in charge of a segregated Black unit. Again, many Americans thought Blacks were unfit for soldiering. <i>Glory</i> starred Matthew Broderick as Union Officer Robert Gould Shaw. Shaw was the dedicated White leader of the Massachusetts 54th Colored Regiment during the Civil War. The 54th Regiment was the most famous African American Unit. <i>Glory</i> also had an Academy Award winning performance by Denzil Washington and included Morgan Freeman. Washington and Freeman portrayed free colored soldiers in the 54th.</span><br />
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Glory depicted events of the 54th Colored Regiment through the viewpoint of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. The story was based on letters that Robert Shaw kept. One issue the 54th faced was that Negro soldiers received unequal pay for fighting. White soldiers were paid several dollars more than Black soldiers. Members of the 54th refused pay until the situation was rectified. Col. Shaw joined the protest in a show of solidarity. Furthermore, the Colored Soldiers initially mistrusted their young leader. But as the story progressed Shaw and the soldiers developed a strong bond. </span><br />
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Stakes were considerably high for Colonel Shaw and his 54th Colored Regiment. If captured they would not be prisoners of war. An announcement from the Confederate Congress stated that every captured Black soldier would be sold into slavery and every White officer in command of Black troops would be executed. (<a href="http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/the-54th-massachusetts-infantry">history.com</a>) </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The story of the 54th regiment lead by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw</span><br />
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<b>Civil War and Colonel Robert Gould Shaw</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Civil War (1860-1865) was a major bloody conflict that saw the South's secession from the Union. Wealthy Southerners needed free labor to cultivate cotton, rice, tobacco and other agriculture that maintained their vast riches. About <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2956.html">3/4 of Southern Whites</a> did not own slaves. However, the remaining percentage of southerners, who were far from rich, felt compelled to fight on the side of the Confederacy, fervently waving the rebel banner. It did not matter that some Confederates might have been dirt poor. They aspired to be rich and identified with their more privileged White counterparts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the first part of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln insisted the war was a fight to restore the Union. Yet, many saw a higher purpose in the struggle, and that purpose was to not only save the Union, but abolish slavery as well. Many believed that if the abolition of slavery was a reason for the war, black troops should be allowed to fight. Many others disagreed, including General Sherman, who was reported as saying, "...can a Negro do our skirmishing and picket duty? Can they improvise bridges, sorties, flank movements, etc., like the white man? I say no." (<a href="http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/classroom/lesson_shaw.html">pbs.org</a>)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enter Robert Gould Shaw. Shaw was from a prominent New York and Massachusetts family and was an abolitionist, a person that was the against the the enslavement of Blacks. Shaw was<span style="background-color: white; color: #663300;"> "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #663300;">socially conscious and deeply devoted to intellectual and spiritual pursuits," and "counted among their friends and associates such thinkers, writers, and reformers as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Lloyd Garrison, and Harriet Beecher Stowe," according to <a href="http://www.us-civilwar.com/shaw.htm">us-civilwar.com</a>. </span></span><br />
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Robert Shaw was personally selected by Massachusetts Governor John Andrew to become the leader of the 54th Colored Regiment. Shaw's selection was after the bloody <a href="http://www.nps.gov/anti/index.htm">Battle of Antiem</a>. Incidentally, Anti-Slavery crusader Frederick Douglas had two sons that fought in the 54th. Colonel Shaw was only 25 years of age. (<a href="http://www.us-civilwar.com/shaw.htm">us-civilwar.com</a>)</span><br />
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<b>54th Infantry Regiment</b> </span><br />
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From History.com:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">Early in February 1863, the abolitionist Governor John A. Andrew of Massachusetts</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; line-height: 28.799999237060547px;"> issued the Civil War’s first call for black soldiers. Massachusetts did not have many African-American residents, but by the time 54th Infantry regiment headed off to training camp two weeks later more than 1,000 men had volunteered. Many came from other states, such as New York</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">, </span>Indiana<span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; line-height: 28.799999237060547px;"> and O</span>hio<span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">; some even came from Canada. One-quarter of the volunteers came from slave states and the Caribbean. Fathers and sons (some as young as 16) enlisted together. The most famous enlistees were Charles and Lewis Douglass, two sons of the abolitionist </span><a data-id="143601" data-type="topics" href="http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/frederick-douglass" style="background-color: white; color: #2aa6e1; line-height: 28.799999237060547px; text-decoration: none;">Frederick Douglass</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 28px;">Now back to the film <a href="http://parade.condenast.com/54012/brianpalmer/the-true-story-behind-the-movie-glory/">Glory</a><i>:</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 28px;">The film dramatizes the fateful <a href="http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/batterywagner/battery-wagner-history-articles/fortwagnerpohanka.html">assault on Fort Wagner</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 28px;">, a Confederate bastion on Morris Island, S.C. Now </span><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 28px;">this</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 28px;"> actually happened. On July 18, 1863, Colonel Shaw led the charge of 600 men under withering fire against the well-protected battery. Shaw was slain early in the assault, and 256 soldiers were wounded, captured, or killed. Says historian John David Smith, “The Confederates considered the black soldiers to be insurrectionists and their white officers inciters of slave revolts, so they refused to respect the Yankees as soldiers. Accordingly they dumped their dead bodies in a pit.” (<a href="http://parade.condenast.com/54012/brianpalmer/the-true-story-behind-the-movie-glory/">parade.condenast.com</a>)</span></span></blockquote>
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<b>William Harvey Carney</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The experiences of that fateful night at Fort Wagner cemented the fact that Blacks had the mettle necessary for being excellent soldiers. During the assault, a brave member of the 54th managed to save the regiment's flag from being taken. <a href="http://www.army.mil/africanamericans/profiles/carney.html">Sergeant William Harvey's </a> body was riddled with bullets. He was awarded a Medal of Honor 37 years later for his valor. William Harvey Carney became the first African American to receive a Medal of Honor.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">William Harvey Carney, First Black Medal Of Honor Recipient.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Carney received his medal 37 years after his heroic action at Fort Wagoner during the Civil War.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Colonel Robert Gould Shaw courageously led colored troops during the Civil War. His unwavering commitment to the Union cause was instrumental in garnering support for Colored Troops in the Civil War. Additionally, William Harvey Carney became the first African American to receive a Medal of Honor.The Army's 54th Regiment, like the Montford Point Marines, demonstrated that Colored Troops were not a farce but a powerful force in United States military history. The United States Colored Troops were later christened Buffalo Soldiers by the Native Americans. They are also Medal of Honor Recipients.</span><br />
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Next week Americans will celebrate a federal holiday called Memorial Day. How many of readers knew that Memorial Day was started by African Americans after the Civil War? </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJ_BtZq23Hs/U3pBz2r2dSI/AAAAAAAAFII/Yd-Rb0tZ_HQ/s1600/shaw-rg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJ_BtZq23Hs/U3pBz2r2dSI/AAAAAAAAFII/Yd-Rb0tZ_HQ/s1600/shaw-rg.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">http://colrgs.files.wordpress.com/<br />Robert Gould Shaw</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 28px;">"More than 180,000 African American soldiers (and roughly 19,000 sailors) fought for the Union in a segregated branch of the military, the United States Colored Troops (USCT). Another 200,000 black civilians—men and women—dug trenches, hauled away the dead, cooked meals, and performed other such gritty jobs." (<a href="http://parade.condenast.com/54012/brianpalmer/the-true-story-behind-the-movie-glory/">parade.condenast.com</a>)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/batterywagner/battery-wagner-history-articles/fortwagnerpohanka.html">civilwar.org</a>
<a href="http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/the-54th-massachusetts-infantry">history.com</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.nps.gov/anti/index.htm">Antietam National Park</a><br />
<a href="http://parade.condenast.com/54012/brianpalmer/the-true-story-behind-the-movie-glory/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">parade.condenast.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2956.html">pbs.org/antebellum slavery</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.army.mil/africanamericans/profiles/carney.html">Sergeant William Harvey Carney</a><br />
<a href="http://www.us-civilwar.com/shaw.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">us-civilwar.com</span></a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-85313548513301115112014-05-08T15:15:00.000-04:002014-05-26T10:59:36.525-04:00White Montford Point Marines Officers and Letter of Information 421<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I watched as the spry elderly White gentlemen entered the reception room of Montford Point Marines. He was the only White person among the group of African American men. Who was this man, I wondered aloud. The man with the thick silver hair interacted with the Montford Point Marines with ease. I knew it was not a politician seeking a photo op.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> For several days, my father and other Montford Marines were greeted warmly by members of Congress; speaker of the House John Boehner was even moved to tears in his speech. Although suited up, the White octogenarian clearly was not a legislator.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"He is a Montford Point Marine. He was one of the officers," the person sitting next to me announced. It then dawned on me-- White Officers were used to train Montford Point Marine recruits. When the boot camp was established in 1942, obviously there were no Black Officers. They had to be found from the Army or Navy or quickly trained by current officers. So Montford Point Marines also includes White Americans, a fact that I have omitted in my posts. It is important to include <i>all</i> Montford Point Marines and not exclude any from the history.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vHeMvslkdjk/U2bPiQV52qI/AAAAAAAAE_U/hHn0xtdic_0/s1600/white+montford+point+marine+officer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vHeMvslkdjk/U2bPiQV52qI/AAAAAAAAE_U/hHn0xtdic_0/s1600/white+montford+point+marine+officer.jpg" height="496" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: uncw.edu</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An Officer inspects a rifle.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to "The Right to Fight: African Americans in the Marines," Colonel Samuel Woods was selected to command Camp Montford Point. Colonel Woods had to "start from scratch with no cadre of experienced African Americans except for a handful with prior service in the Army or Navy." Below is a list of ten facts about Camp Montford Point from "The Right to Fight."</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ten Facts About Camp Montford Point</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Colonel Samuel Woods was in charge of Montford Point, New River, North Carolina</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Woods also commanded, the 51st Defense Battalion Composite, the first World War II African American Combat Unit</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Lieutenant Colonel Theodore A Holdahn was in charge of recruit training.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Montford Point included two dozen White Officers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 90 White Enlisted Marines were known as the <b>Special Enlisted Staff</b>. They included clerks, typists and drill instructors.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Special Enlisted Staff were vetted to exclude anyone opposed to the presence of Blacks in the ranks.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Marines were to replace the Special Enlisted Staff with Black non-commissioned officers as soon as possible. This was done by testing and personal observation.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> First Promotions to Private First Class took place in November 1942 for Blacks.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Secretary of the Navy Knox authorized a Marine Messman Branch and the first of 63 combat support companies (Depot/Ammunition).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 52 Defense Battalion established.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRqQTAS_3aA/U2fylfMmOfI/AAAAAAAAE_w/rQwLl1QAXto/s1600/Elmer+Bowen+White+Drill+Instructor+at+Montford+Point+Mag+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRqQTAS_3aA/U2fylfMmOfI/AAAAAAAAE_w/rQwLl1QAXto/s1600/Elmer+Bowen+White+Drill+Instructor+at+Montford+Point+Mag+Cover.jpg" height="640" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: montfordpointmarineassociation.com</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drill Instructor Elmer Bowen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He received positive reviews from recruits.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over 20,000 African American men trained to become Marines at Montford Point. The segregated training facility was located in New River, North Carolina. A road separated their boot camp from Camp Lejeune and African American Marines were not permitted to venture into Camp Lejeune unless accompanied by a White Officer. Black Montford Point Marines "could not eat unless their White counterparts were finished with their meal."* Apparently, Southern conventions and military protocols still maintained the separation of races.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, it is vital to note that:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">General Holcomb in March 1943 issued<b> Letter of Information 421</b>, which declared it "essential that in no case shall there be colored noncommissioned officers senior to white men in the same unit, and desirable that few, if any, be of the same rank."<b> LOI 421</b> was a classified document and did not become public during the war. (<a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/npswapa/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003132-00/sec2.htm">The Right To Fight</a>)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover, White Officers, in charge of training Black recruits were selected based on previous military experience in working with Asians or Latinos in previous military campaigns. "The Right to Fight" reports that White officers could not harbor any resentment towards Blacks serving in the Corps. This would have been detrimental for cohesiveness as a unit and undermine the program. Under direction from Colonel Samuel Woods, White Officers and Special Enlisted Staff insured that Montford Point Marines received optimal instruction. The White Officers were then replaced by Black non-commissioned officers. Therefore, when speaking of the Montford Point Marines, White Officers and Special Enlisted Staff must be included. Their stories need to be told as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Were you aware of the story of the White Officers and <b>Special Enlisted Staff</b>? What about classified document <b>LOI 421</b>?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Don't forget to share and become a follower!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image" src="http://library.uncw.edu/web/montford/vexhibit/exhibit1/images/e10005b.jpg" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="492" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: uncw.edu</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An officer assists a member of the 51st</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sources:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*<a href="http://blog.al.com/live/2013/11/montford_marines_to_host_ball.html">al.com</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/npswapa/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003132-00/sec4.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Right to Fight</span></a><br />
<a href="http://library.uncw.edu/web/montford/vexhibit/exhibit1/vexmain1.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">uncw.edu</span></a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-56512646897315558032014-04-30T18:46:00.000-04:002014-04-30T18:46:49.805-04:00A Matter of Public Discussion and Images<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The beauty of social media is having an audience of people who support you. From far flung places such as Macao and Mauritius, to people in my father's town, the interest is there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, other stakeholders have become involved. More individuals have decided to help tell my <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-fathers-story-of-montford-point.html">father's story</a> of the <b>Montford Point Marines and the 51st Defense Battalion</b>. I am very grateful for Kevin Sullivan of the Wilson Branch Public Library in Windsor, Connecticut for allowing the talk on the Montford Point Marines and the 51st Defense Battalion to happen. The branch is located fifty yards from my father's residence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following week while I was outside of the library on a bench, a teen aged female approached me. She was one of the attendees at my father's event that took place at 4 pm on April 10, 2014. It was early morning and I wondered why wasn't she in school. I then realized that she was on spring break from school. She inquired about my dad; I thanked the young lady for her concern and told her I would let him know that she asked about him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I couldn't help but notice that there was a group of teen-aged boys that were at the library during the presentation. A librarian had wanted them to join us but they refused. She apologized but I understood-- I taught high school before. For some young people of color, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and general history, is too far removed from their day to day reality. Yet in fact it is relevant because many issues that African American youths face today are similar to what was faced generations ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the young males were present, they would of learned that my dad came to <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/01/african-american-migration-dad-chose.html">Connecticut</a> by himself about the same age that they were. He ventured north because that's where so many jobs were at the time. As soon as my father descended the stairs from the bus back in the 1940s, he was accosted by people desperately looking for job seekers. Living in New England was not always the promised land. But rather than bemoan the young males lack of interest, I revisited marketing and presentation. I developed a creative idea which I will detail next month. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Seen in 1968 is John Phoenix, 83, one of the surviving members of the Montford Point Marines" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/ef/82/a6/ef82a69dcd531607e83d08424c507b54.jpg" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="462" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montford Point Marine John Phoenix<br />
He fought in Korea and Vietnam. He is now 83 years old.<br />
Source: dailymail.co.uk</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The above photo was the image that was on my father's poster for his talk at the library. I chose this particular image because it is a photo of a Montford Point Marine that is rarely shown. His name is John Phoenix. I also selected this picture because of the rifle and the bulging bicep. While the person is a Montford Marine it is not a World War II era photo. Clearly the <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/04/photographer-roger-smith-captured.html">Office of War Information</a> would not have approved of this picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nonetheless, powerful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The above photo was the original image for my father's event. It was the famous "Easter Egg for Hitler" photo. A strong and timely message since Easter was the following week. But I immediately knew that the soldiers were from the Army and served in the European Theater. I pointed it out and the pictures were swapped out of the program. My father would insist that they be Montford Marines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story behind the photo comes from Eisenhower National Park Service Museum*:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Technical Sergeant William E. Thomas and Private First Class Joseph Jackson prepared a gift of Special "Easter Eggs" for Adolph Hitler and the German Army. Scrawling such messages on artillery shells in World War II was one way in which artillery soldiers could humorously express their dislike of the enemy.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By March, 1945 many more U.S. combat units of African-Americans were on the front. Lieutenant Colonel Chet Hansen, aide to 12th Army Group commander Omar Bradley, noted in his diary on April 8, 1945, that Negroes are now being used in volunteer (combat platoons with our divisions) and according to Bradley they are doing well.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In summary, the talk on my father's experience as a Montford Point Marine at our local library is a beginning. Photos used conveyed the spirit of African American men finally allowed to participate in combat. The brave soldiers also performed well which later led to significant socio-economic gains for African Americans as a result. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover, the next objective is to educate young people about the Montford Point Marines. Young people need to learn about the sacrifices made and not take advancement for granted. As noted in present day times from our continuous news cycle, discrimination is not going away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Knowing history helps young people master their future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, in the interest of transparency, there is a long-term oversight that I need to address concerning <b>Montford Point Marines and Honor Blog</b>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think the glaring omission is that requires at least two posts? Don't forget to share this post and become a follower! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sources:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2235054/Lenel-Moore-Montford-Point-Marine-receives-medal-honor-nearly-70-years-later.html">dailymail.co.uk</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/06/27/153874/70-years-gone-montford-point-marines.html">mcclatchydc.com</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/exhibits/eise/Military/WWII_normandy_VEday/NARA111-SC-202330_AfricanAmericans-111-SC-2.html">nps.gov</a>*</span><br />
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See Also:<br />
<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/01/african-american-migration-dad-chose.html">African American Migration: Dad Chooses Connecticut</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-fathers-story-of-montford-point.html">My Father's Story on the Montford Point Marines and the 51st Defense Battalion</a></span><br />
<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/04/photographer-roger-smith-captured.html">Roger Smith Captured Iconic Images of Montford Point Marines</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-52278294919686005302014-04-12T21:31:00.000-04:002014-04-12T21:31:24.451-04:00William Scott: African American Photographer of the Holocaust<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My last post discussed the Office of War Information and how photographer <a href="http://0.0.7.222/04/photographer-roger-smith-captured.html">Roger Smith</a> captured iconic images of Montford Point Marines. His pictures displayed young, agile African American men training at boot camp at Montford Point, New River, NC. The pictures were groundbreaking because the United States Marine Corps finally permitted Negros to join their ranks. The two century long ban was lifted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was no mention of discrimination or any of the difficulties the enlistees might have endured. The propaganda policy of the Office of War made sure of that. I recently showed my father some Montford Point Marines pictures on the Internet. "You never told me you went to chapel," I teased. "Maybe I'm in some of those pictures, " he offered. "I'll see if I can print them out for you." I announced.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An article from the <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20120527/NEWS01/205270543/Montford-Point-Marines-Roger-Smith-s-New-Deal-assignment">Detroit Free Press</a><i> </i>depicted members of the Montford Point Marines Association with actual prints from a special exhibit of Roger Smith photos. The elderly gentlemen were excited about seeing the images, and talked about marching around the Montford Point tower in the hot North Carolina sun. They jokingly shared how mean drill instructor Sargent Major Gilbert "Hashmark" Johnson was and how he had to be tough in order to make men out of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roger Smith's photographs of valiant Montford Point Marines undoubtedly inspired young African American men to enlist and fight for the cause. Of course, as many Montford Point Marines can attest, some racists resented them in Marine uniforms. One Black Marine was even arrested for <i>impersonating a Marine, </i>according to Military.com.* Roger Smith's photos proudly represented the Montford Point Marines at their best. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Smith had a contemporary by the name of William Alexander Scott III. William Scott also took photographs during World War II and happened to be African American. His family owned the </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atlanta Daily World</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, an African American newspaper. Scott was drafted into the Army while a student at Morehouse College. </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">William Scott is famous for shooting photographs of liberators of concentration camps and Holocaust victims.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">William Scott was an African American Photographer of the Holocaust</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The irony of the situation can not be overstated. <b>Scott was a member of an oppressed group from the United States covering the Holocaust at a concentration camp</b>. According to Professor Jerry Legge in <i>The Dade County Sentinel,</i> some of the laws that lead to the mass genocide of Jews began with the following:</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In the 1930s Hitler’s laws began to limit or revoke their “Germanhood.” Jews were kicked out of civil service jobs, Jewish doctors were forbidden to practice, and Jewish professors were fired from German universities.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the Nuremberg laws of September 1935 spelled out with neat German precision what rights the Jews must forfeit. They couldn’t go to the same parks, pools or schools as “regular” Germans, and there must be no intermarriage between Jews and the Master Race. In 1939 Jews were forced into segregated ghettos. (Excerpt from speech given by Dr. Jerry Legge)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do any of these discriminatory laws seem familiar? Note the parallels with Jim Crow laws and Nuremberg laws. William Scott's segregated Black Army unit marched with General Patton's 3rd Army. He was one of the first soldiers to enter Buchenwald. I think the best way to convey the enormity of William Scott's arrival is to read it in his own poignant words:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; line-height: inherit;">I took out my camera and began to take some photos, but that only lasted for a few pictures. As the scenes became more gruesome, I put my camera in its case and walked in a daze with the survivors as we viewed all forms of dismemberment of the human body. We learned that 31,000 of the 51,000 persons there had been killed in a two-week period prior to our arrival. An SS trooper had remained until the day of our arrival; survivors had captured him. As he tried to flee over a fence, he was taken into a building, and two men from my unit followed. They said he was trampled to death by the survivors.</span>I began to realize why few, if any, people would believe the atrocities I had seen. HOLOCAUST was the word used to describe it, but one has to witness it to even begin to believe it. And finally, after going through several buildings with various displays — lampshades of human skin, incinerators choked with human bones, dissected heads and bodies, testes in labeled bottles, so that they could be seen by the victims on a shelf by the door as they went in and out of the barracks (after two weeks of this procedure, they would be killed, but we arrived before this ritual could be continued) — my mind closed the door on this horror.- <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Atlanta Daily World, </i>April 22, 2013</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photos below: USHMM.org**</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roger Smith and William Scott were two notable World War II photographers who documented World War II and left an indelible impression on viewers. Smith was a civilian employed by the Office of War Information. His pictures provided permanent visuals of the patriotism and the inclusion of<i> all</i> Americans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> William Scott served in the Army and his first hand account showed us the horrors and the inhumanity of a war machine gone mad. Scott's Holocaust</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit;"> images are stark reminders that genocide and discrimination must not exist. Both photographers gave us a close look at the military and war in ways that the world will never forget.</span><br />
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Source: Augusta Chronicle<br />
Witness to the Holocaust Exhibit, Georgia</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are your feelings when you see some of these photos? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please share! Follow the <b>Montford Point Marines and Honor Blogspot</b> on Pinterest for more photos!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sources:</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://chronicle.augusta.com/things-do/applause/2014-01-22/photographs-illustrate-history-holocaust">Augusta Chronicle</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://atlantadailyworld.com/2013/04/22/wwii-veteran-remembers-the-horror-of-the-holocaust-william-alexander-scott-iii-1923-1992/">Atlanta Daily World</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2008/01/25/fischer-and-black-chess-players/">Chess Drum</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dadesentinel.com/contentitem/257689/1338/legge-lecture-contrasts-jewish-wwii-holocaust-black-american-experience">Dade County Sentinel</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20120527/NEWS01/205270543/Montford-Point-Marines-Roger-Smith-s-New-Deal-assignment">Detroit Free Press</a><br />
<a href="http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent?file=ML_montford_bkp">Military.com</a>*<br />
<a href="http://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-features/online-exhibitions">USHMM.org</a><br />
<a href="http://holocaust.georgia.gov/witness-holocaust-wwii-veteran-william-alexander-scott-ii-buchenwald">Witness to the Holocaust</a><br />
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Notes:** "<span style="background-color: white; color: #444242; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">American troops, including African American soldiers from the Headquarters and Service Company of the 183rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 8th Corps, US 3rd Army, view corpses stacked behind the crematorium during an inspection tour of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Among those pictured is Leon Bass (the soldier third from left). Buchenwald, Germany, April 17, 1945." From United States Holocaust Memorial Museum</span><br />
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See Also:<br />
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<a href="http://0.0.7.222/02/alfred-masters-becomes-first-black.html">Alfred Masters Becomes The First Black Marine Inducted Into The Armed Service</a><br />
<a href="http://0.0.7.222/04/photographer-roger-smith-captured.html">Photographer Roger Smith Captured Iconic Images of Montford Point Marines</a><br />
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Video:<br />
<a href="http://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn513324">Oral History Interview with William Scott</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Friday Readers! Things are moving along at <b>Montford Point Marines and Honor Blogspot.</b> Additional people are committed in helping me spread the news about these remarkable men and my dad's story. I will explain that in detail soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In today's world we have the Internet, where information can be transmitted with the touch of a button. However, in the 1940s, there was no Internet. Televisions were years away from being a permanent fixture in Americans homes. As a result, the primary way to get visual images out to the masses was print media. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Magazines and newspapers contained photos to get Americans behind the war effort. These images were well conceived and powerful. Who was responsible for creating these images that motivated people to enlist in the armed forces? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Office of War Information</b> was established six months after Pearl Harbor on June 13, 1942. The goal was to drum up support for the military and document members of the armed forces. It used propaganda to "inspire patriotic fervor in the American public." The OWI also covered social change such as women in the work force and the inclusion of African Americans in the military.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In the case of the Montford Point Marines, Office of War Information photographer<b> Roger Smith </b>was responsible for many of the photos during World War II. You have seen these iconic images in most of the Montford Point Marines stories in the media. The photos have been continuously posted here on this blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now you know the name of the man behind the lens. Here are some of Smith's images below:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rv7J4L2Wm-k/Uz68xbPcYQI/AAAAAAAAEBU/y46oMxx_DOs/s1600/montford+point+marines+saluting+at+barracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rv7J4L2Wm-k/Uz68xbPcYQI/AAAAAAAAEBU/y46oMxx_DOs/s1600/montford+point+marines+saluting+at+barracks.jpg" height="492" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Montford Point Marines in front of Barracks at Boot Camp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: archives.gov</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JhnGESZDEkY/Uz66vYYTOaI/AAAAAAAAEBE/QCVfHOBZMB0/s1600/montfordmarinesbasechapel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JhnGESZDEkY/Uz66vYYTOaI/AAAAAAAAEBE/QCVfHOBZMB0/s1600/montfordmarinesbasechapel.jpg" height="473" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Montford Point Marines leaving chapel on the base.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: uncw.edu</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hay76gDRA7E/Uz6-h5kIpSI/AAAAAAAAEBc/AOCfeJ97Hak/s1600/51st+defense+battalion+tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hay76gDRA7E/Uz6-h5kIpSI/AAAAAAAAEBc/AOCfeJ97Hak/s1600/51st+defense+battalion+tank.jpg" height="490" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Source: uncw.edu<br />Montford Point Marines in training.<br />51st Defense Battalion</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x14wPMMe5GE/Uz7AcOYxulI/AAAAAAAAEBo/aVnAZa-P_R0/s1600/montford+marines+with+flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x14wPMMe5GE/Uz7AcOYxulI/AAAAAAAAEBo/aVnAZa-P_R0/s1600/montford+marines+with+flag.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Source: uncw.edu<br />Montford Marines in formation.<br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Thousands of Smith's photographs can be found on the Internet today. Others are physically stored in archives such as the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Roger Smith captured some of the most enduring images of African Americans during the war. His works have been displayed in exhibits and reproduced in books and other Montford Point Marines materials. He is clearly a photographer that I will explore in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So if you run across a photograph of a Montford Point Marine during World War II, it is more than likely taken by Office of War Information photographer Roger Smith. Now I am off to show my father pictures of his boot camp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Would any of these photos inspire you to join the war effort? Have you heard of Roger Smith before? What about the Office of War Information?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please don't forget to share!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sources:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_owi_1.html">americaslibrary.gov</a><br />
<a href="http://library.uncw.edu/web/montford/">uncw.edu</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-67253527230587324282014-03-23T00:36:00.000-04:002014-03-23T00:36:30.039-04:00Josephine Baker Aided the French and Received Medal of Honor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Continuing with the theme of Women's History Month, what better person to discuss than Josephine Baker? She was an international icon who rose from poverty in St. Louis, Missouri to the lavish lifestyle of Paris, France.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Baker had a slew of nicknames: "Creole Goddess," "Black Venus" and "Black Pearl." She was renown for her beauty and her innovative and flamboyant dances. According to Biography.com, Baker had a pet cheetah and adopted 12 children from various ethnicities called the "Rainbow Tribe." But do we know the story behind Baker providing intelligence to the Allies during World War II? </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Josephine Baker received a Medal of Honor for aiding the French Resistance during WWII. </b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Josephine's rags to riches story was very similar to many Negro entertainers in the early 1900s. She was born Freda Josephine McDonald in 1906. Baker worked at an early age as a domestic and waitress to help her impoverished family. She married at age thirteen but did not remain in the union for long. (Baker later wed several more times) Young Baker then started dancing professionally. Considered too dark and skinny in America, the <i>New York Times </i>once referred to her as "The Negro Wench." <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Source: The Official Josephine Baker Site)</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josephine Baker during WWII<br />
Source: Biography.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Undeterred, Josephine Baker left the United States for Paris where she became a huge sensation in the 1920s. Baker was praised for her looks; Ammomag.com describes women emulating Baker's cropped do, tanned skin, and fashion. Josephine Baker was the toast of the town and her films solidified her status. She also took voice lessons and evolved into a captivating singer.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (huffingtonpost)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She became the highest grossing entertainer in Europe according to Biography.com. Baker infatuated legions of fans with her famous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4kG79YpUQ">"Banana Dance,"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVPJD3kaKRQ">"Shadow Dance"</a> and the "Original Charleston." A long line of modern day performers have cited Baker as a major influence. Baker incorporated comedy, visual appeal and high energy in her scene stealing performances.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josephine Baker<br />
Source: mentalfloss.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Furthermore, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, and F. Scott Fitzgerald greatly admired the "Black Venus."** She embodied the Jazz Age and the accompanying Art Deco movement. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baker attempted to make a return to America in the late 30s with the show </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ziegfeld Follies</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> but faced audience rejection. She renounced her American citizenship and became a French citizen in 1937. By this time Baker was among the top photographed female stars. France embraced her.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(huffingtonpost)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the Official Josephine Baker site:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Admirers bestowed a plethora of gifts, including diamonds and cars, and she received approximately 1,500 marriage proposals.</span></span></blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is why Josephine Baker was the perfect candidate to smuggle information for the French Resistance during World War II. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Vichy Government and The French Resistance</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Via historylearning.com.uk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">The surrender of France in June </span><span style="color: #0088cc; line-height: 18px;">1940</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">, was a major blow to many French people in terms of their pride. Many believed that the government had let the people down. The creation of a Nazi-approved Vichy government, primarily in the centre and south of the country, was, in the minds of many, further proof that politicians had let down France. The resistance movement developed to provide the Allies with intelligence, attack the Germans when possible and to assist the escape of Allied airmen.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">In the immediate aftermath of the June 1940 surrender, France went into a period of shock. The public had been assured that the French army, along with the </span><a href="http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/maginot_line.htm" style="color: #0088cc; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Maginot Line</a><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">, was more than strong enough to resist a German attack. The speed and severity of </span><a href="http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/blitzkrieg.htm" style="color: #0088cc; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Blitzkrieg</a><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"> had shocked the French people. The non-occupied region of France, known as Vichy France, was set up by the Germans and governed by Marshall Pétain. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Meanwhile, French President Charles de Gaulle on June 18th, 1940 told the French people from London to keep fighting the Germans. The Vichy government, <a href="http://www.historytoday.com/roderick-kedward/resistance-france">collaborated</a> with the Germans and internal conflict began.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">.<br /> Baker had a castle in Southern France. She provided housing for Resistance members. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Source: jewishvirtualibrary.org</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Josephine Baker, Free France Spy</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Prior to the surrender of France to the Germans in 1940, Baker was made an "honorary correspondent" by a French official. Baker gathered information on German troops from various embassy and ministry personnel at parties. Baker passed the intel on to the French government. Her <i>femme fatale</i> persona allowed her access to confidential military information.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(biography.com)</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Baker housed French Resistance friends at her Southern France castle and procured travel visas. She traveled throughout neutral Europe and South America collecting information about German troop movement, airfields and harbors. As a spy, once again she obtained some of the information by her "beguiling smile" and sensuous charm. The intelligence would then be written on invisible ink on Josephine's sheet music. On some occasions the info would be pinned on her underwear. An entertainer of Baker's cache would not be subject to a strip search.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(biography.com)</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Baker's other WWII activities included a stint as a sub-lieutenant for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. She also provided performances for French troops free of charge, boosting their morale. For her brave and commendable efforts Baker </span></span><span style="color: #565659; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was the first American-born woman to be awarded the <i>Croix de Guerre</i> and the Rosette <i>de la Résistance</i> and to be made a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (womenwhochangedamerica.org)</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image via: queensofvintage.com<br />
Josephine Baker with her pet cheetah</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>American Civil Rights Proponent</b></span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Josephine Baker figured prominently in the American Civil Rights Movement. She was invited to speak during the 1963 March On Washington* and was one of the few women that spoke before thousands of protesters. After the assignation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. his wife Coretta selected Baker to be the face of the movement but she declined. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Baker refused to perform in front of segregated audiences and challenged the social mores of the day, winning accolades from the NAACP. Her actions resulted in death threats from the Klu Klux Klan but she remained steadfast with her convictions.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">One of the most famous entertainers of the twentieth century pushed the envelope with her stage persona and private life. Her songs are timeless standards covered by many. The "Black Pearl" reaped the benefits of her amazing popularity and enjoyed a posh lifestyle. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Josephine Baker's status allowed her to be the perfect spy for the French Resistance in WWII. Additionally, she was a pivotal player during the American Civil Rights Movement. Baker lived life on her terms and did not let rejection in the United States limit her. Josephine Baker died in 1975 of a cerebral hemorrhage. Baker was buried with military honors and over 20,000 people attended her funeral.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (biography.com)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">What entertainer today does Baker remind you of? Can you think of anyone else that was involved in military and social causes?</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Don't forget to share this post!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josephine Baker was the only woman who spoke at the March on Washington in 1963.<br />
She is pictured with Lena Horne, another activist entertainer.<br />
image via: pinterest.com<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><br />Sources:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://read.ammomag.com/Josephine-Baker-Fashion-Icon">Ammomag.com</a>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.biography.com/people/josephine-baker-9195959">Biography.com</a></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/49488/Josephine-Baker" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Encyclopedia </span>Brittanica</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*<a href="http://thehistorychicks.com/?tag=josephine-baker">historychicks.com</a>-March on Washington Speech</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thehistorychicks.com/?tag=josephine-baker">historylearning.com.uk</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/josephine-baker-beauty-photos_n_3267033.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">huffingtonpost.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.cmgww.com/stars/baker/about/biography.html">Official Site of Josephine Baker</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker">wikipedia.com</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.womenwhochangedamerica.org/profile/josephine-baker/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">womenwhochangedamerica.org</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*<b>Vichy</b>- <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.258724212646484px;"> France was divided into two zones. Petain set up his government in the unoccupied zone at the spa town of Vichy. The large number of hotels housed all the ministries.</span></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-16609578337736579902014-03-14T23:37:00.000-04:002014-03-15T15:50:53.810-04:00 Valaida Snow: African American Woman in a Nazi Concentration Camp?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With March being Women's History Month, I wanted to feature Women for this month's posts. The following person had a lot of queries after I shared a photo and a brief description elsewhere. I chose this World War II themed individual because of her unique story and to answer some questions that were raised...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What if you left your native born country because you wanted to pursue and sustain your career as an incredibly talented artist? You hailed from a large family that was musically gifted and you were also gorgeous. You were a fashionista and all your sensational marriages made the tabloids. There were other progeny that performed but you were the one that reached a different level of stardom, first in America and then internationally. The music that you transcribed and sang launched you into the stratosphere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am referring to the incomparable Valaida Snow, a multi-hyphenated phenom. She was a vaudeville performer, jazz vocalist and a dancer. Snow was also was a preeminent trumpet player. Her trumpet playing was so outstanding, that she was dubbed "Little Louie," a complimentary nickname after Louis Armstrong. Armstrong stated that Snow was "The second best trumpet player after himself." (memorylanecom.uk)</span><br />
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But another distinction that musician Valaida Snow has is this shocking claim: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>That she was a African American Woman in a Nazi Concentration Camp during World War II.</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">www.storie.it</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Valaida Snow, Queen of Trumpet</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Artistry of Valaida Snow</span></b><br />
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Jazzitalita.net reports that Valaida Snow grow up in a musical family in Chattanooga, TN. Dates of her birth are listed between 1903-1907. Her mother taught Valaida to play the following instruments: cello, bass, violin, banjo, accordion, saxophone and trumpet. Pianist Mary Williams compared her trumpet's High C notes as similar to those of Louis Armstrong. The "Queen of the Trumpet" could also sing and dance. Her father was white, and had music industry connections. Her father's connections enabled her at an early age to be part of the vaudeville act called Snow's Gold Dust Twins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Valaida's mixed race appearance was appealing for female Broadway and nightclub acts. She was cast in Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake's <i>Chocolate Dandies</i> in 1924. <i>Chocolate Dandies</i> toured for six months and made it to Broadway. <a href="http://redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?locale=en_us&c=124&bd=pavilion&tp=iefavbar&s=amazon&pf=cnnb&TYPE=4">Lena Horne</a> and Josephine Baker were among the chorus girls for this exciting production.<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> Snow performed in concerts in the states, Europe and Asia. (memorylane.com.uk)</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://songbook1.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/valaidasnow_c-mid-1930s_hot-pants_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://songbook1.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/valaidasnow_c-mid-1930s_hot-pants_1.jpg" height="640" width="454" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">songbook1wordpress.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Valaida's heyday was in the 1930s, when she was a celebrity in London and Paris. Her signature hit song "High Hat, Trumpet, and Rhythm" was recorded during this time. Snow was in <i>Rhapsody in</i> <i>Black</i> with Ethel Waters in New York. She even appeared in films and her popularity showed no signs of diminishing. A successful run at the Apollo Theater in New York and a high profile marriage to Ananias Berry, one of the dancing Berry Brothers, did not hurt either. (jazz.com)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Indeed, Valaida Snow had an </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">impressive discography of music and appearances. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">She made significant contributions in the male dominated music industry as a Black female. Snow traveled to all the major cosmopolitan cities by the time she was twenty five and conducted orchestras at age thirty, according to Mark Miller*. The Queen of the Trumpet also led all female jazz bands, proving that she could pack dance halls and auditoriums. Yes, she was more than just a</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> pretty colored chorus girl doing the latest dance craze in a Harlem nightclub. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">24mediatumblr.com</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Valaida Snow conducting in <i>Blackbirds</i></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Was African American Jazz Artist Valaida Snow in A Nazi Concentration Camp During World War II?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Snow<i> </i>returned to Europe for additional tour dates and to hold court as a scenester. Jazz was the top selling genre of the era and she was enthralling. However, World War II began in Europe in 1939 and Hitler's Third Reich was determined to expand its aggression in country after country. Friend Josephine Baker advised Snow to return to the States. The singer happened to be in Denmark, which became occupied by Nazi Germany.</span><br />
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The Nazis viewed Non-Aryans as an inferior people. Nazis hatred were primarily targeted towards Jews. Concentration camps were set up to exterminate Jews and other people considered undesirable as Hitler's "Final Solution." Nazis performed unethical medical experiments on the small number of Blacks in Germany and forced sterilization. Propaganda against Blacks warned Aryans not to socialize with them. (</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005479">USHMM.org</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Valaida did return to the states. She traveled to New York and underwent a press campaign that included </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">" a story of internment in a Nazi concentration camp, of starvation, torture, and frequent whippings." </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amsterdam News</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> on April 10, 1943, reports Snow as "the only colored woman entertainer on record to have been interned in a Nazi concentration camp." Author Jayna </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Brown argued the "<i>Amsterdam News</i> article was designed by Snow's manager to garner attention for her comeback show. Nothing more." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">(<i>Babylon Girls: Black Girl Performers and the Shaping of Modern)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jazzcom. references Mark Miller's research on Snow. He interviewed people that knew the singer and analyzed her itinerary around the time of her internment. He concluded that:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Snow was addicted to the opiate painkiller oxycodone, and was taken into custody by Danish authorities in March 1942, possibly for her own protection. She shuttled between a prison and a hospital in Copenhagen until safe passage to New York was arranged for her via neutral Sweden two months later.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Valaida Snow was not interned in a Nazi </span><u style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">concentration</u><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> </span><u style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">camp</u><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">. This is an important distinction. She was taken into Danish custody, because of alleged drug possession and theft. There were no concentration or death camps in Denmark. (concentration camps were to the east) The Nazi concentration camp story was a ploy for publicity. With Hitler's views on Blacks widely known, it only enhanced the horror of Snow's confinement. Even today, this fabrication is circulated on the Internet as truth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">(<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87764425">NPR</a>)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">songbook1wordpress.com</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Conductor Valaida Snow</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her unmatched musicianship in the early part of the twentieth century in the field of vaudeville, jazz and film cannot be denied. The "Queen of Trumpet" excelled in a male dominated arena. She was a jazz performer who was in Denmark at the time of Nazi occupation during WWII. Valaida Snow's shocking claim of being in a Nazi concentration camp and her life as an entertainer warrants a closer look. Snow died of cerebral hemorrhage in 1956.</span><br />
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<br />What are your thoughts about Valaida Snow? Are you curious to learn more about her?</span><br />
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Don't forget to share this post and subscribe.</span><br />
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<a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EqljAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XysMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1400%2C4291298"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Afro American</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.dukeupress.edu/Babylon-Girls/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Babylon Girls: Black Girl Performers and the Shaping of the Modern</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*<a href="http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/utq/summary/v078/78.1.heble.html">High Hat, Trumpet and Rhythm: The Life of Valaida Snow</a>- Considered the most comprehensive research on Snow's life and debunks the concentration camp myth.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/snow-valaida-valada"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">jazz.com/encyclopedia</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.jazzitalia.net/articoli/valaidasnow_eng.asp#.UyJZVPldXDs"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">jazzitalia.net.</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.memorylane.org.uk/previous_articles.htm#Valaida%20Snow"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">memorylane.org.uk</span></a><br />
<a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/11/21/the-jazz-diaspora-patience-and-fortitude-valaida-snow"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lineout.com</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87764425"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NPR Audio Review of Mark Miller Biography on Valaida Snow</span></a><br />
<a href="http://ehsankhoshbakht.blogspot.com/2012/01/notes-on-valaida-snow.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take the A Train</span></a><br />
<a href="http://rootsrhythmandrhyme.com/2013/02/22/valaida-snow-queen-of-the-trumpet/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roots, Rhyme and Rhythm</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See Also:</span><br />
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<a href="http://redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?locale=en_us&c=124&bd=pavilion&tp=iefavbar&s=amazon&pf=cnnb&TYPE=4"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Montford Point Marines and Lena Horne: Trailblazers</span></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-69267808681908498152014-03-06T20:34:00.001-05:002014-03-06T20:34:59.564-05:00 My Father's Story of The Montford Point Marines and the 51st Defense Battalion<br />
The new guest to the Primus house was given a tour around the residence. I escorted her through the split level house, squeezing past chair glides that graced two flights of stairs. The Veterans Administration paid for the newer, sleek model with the remote. Introductions were made, and small talk ensued. Al Sharpton's robust voice could be heard from the living room television as it usually does at 6pm. One gregarious person who came to visit my father had left. Dad became engrossed in his show.<br />
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I was working on <b>Montford Point Marine and Honor Blog</b> and showed the remaining guest the writing. I explained that it was about my father and pointed out to her my mother's post. At age ninety my father is not really interested in the Internet. He prefers newspapers. I then noticed that he suddenly became agitated.<br />
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His voice changed and he spoke directly to me about our guest, in right front of her. Dad's penetrating brown eyes looked sharply into my questioning gaze.<br />
"She didn't notice anything when she came in."<br />
The guest and I shifted nervously. It seemed like forever and we both waited. It was like in the movies when the alpha male makes a statement and no one knows how to react.<br />
"She didn't notice my awards."<br />
Everyone burst into laughter, relieved. " I'm sorry, let me show you my Dad's awards and explain his history, I was wondering why he was getting all testy!" I smiled.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dvidshub.net<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px; text-align: left;">Corporal Lynn L. Williams (far right) walks with other Marines during liberty in the 1940s. </span><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<b>Montford Point Marine and Honor Blog</b> is slowly growing. A month into my blog, people have expressed interest in doing a documentary on my father's life. They include former students of mine, random strangers, and cohorts. What readers fail to realize is that this is really my father's story and I write because he wanted others to know about his life, the story about the 51st Defense Battalion, and the Montford Point Marines. Of course by reading this you get a chance to discover how living in the United States as a Black man of my father's generation was difficult. You also get some trailblazers, military topics and general history thrown in for good measure.<br />
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Some of my consistently ranked top ranked posts are the ones such as the Great Depression and my mother. His Non-Welcoming Homecoming, is popular. Consequently, stories in <b>Montford Point Marines and Honor Blogspot</b> are universal and timeless. Who can't relate to being ostracized at one time or discriminated? I write from the viewpoint of a teacher, remembering when students would be interested when I shared stories about my father's life. All those years of teaching children how to write a five paragraph essay in forty five minutes paid off, apparently. I spend countless hours on posts, finding appealing photos, and researching multiple sources. I am learning SEO, social media, and how to add links. You can see the difference in the posts over time. Which leads us to....<br />
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....Ill-intentioned people who want to profit from my writing and achieve all the glory without doing the heavy lifting. Who are they? They know who they are. I see where they come in through analytics, where they are researching my page views and website's net worth. So I retained the services of an attorney in Washington, D.C. and conferred with others in Connecticut and Florida. Writers today cultivate followers over time. It is where trust and a relationship forms. I could easily write a book <i>today</i> and let it languish. For someone else to simply write a book after I done all the research and work is--well, inherently wrong. Especially since said person (s) reads this blog on a regular and pretends like it does not exist. My Dad is very proud of me and likes talking to me about his life. He likes to remember the old days as it keeps his mind active. Alas, there appears to be people out there who are trying to get the glory and a payday, people who really don't care about my father.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Montford Point Marines received their Medal of Honor at home.<br />
They were unable to make the ceremony because of health reasons.<br />
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When I talked to him about a book and a documentary, he says make sure no one calls him and I want my cut! So just as some people are waiting for my posts in order to get a payday, I wait for my Google alerts that scan the Internet for any resemblance of my Dad's story. The daughter of a Montford Point Marine, in case you haven't noticed, pays close attention.<br />
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I thank the loyal readers of this blog for their support. My father is very pleased when I read to him the list of countries throughout the world who are learning about him. Seventy years is a long time to tell his story of the Montford Point Marines and the 51st Defense Battalion, nicknamed the "Lost Battalion," by the Black Press. With Google alerts, I read about Montford Point Marine Veterans receiving their medals at their residence or at a nursing home. They were too ill to make the ceremony in Washington. D.C. Others had no idea the United States Marine Corp were trying to locate them. Usually a Marine Officer arrives at the Veteran's house to award the coveted Medal of Honor to a proud "Leatherneck."<br />
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So what do you think? Should a "Johnny Come Lately" slap a book or movie together and exploit my father's story, using my words and efforts? Why aren't these individuals reaching out to me if they are so interested in my father's life as a Montford Point Marine? Isn't it great that my father has an uncanny memory about his past?<br />
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Please feel free to comment and share.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Nola.com<br />
Reading about the history of the Montford Point Marines</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.dvidshub.net/image/768605/california-montford-point-marines-awarded-congressional-gold-medal#.UxkRW_ldXDu">dvidshub.net</a><br />
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Leatherneck-Slang word for US Marine<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-58770355917207039122014-03-02T22:39:00.002-05:002014-03-02T23:14:53.683-05:00Dedications: The Marine Obstacle Course and the Montford Point Challenge<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a shorter post, readers. The month of February is Black History Month in the United States. Unsurprisingly, it generated a lot of interest in the Montford Point Marines, which is excellent for the "<b>Montford Point Marine Movement</b>."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Women's History Month is during the month of March, so I will be featuring female subjects that are related to military. But in the meantime...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you aware of a<b> Marine Obstacle Course </b>that is dedicated to a Montford Point Marine? He is:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sylvester Hood Sr., who enlisted on December 10, 1943. A pioneer, he was among the first of the roughly 20,000 Montford Point Marines to graduate prior to training integration and the depot's closure in 1949. During World War II, he served in the 6th Marine Ammunition Company as a munitions worker, deploying to Sasebo, Japan and Hawaii. Col. Hood was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps on March 9, 1949, and returned to his family in Meridian., MS. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Meridian.star.com</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="line-height: 14.77199935913086px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Navy.mil.com reported: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14.77199935913086px;">It was his service and dedication to his family and the country he loved that he was honored during a ceremony Nov. 8, 2013, on board Naval Air Station Meridian, MS. </span><span style="line-height: 14.77199935913086px;">The Marine obstacle course was dedicated to Hood. </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.77199935913086px;">A groundbreaking ceremony for the monument that will honor him and all </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Montford </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.77199935913086px;">Point Marines was also held.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14.77199935913086px;">"All of us in the military - even our jet pilots - are standing on the shoulders of giants," said Maj. Aaron J. Brooks, commanding officer of Marine Aviation Training Support Squadron One. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Over in in Quantico, VA, United States Marine Corps Officers in the video below took part in the <b>"Montford Point Challenge. "</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">U.S. Marine officer candidates participate in a physical challenge called "The Montford Point Challenge" aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Oct. 12, 2012. The Montford Point Challenge was introduced to OCS to teach the history, contribution and dedication of the Montford Point Marine</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">s. -Description from Youtube.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="A trio of recruits in training to take their places as fighting Leathernecks in the U.S. Marine Corps, run the rugged obstacle course at Camp Lejeune, NC (Montford Point Camp). The Marine recruits have shown such excellent results in their aptitudes and leadership capacities that an expanded Navy recruiting program is now underway.", 04/1943. Credit: National Archives." src="http://www.commandposts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/43-0222a.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">The above photo had the original caption from the National Archives:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A trio of recruits in training to take their places as fighting Leathernecks in the U.S. Marine Corps, run the rugged obstacle course at Camp Lejeune, NC (Montford Point Camp). The Marine recruits have shown such excellent results in their aptitudes and leadership capacities that an expanded Navy recruiting program is now underway.", 04/1943. Credit: National Archives.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a wonderful tribute to the Montford Point Marines; an obstacle course dedicated to Sylvester Hood, Sr, along with the <b>Montford Point Challenge. </b> These physical initiatives are perfect metaphors in what the men had to endure. Are you surprised about these obstacles courses? Have you ever participated in an obstacle course?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Don't forget to share this information! Be a part of the "Montford Point Marine Movement!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sources:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.commandposts.com/2011/10/images-of-the-day-montford-point-marines/43-0222a/">commandpost.com</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.meridianstar.com/local/x2112916092/Obstacle-course-to-be-dedicated-to-Meridian-native">meridianstar.com</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=77634" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">navy.mil.com</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-28670085243633866202014-02-22T02:00:00.000-05:002014-02-24T00:07:42.354-05:00David Dinkins: Montford Point Marine and Former Mayor of New York<br />
"Let's here it for New York....." the chorus to the Jay Z's "Empire State of Mind" mega hit begins. But an older generation might prefer Frank Sinatra's tribute of "New York, New York." I included these popular songs because a former mayor of the "Big Apple" was a Montford Point Marine. He is the honorable David N. Dinkins, who was elected the first African American mayor of New York City. New York is a world class financial, fashion, cultural, and entertainment center. David Dinkins is 86 years old, and currently a Public Affairs Professor at Columbia University. His policies as mayor has had a lasting impact for the city. This Montford Point Marine describes New York City, a population of over eight million, as a "Gorgeous Mosaic" of ethnicities. New York's population ranks among the top three of the United States, according to the United States 2012 census. Interestingly enough, he became a Montford Point Marine the same way he became mayor: Methodically and with persistence.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LjtK4NcFyfY/UwY1JO14DCI/AAAAAAAAD4c/hM5TcIo2kms/s1600/animated+nyc+gif+between+bridges.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LjtK4NcFyfY/UwY1JO14DCI/AAAAAAAAD4c/hM5TcIo2kms/s1600/animated+nyc+gif+between+bridges.gif" height="396" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image via: nycgo.com</td></tr>
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David Dinkins was born in Trenton, New Jersey on July 10, 1927. His parents separated when he was a young boy and his mother moved to Harlem, NY and worked as a domestic. The elder Dinkins later remarried and returned to Trenton where David graduated high school. Essentially, his reason for joining the Marines was his desire to remain alive. He was seventeen years old in 1945 and young men from his neighborhood were rapidly becoming fatalities of World War II. David Dinkins decided to take his destiny into his own hands by taking proactive measures:<br />
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And I figured a way to stay alive is to be well trained is to be a Marine. And so I tried to enlist in the Marine Corps. Well, the idea is you have to enlist before you get drafted, because once you're drafted, they tell you where you're going. You say you want Navy, they give you Army. (<a href="http://library.uncw.edu/web/montford/transcripts/dinkins_david.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Uncw.edu</span></a>)</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tuOY6QKRlcU/UwdzoT6R0CI/AAAAAAAAD5E/fK4Ea9sABbU/s1600/Dinkins,_David_USTA_152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tuOY6QKRlcU/UwdzoT6R0CI/AAAAAAAAD5E/fK4Ea9sABbU/s1600/Dinkins,_David_USTA_152.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: usata.com</td></tr>
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<b>Life As A Marine</b><br />
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Unlike men who might have shot themselves in the foot to get out of the service, David Dinkins embarked on a mission. He was so determined to become a Marine that he went to sign up in Camden, Philadelphia, Jersey City, Newark, and New York and each time was told that the quota for Negro soldiers was reached. Shortly thereafter, a physical exam revealed that Dinkins had high blood pressure.* This condition would have exempted him from the military but Dinkins remained steadfast. His blood pressure later was normal. Meanwhile a letter was written to the draft board stating if Dinkins passes the exam to place him in the Marines. On July 10, 1945, he turned eighteen. David registered for the draft and requested immediate induction. A little over a week later he was called. (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://library.uncw.edu/web/montford/transcripts/dinkins_david.html">Uncw.edu</a>) </span><br />
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The transcript from University of North Carolina provided a glimpse of boot camp life at Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The DIs or drill instructors were tough-- he found out the hard way during his first encounter when he was struck by one. Despite the tough training, the scrawny Dinkins was accepting of it because it meant he had to "toe the line." Again, Dinkins signed up because he wanted to remain alive. He was not looking for a way out of the Corps.<br />
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Private David Dinkins remained stateside and was a driver at the base, leaving at 4am under cover of darkness. Dinkins was an ambulance driver, and sprayed DDT** according to the taped interview. He also was an assistant file clerk, since he was proven to be very efficient in the office. When it was time to reenlist he decided not to, and enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C. upon the urging of his stepmother, an alum. At first he was not very serious with his studies, as he wanted "to party." David Dinkins then became serious and majored in Mathematics, graduating with honors in 1950. He met the smartest girl in his graduate school math class, Joyce Burrows, who later became his wife. Joyce was the daughter of a New York state assemblymen, which led to Dinkins becoming involved in politics.(<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://library.uncw.edu/web/montford/transcripts/dinkins_david.html">Uncw.edu</a>, wikipedia)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: huffingtonpost.com<br />
David Dinkins while in office.</td></tr>
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<b>Life As A Politician</b><br />
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After Howard, Dinkins attended, Rutgers for a fellowship in math and then switched to Brooklyn Law School. He graduated in 1956 and started his own firm. Next, he began his ascent into New York City politics by acquiring access to the inner workings of the political machine, economic clout, and a thick skin. David Dinkins:<br />
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Became part of an influential group of African American politicians that included Denny Farrell, Percy Sutton, Basil Patterson, and Charles Rangel, the later three together with Dinkins were known as the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/harlem-trailblazer-world-war-ii-tuskegee-airmen-percy-sutton-dies-article-1.435731">"Gang of Four"</a>.</blockquote>
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Also, <i>New York Daily News</i> reported that Dinkins was one of fifty African American investors who helped the late Percy Sutton*** establish the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation in 1971. Inner City Broadcasting Corporation owned the top ranked urban radio station WBLS and saved the famed Apollo Theater from bankruptcy in 1981.<br />
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David Dinkins was President of the Board of Elections from 1972-1973, City Clerk 1975-1985 and Manhattan Borough President in 1985. He was elected the 106<span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span> mayor of New York City on November 7, 1989, defeating three term mayor Ed Koch, two other democrat candidates and Rudy Giuliani. He was not elected for another term. Many sources cite the handling of the three day long Crown Heights Riots in 1991, the perception of Dinkins being ineffectual with the crime rate, ethnic tensions, and high voter turn out from the borough of Staten Islandv as factors in contributing to his loss. In Dinkin's memoir, released in 2013 called <i>A</i> <i>Mayor's Life: Governing New York's Gorgeous Mosaic</i>, he candidly talks about his defeat and contributions. (<a href="https://new.sipa.columbia.edu/faculty/david-n-dinkins">columbia.edu</a>, wikipedia)<br />
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<b>New York Faced Special Challenges</b><br />
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New York City in the late 80s and early 90s, like many of America's urban cities, faced many special challenges. A recession, unemployment, gangs, crime, the introduction of the crack epidemic and AIDS wreaked havoc on the residents. Many of my readers might remember when New York overall was deemed a dangerous place filled with urban blight. There was racial discord and violence. Films of the era such as <i>New Jack City </i>and<i> Do the Right Thing</i>, come to mind.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/nyregion/26dinkins.html?_r=0">New York Times</a> in 2009 wrote about David Dinkins achievements as mayor. Highlights include:<br />
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<li>Decreased the <a href="http://www3.istat.it/istat/eventi/2003/perunasocieta/relazioni/Langan_rel.pdf">New York City crime rate</a> more than any other time in history. This was done by increasing the size of the New York Police Department and the hiring of Raymond W. Kelley as police commissioner. </li>
<li>Instituted Beacon Community Centers that provided a wide range of services.</li>
<li>Revitalized a once decaying Times Square and negotiated with Walt Disney Corporation to repair an old 42nd Street theater.</li>
<li> Established significant rehabilitation of dilapidated housing in Harlem, South Bronx and Brooklyn despite budget constraints</li>
<li>Procured a 99 year lease from the United States Tennis Association for New York City, cited as the best athletic stadium deal in the country.</li>
<li>Enacted policies and actions that reduced the homeless population to its lowest point in 20 years.</li>
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David Dinkins also is involved in countless social organizations such as 100 Black Men, Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc., and serves on numerous boards. The Columbia University website lists his implementation of "Safe Streets, Safe City: Cops and Kids" crime reduction program for children in addition to involvement in various municipal leadership organizations.<br />
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So there you have an achievement packed life of one Montford Point Marine. David Dinkins decided to be proactive about his military career as a teenager to insure that he did not to become a casualty. He took steps to enlist as a Marine, because he knew that he would receive the best training out of all the Armed forces. He did not give up after five USMC recruitment offices said "No, we reached our Negro quota." Higher ups noting his persistence wrote a letter insisting that he be allowed to become a Marine.<br />
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The Congressional award winning Montford Point Marine then later served as an politician for one of the most important cities in the world. Dinkins described New York as a city with the "Gorgeous Mosaic" of people. He established ground-breaking policies for millions of residents and was in office with the largest crime drop in New York City history. Since then, the appealing luster of The Big Apple from a golden era has been restored. More individuals are apt to sing the metropolis' praises in a song, like the two I included in the introductory paragraph.<br />
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David Dinkins was able to achieve two important goals in his life; becoming one of the first Black Marines and the first Black mayor of New York City.<br />
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Would you have been as persistent as Dinkins in becoming a Marine during WWII? Have you ever visited or lived in New York in the 1990s? What about today?<br />
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Sharing is caring! Follow the <b>Montford Point Marines and Honor Blogspot</b> on Pinterest.<br />
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See also:<br />
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<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/06/they-dont-tell-you-where-theyre-going.html">They Don't Tell You Where You're Going</a><br />
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Sources:<br />
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<a href="https://new.sipa.columbia.edu/faculty/david-n-dinkins">columbia.edu</a><br />
<a href="http://www3.istat.it/istat/eventi/2003/perunasocieta/relazioni/Langan_rel.pdf">www3.istat.it</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/harlem-trailblazer-world-war-ii-tuskegee-airmen-percy-sutton-dies-article-1.435731">newyorkdailynews.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/nyregion/26dinkins.html?_r=0">nytimes.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/218898-first-black-marines-awarded-congressional-gold-medal/">takeaway.org</a><br />
<a href="http://library.uncw.edu/web/montford/transcripts/dinkins_david.html">uncw.edu</a><br />
<a href="http://www.visionaryproject.org/dinkinsdavid/">visionaryproject.org</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page">wikipedia.com</a><br />
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Notes: *high blood pressure- Incidence of high blood pressure for US Blacks is 41% due to genetics, environmental and social factors. Source: webmd.com<br />
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**DDT-pesticide<br />
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***Percy Sutton- Also a Congressional Medal Recipient. Sutton was an intelligence officer and an aviation cadet with the Tuskegee Airmen. Sutton, an attorney, provided legal representation for Malcolm X. Profiled at visionaryproject.org<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-9008257901592529672014-02-14T02:39:00.000-05:002014-02-14T02:41:41.774-05:00The Passing of A Hartford Legend: Walter "Doc" Hurley<br />
I was in the final stages of locating photos and creating an outline on one of the most famous Montford Marines when something appeared across my feed in a social media account. It was a tribute drawing from Bob Englehart, a political cartoonist from the <i>Hartford Courant</i>. The illustration read "Doc Hurley." I immediately was touched because my father used to play cards with Coach Walter "Doc" Hurley. Just last year we drove down Hurley's former street and my father pointed out the Tudor house that overlooked Keney Park. I discussed Doc Hurley's passing with my father and he reiterated how his late older brother Jay used to play football as an undergrad against Hurley on an opposing HBCU team. Both men were extremely tall and a long lasting friendship occurred between two giants whose statures alone did not define them. My late <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1968430971477974813#editor/target=post;postID=816904297537734890;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=5;src=postname">Uncle Jay</a> would see Doc Hurley when he came to visit us in Connecticut.<br />
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"I didn't know he was a Marine," I said. Dozens of news sources plus a book stated he served in the Pacific during the 1940s as a Marine. As this blog's loyal readers already know, that would automatically make him a Montford Point Marine, since Montford Point was where all African American Marines were trained at the Camp Lejeune facility prior to desegregation. Thus, with supporting documentation, Doc Hurley should receive a Medal of Honor posthumously.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>Hartford Courant</i></td></tr>
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<b>Walter "Doc" Hurley- 1922-2014</b><br />
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Walter "Doc" Hurley was an educator, school administer and basketball coach. He was born in Albany, Georgia and moved to Hartford, CT where he was a four sport star athlete. Hurley graduated from Weaver High School in 1941 and served in the Marines. He attended Virginia State University and spent his summers in Hartford as a supervisor in a parks and recreation program. Hurley was a towering, commanding man with the "intense stare" and booming voice. Some of his young men that Hurley coached even made it to the NBA; they later reflected in a 2006 article from the <i>Hartford Courant</i> on the influence that Doc Hurley had:<br />
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In those days you didn't call them mentor, but that's what he was. He was the largest person I had ever seen. He was larger than life to me, and in a way still is."</blockquote>
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Hurley played Professional football in the 1940s with the All American Football Conference Brooklyn Dodgers. He was a winning high school track and football coach and a noted basketball official in Virginia. He also began his teaching career there. Despite Hurley's successful reputation, when there was a basketball coach vacancy at Hurley's <i>alma mata</i>, Weaver High School, Hurley was passed over. Hartford simply was not ready for a Black coach at the time. Even today, headlines are still made when an African American is made a collegiate or professional sports coach. Said Hurley, "it stung" and according to the article Hurley "never got over it." (<a href="http://articles.courant.com/2014-02-10/news/hc-doc-hurley-death-0211-20140210_1_hartford-foundation-doc-hurley-basketball-classic-muriel-hurley">Hartford Courant</a>)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doc Hurley in 1940<br />
Image via wfsb.com</td></tr>
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It was Doc Hurley that calmed some 500 Weaver High School students down on April 4, 1968, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Doc Hurley wasn't a teacher at Weaver, but he was summoned from his physical education job at an elementary school to prevent frustrated students from protesting. Hurley arrived and gathered the football team, since he knew many of them as kids by name, along with leaders of street gangs to diffuse the potentially violent situation. His quick-thinking paid off as Weaver High School remained unscathed while Hartford's North End was ravaged by riots for months. He asked the question, "Where are you going to get educated if you burn down the school?" Now that's power. (<i>Hartford Courant</i>)<br />
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The educator went on to become an assistant principal at Weaver High School and set up the Doc Hurley Basketball Tournament in 1975. Over a half million dollars in college scholarships have been given out over the years with the criteria based on academics, an essay and financial need.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"There are hundreds of people from throughout the Hartford area whose lives were transformed because of the higher education opportunities that Doc Hurley brought to their lives over the past several decades," Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Monday. "He was one of the most passionate voices for Hartford and its residents, respected by all, and brought such positive energy to generations of residents. He truly is a Hartford legend and is proof that one person can make a lasting, positive impact." <i>Hartford Courant</i></span></div>
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Unfortunately, great things can become temporarily tarnished. State officials allege that his daughter misused college funds for her own personal use. A new scholarship fund has been established through the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, called the Walter Doc Hurley Scholarship Fund for Greater Hartford. Flags were flown at half mast under the direction of Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra, and the girls and boys Weaver High School Baskeball teams are dedicating the rest of their season in Doc Hurley's honor. They will be wearing jerseys with Doc Hurley's name on them. (<a href="http://articles.courant.com/2014-02-10/news/hc-doc-hurley-death-0211-20140210_1_hartford-foundation-doc-hurley-basketball-classic-muriel-hurley">Hartford Courant</a>)<br />
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And how did Walter Doc Hurley get the moniker "Doc?" His father wanted him to grow up to become a doctor so that he could be successful. I think this Marine did remarkably well, don't you? Do you know any educators like him? Would it be awesome to Hurley's legacy if he is honored with a Congressional Award posthumously?<br />
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Don't forget to subscribe for future posts, become a follower and share.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eQcW6RJ3rkY/Uv1aPFrJC-I/AAAAAAAAD2s/e9BF5iz71iA/s1600/walter+doc+hurley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eQcW6RJ3rkY/Uv1aPFrJC-I/AAAAAAAAD2s/e9BF5iz71iA/s1600/walter+doc+hurley.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hartford Courant</i> file photo.</td></tr>
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Sources:<br />
<a href="http://foxct.com/2014/02/10/hartford-legend-walter-doc-hurley-dies/">FoxCT.com</a><br />
<a href="http://articles.courant.com/2014-02-10/news/hc-doc-hurley-death-0211-20140210_1_hartford-foundation-doc-hurley-basketball-classic-muriel-hurley">Hartford Courant</a><br />
<a href="http://redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?locale=en_us&c=124&bd=pavilion&tp=iefavbar&s=amazon&pf=cnnb&TYPE=4">Hartford.org</a><br />
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See Also:<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1968430971477974813#editor/target=post;postID=816904297537734890;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=5;src=postname">A Montford Point Marine and Tuskegee Airmen in One Immediate Family</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1968430971477974813#editor/target=post;postID=4978561764025306305;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=12;src=postname">Connecticut: The Land of Steady Habits</a><br />
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Notes:<br />
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* Gwen Hurley, the wife of Doc Hurley, preceded her husband in death in 2005. She taught at Mark Twain Elementary for many years and also had a lasting impact on young people and the Hartford community. My friend Pat, an administrator, would speak fondly of Mrs. Hurley and her sayings.<br />
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It is very commonplace to know someone in the military. If you ask around, there is someone in your circle, extended circle, family, workplace who is a member of the armed forces. You might have known someone who was in the ROTC in high school, or in the Reserves. A classmate might have attended college courtesy of the G.I Bill.* But prior to 1942, Black Marines did not exist. Not even in support positions, like the other branches of the military in the United States.<br />
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In <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/10/executive-order-8802-bans.html">Executive Order 8802 Bans Discrimination in the National Defense Industry</a>, I described how this law prohibited discrimination in federal government positions and the armed forces. It was signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt on June 25, 1941, and ended the <i>centuries</i> long tradition of the United State Marine Corps barring Blacks from enlisting. (See <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/10/early-black-military-experiences.html">Early Black Military Experiences: Colonial America and the Revolutionary War</a> for a synopsis on African American Soldiers in the Armed Services.)<br />
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According to <i>Leatherneck Magazine</i>, Major General Commandment Thomas Holcomb testified before the General Board of Navy on January 23, 1942, that "There would be a general lost of efficiency in the Marine Corps if we take Negroes." Holcomb also said that "given the choice between having Marine Corps of 5,000 Whites or 500,000 Blacks, he would rather have the Whites."<br />
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Obviously, the upper echelons were not pleased into taking African Americans enlistees. However,with increasing pressure, the Marines had to comply. The Marines purchased land to establish barracks at New River, North Carolina in early 1941. It was a 1600 acre tract. Montford Point was named after Colonel James Montford, a heralded Civil War veteran whose family's roots extend to the American Revolution. (<a href="http://www.mccsss.marines.mil/CampJohnson/CampHistory.aspx">Marine Corps Combat Service Support Schools</a>)<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;">On 26 April 1942, Montford Point was opened under the command of Colonel Samuel A. Woods and a select group of enlisted staff noncommissioned officers (SNCO's). This group of SNCO's were known as the "Special Enlisted Staff." Their mission was to set up the camp and then function as drill instructors for the new recruits. The first black Marine recruits were selected for their leadership and demonstrated maturity for they would be the backbone of the black SNCO/Drill Instructor core. Nearly 20,000 African-American recruits were trained at Montford Point until 1949, when the U. S. military was fully integrated. (<a href="http://www.mccsss.marines.mil/CampJohnson/CampHistory.aspx">MCCSSS</a>)</span></blockquote>
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So Montford Point was specifically set up for Colored recruits to have separate barracks and other supporting facilities, along with specialized training. Recruits were carefully selected. But I have come across seemingly conflicting reports on who the first Black Marine was. Admittedly, I was confused; I saw photos of Howard P. Perry, but then I saw Alfred Masters. There could not be two "firsts." So I had to look closer to answer the question. The answer is this: Howard P. Perry of Charlotte, North Carolina has the distinction of being the first Black recruit. Perry reported to boot camp in August 26, 1942. The first Black Marine recruit to be <b>sworn in</b> was Alfred Masters on June 1, 1942 at 12: 01 a.m. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Masters was inducted into the Corps in his home state out west, and then traveled to Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, NC.<span style="font-size: x-small;">(montfordpointmarines.com)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dQHPZelAik0/Uw03cs6o8mI/AAAAAAAAD7I/FFy481_PUHM/s1600/Technical_Sgt._Alfred_Masters_-_1st_African-American_in_the_United_States_Marine_Corp_-_1942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dQHPZelAik0/Uw03cs6o8mI/AAAAAAAAD7I/FFy481_PUHM/s1600/Technical_Sgt._Alfred_Masters_-_1st_African-American_in_the_United_States_Marine_Corp_-_1942.jpg" height="640" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Technical Sargeant Alfred Masters<br />
Source: commons.wikimedia.org<br />
First Black Marine</td></tr>
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The wife of Alfred Masters, Isabel Masters recalled:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Alfred and I were on the elevator at the post office in Oklahoma </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">City with a Marine recruitment officer who asked Alfred if he wanted </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">to be the first Black Marine. Of course, the answer was yes. Alfred </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">was wearing a Langston University sweater, which prompted the </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">recruiter to accost him. On June 1, 1942, Monday morning, one </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">minute after midnight, Alfred was inducted into the armed services as </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">the first Black Marine. In Texas, however, another young man was </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">inducted one minute after 8 a.m. as the first Black Marine. However, </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Alfred's name is always listed first, being a degree of controversy about it."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="http://www.montfordpointmarines.com/The%20obituary%20of%20Mr%20Alfred%20Masters/Full%20Document.pdf">montfordpointmarines.com</a></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wCgSAcKlsKE/UvGI8Dq0lbI/AAAAAAAADyg/5ofb-3QwTZ0/s1600/boot+camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wCgSAcKlsKE/UvGI8Dq0lbI/AAAAAAAADyg/5ofb-3QwTZ0/s1600/boot+camp.jpg" height="640" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Flickr<br />
Montford Point Boot Camp</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Montford Point Marine Recruits, New River, NC<br />
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For Alfred Masters, his induction into the Corps meant that he took a sacred oath promising to adhere to it for his entire military career. Alfred Masters becomes the First Black Marine inducted into the Armed Services on June 1, 1942. Masters and other recruits at Montford Point in the summer of 1942 were positioned to be influential game changers.<br />
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Have you heard about the Montford Point Marines prior to reading this blog? If so how? Don't forget to become a subscriber to <b>Montford Point Marines and Honor Blogspot</b>!<br />
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Please share this post in honor of Black History Month! Black History is American History.<br />
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Notes:<br />
Montford Point was renamed Camp Johnson in honor of Sergeant Major Gilbert "Hashmark" Johnson, a nineteen year Army and Navy veteran. Johnson was a Montford Point Marine drill instructor. (mccsss)<br />
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Langston University is a public university located 45 minutes from Oklahoma City, OK in Langston, OK. It was founded in 1897 and is considered the westernmost historically Black college in the US, from Langston.edu, wikipedia.<br />
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*G.I.- "Government Issue," Veterans Benefit Program used for education, business loans, housing, etc.<br />
ROTC-Reserve Officer Training Corps<br />
Reserves-A military organization of citizens who combine a military role with a civilian career.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">**Repost: The daughter of Alfred Masters notified me that the previous picture identified with her father was incorrect. I immediately switched to the above correct photo and apologized for the error. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/article/world-war-ii-montford-point-marines-honoring-and-preserving-their-legacy">Leatherneck Magazine</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mccsss.marines.mil/CampJohnson/CampHistory.aspxecial">Marine Corps Combat Special Support School</a><br />
<a href="http://www.montfordpointmarines.com/The%20obituary%20of%20Mr%20Alfred%20Masters/Full%20Document.pdf">Montford Point Marine Association</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-74746863621297832012014-01-29T18:11:00.000-05:002014-02-16T00:28:45.381-05:00 Army's Red Ball Express: Unsung Soldiers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wrote extensively about the <a href="http://port%20chicago%20naval%20magazine%20explosion/">Port Chicago Naval Magazine Explosion</a> and the <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/01/port-chicago-mutiny-and-port-chicago-50.html">Port Chicago Mutiny</a>, involving the mostly African American sailors who loaded munitions bound for the Pacific Theater. The explosion was the worst homeland disaster of World War II and the Port Chicago Mutiny was the largest naval mutiny at the time. July 14, 2014 is the 70th anniversary of the explosion; ceremonies will pay respect to the fallen seaman and civilians. Here is another story of unsung African American soldiers...<br />
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The European Theater was the location of the United States Army's Red Ball Express, where again, African American soldiers comprise the majority of the personnel. Allied troops in Europe desperately needed ammunition. But in this case the ammunition was transported strictly by land; rations, medical supplies, and fuel also needed to be rapidly distributed.<br />
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The Operation was given the code name Red Ball Express. Red Ball Express was a truck convoy transportation system that traveled across Northern France. The supply line was essential after the largest amphibious landing in military history. Red Ball Express was created on August 25, 1944 in Normandy, France. Its name was borrowed from an old fashioned term for fast freight trains that contained perishable food.<br />
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Did you know that 75% of its drivers were African American?* They were members of the Army's Quartermasters Corps. Again, the belief system at this time maintained that Blacks did not have the guts necessary for being a soldier of combat. African American males were considered "intellectually inferior."As a result, the ranks of World War II military, with notable exceptions, swelled with Blacks in support positions.<br />
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However, in order to survive the Red Ball Express supply line, you had to have guts.<br />
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<b><br />Army's Red Ball Express: Unsung Soldiers</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazon.com</td></tr>
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If you originally thought that Red Ball Express drivers were affable Negros, mindlessly shuttling around a military base, you are incorrect. Now some may think that being a driver in the war is not glorious, but these drivers took their work seriously. Travel by motor vehicles was necessary as the French railroad system was completely destroyed. This was done to thwart the Germans. The operation commenced shortly after the D Day invasion. D Day, or the Normandy Invasion, marked a turning point in World War II. (D Day warrants separate, future posts due to the enormity and vast scope of this historical invasion)<br />
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I asked my father about the Red Ball Express and he had a great deal of respect in his voice. He said that they had a dangerous job because they had to avoid the <i>Wehrmacht,</i> the German military. "You remember that?," I asked. "Yeah, he bragged, "I know a lot about the war," was his reply.<br />
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He did not personally know any drivers but I explained that the father of the late singer Whitney Houston was a Red Ball Express Driver. According to US Army Transportation Museum.com, John Huston stated:<br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia; text-align: justify;"><i>“We ran [the trucks] through summer, fall and winter, through snow, ice and rain. Guys were falling asleep all the time. You couldn’t get enough rest.”</i></b></blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, in viewing the aftermath of war torn French towns, Houston recalled:</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Each town was a monument to hell itself."</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="b/w photo of Blackwell and Houston" src="http://www.transchool.lee.army.mil/museum/transportation%20museum/images/stories8.bmp" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="463" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Rockwell (l) and John R. Huston<br />
Source: US Army Transportation Museum</td></tr>
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Driving for extended periods of times, the men faced sleep deprivation yet they had to stay alert. Veteran James Rookard recalled drivers and relief drivers learning to switch positions while the vehicles were in motion. German bombs and gunfire attacks were always a possibility on those trecherous roads. The roads had signs, traffic signals and military police directing traffic. At nighttime, truck headlights had special "cat eye covers", in order to diminish detection by the German Army. If a truck was no longer working, the truck had to be abandoned and left on the side of the road. Mobile pit crews would come along and repair the trucks <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Source: blog.cleveland.com)</span><br />
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Over fifteen hundred Army vehicles were repaired each day <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Source: DOT). </span> Red Ball Express soldiers had to deal with debris in the road from shrapnel. They also had to deal with inclement weather, starving people begging for food, dead bodies, and bombs, remembered James Rookard. Drivers obviously had to persevere under time constraints and the constant fear of being attacked. There was also added pressure to succeed because news reporters covered their stories back home.<br />
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The entire Red Ball Express operation was a massive initiative launched by General George S. Patton, Jr.; it lasted 82 Days according to Department of Defense. What good is having strategic, tactical plans towards the Allied victory if your troops are unequipped? This particular operation provided forward momentum for the Allied troops after the D Day invasion.<br />
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From DOT.gov:<br />
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The plan was to gather nonessential trucks from throughout the European Theater. Although General Eisenhower had wanted tractor-trailers for the Red Ball Express, the primary vehicle was the versatile 2½ ton six-wheel-drive General Motors truck nicknamed the "Jimmy" and "deuce-and-a-half." They would operate 24 hours a day on two designated two-lane, one-way roads, reserved almost exclusively for the trucks, totaling around 600 miles at the peak of service. The northern route was closed to all traffic except convoys delivering supplies, while the southern route was closed to all but returning trucks.</blockquote>
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The Red Ball Express began operating on August 25, 1944, with 67 truck companies, 3,358 trucks, mostly Jimmies, carrying 4,482 tons of supplies on a 125-mile run from Cherbourg to the forward logistics base at Chartres. Just 4 days later, the Red Ball Express included 132 truck companies and 5,958 vehicles. [<em>Victory</em> , p. 49]</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dba9HoEIs2A/UuXV7nF-MdI/AAAAAAAADxI/V5LIldHKRd8/s1600/red+bull+express.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dba9HoEIs2A/UuXV7nF-MdI/AAAAAAAADxI/V5LIldHKRd8/s1600/red+bull+express.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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In closing, Red Ball Express was a major convoy system that supplied Allied soldiers fighting on the French front line. It was a top secret plan that was launched after D Day. The mostly Black drivers, mechanics, minesweepers and others of the Red Ball Express ultimately helped the Allies gain victory in World War II. Please share the incredible story of the Army's Red Ball Express and its Unsung Soldiers.<br />
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Some readers may say, "I see no color when fighting along my comrades." This may be true. But the question is, is it now possible to <i>represent</i> color when describing American military history, instead of omitting groups? When percentages are as high as 75%, such as the Red Ball Express' African American drivers, can a more accurate representation be granted? What do you think?<br />
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*US Department of Defense<br />
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Sources:<br />
<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=43934">defense.gov</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/09/wwii_driver_recalls_the_red_ba.html">blog.cleveland.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/road/s17.cfm">fhwa.dot.gov</a><br />
<a href="http://www.historynet.com/red-ball-express">history.net</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pbs.org/thewar/at_war_democracy_african_american.htm">pbs.org </a><br />
<a href="http://www.transchool.lee.army.mil/museum/transportation%20museum/personalstories.htm">Personal Stories: Red Ball Express</a><br />
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Notes: Hollywood had its own version of the Red Ball Express, simply named <i>Red Ball Express</i>. The titular film was released in 1952 and featured a predominately White cast. A young pre-Academy Award winning Sidney Portier appeared in this movie. The script had some rewrites after issues raised by the Black press.<br />
CBS had a TV show called <i>Roll Out</i> in 1973-74. <i>Roll Out</i> aired for only twelve episodes, and was produced by the same team as <i>M.A.S.H</i>. There was also a 1994 US Postage Stamp dedicated to the Red Ball Express. <span style="font-size: x-small;">( Source: DOT)</span><br />
See also: <a href="http://amst.umd.edu/powerlines/robert-k-chester-red-ball-express/">powerlines/robert k chester</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-89558458526508308512014-01-23T20:26:00.000-05:002014-04-30T21:57:33.564-04:00 Port Chicago Mutiny and the Port Chicago 50 "Hi, Papa Clifford!" It was my best friend, checking in on my dad because she heard he was in the hospital. He was now at home, and she was concerned. "I'm sorry, who is this?" my dad asked in his formal tone, the one he uses when he is "handling business."<br />
"It's me, Pebbles!" Dad then laughed, happy to hear from my best friend. They chatted for a while. Dad immediately felt better. Pebbles is a lawyer and sometimes edits my posts when she is not in court. She is very excited that I will be writing about the Port Chicago Mutiny because civil rights icon Thurgood Marshall was involved with it. She received a "Thurgood Marshall Scholarship" while an undergrad at Howard University.<br />
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Thurgood Marshall spent the better part of his life in the twentieth century fighting civil rights. As a matter of fact, if you look up "Civil Rights", you are bound to see a picture of the stalwart Thurgood Marshall pictured in front of a courthouse, or in a distinguished robe as a US Supreme Court Justice Judge, the highest court of the land. If I were one of the African American soldiers being tried for mutiny, I would want Thurgood Marshall defending me. <i>Winthrop's Military Law and Precedents</i> defined mutiny as "to usurp, subvert or override superior military authority."<br />
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I described the harrowing tragedy of the <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/01/port-chicago-explosion-largest-wwii.html">Port Chicago Naval Magazine Explosion</a>, the worst homeland disaster of World War II earlier this week. The explosion happened on July 17, 1944. Tons of ammunition being loaded onto Liberty ships exploded, instantly killing over three hundred people, the majority African American sailors. The Black enlistees were forced to quickly load the materials onto Liberty ships at Port Chicago, CA by their officers. 2014 marks the 70 year anniversary of the event, and commemorative memorials will take place across the United States.<br />
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I am quite sure that if you were a survivor of such a horrific event, you would not be fond of returning to work in an an unsafe environment. You probably experienced trauma as a first responder after viewing the mangled remains of bodies that were incinerated. Imagine being told to go back to the pier to do the same back breaking and dangerous assignment. Without given any protocols.<br />
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The 328 surviving Black enlistees refused. Fifty men were singled out and charged and convicted of mutiny. The men cited the Navy's lack of care for their safety. They wanted Navy officials to change procedures but the Navy refused to comply with their wishes. So the men were rounded up and arrested.<br />
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Two hundred eight of these men were court-martialed, sentenced to bad conduct discharges, and the forfeit of three month's pay for disobeying orders. Fifty of them men, however, were charged with outright mutiny, a crime punishable by death. They would be known as the Port Chicago 50. No Port Chicago sailor convicted of mutiny was sentenced to death; however, most were sentenced to eight to fifteen years of hard labor. In January of 1946, however, all of the accused were given clemency and were released from prison.<br />
- See more at:<a href="http://www.blackpast.org/aaw/port-chicago-mutiny-0#sthash.gM7q5Zcs.dpuf">blackpast.org</a></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scene from Paul Leaf's 2009 play, <i>Mutiny at Port Chicago</i>.<br />
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It was reported that the trial was for thirty days and deliberations were for 80 minutes, including lunch-time.<br />
According to lighthousedigest.com, the prosecutor was naval officer James Frank Coakley, who claimed that the the sailors were "depraved" men who didn't want to work. In reading the research, I was utterly amazed at how the Black enlistees were subject to exaggerated claims and trickery. Their officers were viewed in a positive light and considered heroes; some even received Navy and Marine medals for bravery.<br />
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Thurgood Marshal, the attorney on the appeal, put up a "valiant defense." Marshall was Chief Counsel for the NAACP and would argue 32 cases before the Supreme Court, and the famous <i>Brown v. Board of Education</i> that led to desegregation of public schools. (<a href="http://www.lighthousedigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=1964">lighthousedigest.com</a>)<br />
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Furthermore, in addition to the discriminatory practices of placing Black men as the only ones handling the materials and hiring them in menial positions such as stevedores, Thurgood Marshall found that the 12th Naval District:<br />
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Ignored official cautions by the San Francisco waterfront union before the Port Chicago catastrophe and that an explosion was inescapable if they continued in the use of untrained seamen in the loading of ammunition.</div>
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The Navy dismissed an offer by this same union to dispatch skilled men to instruct Navy personnel in the proper handling of explosives. In addition, it came out that division officers of Port Chicago actually placed bets from $5 and up as to whose crew could load more ammunition. ( lighhousedigest.com)</div>
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Thanks to the persistent efforts of Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP, and letters written to the government, the Port Chicago 50 received clemency. The <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-negro-press-demanded-answers-on.html">Pittsburgh Courier</a><i>,</i> the African American newspaper with the largest circulation in the 1940s, provided continuous coverage of the events. Petitions and protests were critical components on the outcome of the Black sailors.<br />
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Many years later, according to history.com, a 1994 review concluded that the trial had strong racial overtones. On December 23, 1999, President William Clinton pardoned Freddie Meeks of Los Angeles, one of the few still living members of the original 50. Meeks wanted everyone to know about his plight and the story behind the Port Chicago Mutiny. Some individuals believed that asking for a pardon was essentially admitting to guilt, but Meeks remained steadfast in his desire to get the story of the Port Chicago Mutiny/Port Chicago 50, back out into the nation's consciousness. <br />
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The Port Chicago Mutiny caused the Navy to change their procedures for loading munitions. After the trial, men had to become certified in order to load these special materials. Port Chicago, therefore, proved to not only be a civil rights case, but also a human rights issue. Moreover, Port Chicago Mutiny struck a chord with journalists who discovered the case decades years later and decided to investigate it. Professors and people in the performing arts were inspired to research and create works of art, bringing the Port Chicago 50 into the media and dialogue.<br />
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Historians point out that the Port Chicago Disaster also was a factor in desegregating the military. Blacks needed to have an opportunity for advancement in the armed forces and not be confined to segregated, menial positions. Prevailing attitudes of the day that fostered discrimination had to be eliminated. In essence, Port Chicago Magazine Naval, the worst homeland disaster in WWII, and the Port Chicago Mutiny/Port Chicago 50, the largest naval mutiny in at the time, became a catalyst for change in the military. It enabled the military to take an introspective look on how it treated its personnel, and the need to be proactive in protecting all of its members in perilous situations.<br />
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So what do you think? Would you have been brave enough to stand up to a commanding officer and inform him that you weren't going to load those explosives? If you were a wronged survivor, would you be willing to ask for a pardon after all those years?<br />
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Don't forget to subscribe to this blog via email, receive notifications and follow <b>Montford Point Marines and Honor Blogspot</b> on Pinterest.<br />
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Please share this post in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Port Chicago.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blackpast.org/aaw/port-chicago-mutiny-0">blackpast.org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/port-chicago-disaster/">history.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.lighthousedigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=1964">lighhousedigest.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/30/us/freddie-meeks-83-ex-sailor-who-was-pardoned-dies.html">nytimes.com</a>-"Freddie Meeks Pardon"<br />
<a href="http://www.usmm.org/portchicago.html">usmm.org</a><br />
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See also: <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-negro-press-demanded-answers-on.html">Pittsburgh Courier</a>, <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-non-welcoming-military-homecoming-for.html">"A Non-Welcoming Homecoming For the 51st Defense Battalion"</a><br />
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Notes: <i>Port Chicago Mutiny</i> has been the subject and title of a NBC movie in 1999. It starred Michael Jai White and Duane Martin and was directed by Kevin Hooks. Morgan Freeman is listed as one of the executive directors. There has been plays, documentaries, a symphony, artwork and books on the subject. An episode of the CBS TV drama <i>JAG</i> devoted a story line on a survivor in 2002. <i>The Port Chicago Mutiny</i>, written by Richard Allen in 1989, is the foremost reference on Port Chicago.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-90538097356706559242014-01-19T21:52:00.001-05:002014-01-27T20:58:42.881-05:00Port Chicago Explosion: The Largest WWII Homeland Disaster<div class="content" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On my previous post I discussed <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2014/01/operation-crossroads-and-atomic-bomb.html">Operation Crossroads</a> and included a controversial photo of an atomic bomb test cake. A reader named Shirley Wilson, a professional cake designer from San Francisco, linked the plight of the sailors in an incident to the Montford Point Marines. I posted a portion of her comment and asked my readers if they knew about the incident in question. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">Some of my scholarly viewers automatically answered to themselves "</span><b>Port Chicago</b><span style="font-weight: inherit;">."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Similarly, other scholarly viewers collectively shared a blank response. The incident was not publicized and was buried for over fifty years. It took investigations and testimonials to uncover this homeland disaster that became both a civil and human rights case. There now is a Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial. So if you Googled and asked for help, or a lifeline, I will understand, because I myself didn't know about the case. Here is the fascinating story of Port Chicago...</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Port Chicago Explosion: The Largest WWII Homeland Disaster</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Port Chicago Naval Magazine was a segregated naval base located 40 miles east of San Francisco, CA. Black men were required to load ammunition and bombs onto ships. Ships were headed out to Pacific Rim troops during World War II. The Allies were desperate to stop the Japanese and other Axis powers that were raging massive destruction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After World War I, the Navy excluded African Americans and replaced them with Filipinos. In 1932, the Navy permitted Blacks, but only in menial positions and of course, not as officers. Port Chicago had 1,400 Black enlisted men, 71 officers, 106 Marine Guards and 230 civilian employees. (Usmm.org)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">It was critical to load the Liberty and Victory ships 24 hours around the clock. Tragically, pressure was on to quickly dispatch munitions without any regard for safety or specialty training. It was reported that the enlisted men even waged </span><i>contests</i><span style="font-style: inherit;"> to increase their output. The Black men toiled long hours and worked without facial masks to protect them from toxic dust. Furthermore, </span><span style="font-size: 1em; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5;">their supervisors were White officers who harbored discriminatory attitudes towards them. Navy survivor Morris Soublet* reported being called "boy" and the group of Negro men as "you people." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Can you imagine working in not only a hostile work environment, but employed around highly combustible materials, with no instruction on how to properly handle the munitions, and commanded to move quickly? The Black enlistees had some fears about working with the materials but blocked them out after the officers told them they would be safe "because the bombs did not have detonators on them." Clearly all these elements were a dangerous recipe for disaster. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">The </span><i>E. A. Bryan</i><span style="font-style: inherit;"> had been moored at Port Chicago for four days, taking on ammunition and explosives night and day. Some 98 men of Division Three were hard at work loading the </span><i>Bryan</i><span style="font-style: inherit;">, and by 10:00 p.m. on 17th July the ship was loaded with some 4,600 tons of munitions including 1,780 tons of high explosives. (rense.com)</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5;">In addition to the enlisted men present, there were nine Navy officers, 67 members of the crews of the two ships along with an Armed Guard detail of 29 men, five crew members of a Coast Guard fire barge, a Marine sentry and a number of civilian employees. The pier was congested with men, equipment, a locomotive, 16 railroad boxcars, and about 430 tons of bombs and projectiles waiting to be loaded.</span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On that fateful day in July 17, 1944, a powerful explosion occurred and it registered 3.4 Richter scale. In fact, people that survived in the area and miles beyond thought an earthquake occurred. A large mushroom like cloud appeared and .an airplane pilot flying reported seeing debris pass by the size of a house. The blast was felt 200 miles away. Windows were shattered and structures in the town of Port Chicago were damaged. The death toll was 320 men (200 Black), and 390 Military and civilians injured. (233 Black). Property damage was 12 million dollars, a staggering sum at the time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The grim task of recovering bodies, attending funerals and memorials took place immediately after the tragedy. Amazingly enough, the White officers were praised and allowed leave, but the Black enlisted men were not. Surviving Black enlistees were sent to load another ship. The workers refused to work in such hazardous conditions. What happened next became the largest Naval mutiny trial in history, known as the Port Chicago Mutiny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Port Chicago Explosion is known as the largest WWII Homeland Disaster. <a href="http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/8752/did-a-nuclear-blast-devastate-port-chicago-on-july-17-1944">Conspiracy theorists</a> point to classified documents and describe the "mushroom cloud" that appeared; individuals involved in the creation of these bombs referred to subsequent explosions as "Port Chicago-like" explosions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What feelings do you have when you look at some of these pictures? What would you do if you were an enlisted man? Please share this post and don't forget to sign up to be notified for future posts.(Or subscribe via "Feedly")</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">Follow the </span><b>Montford Point Marine and Honor Blog</b><span style="font-weight: inherit;"> on Pinterest.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: inherit;">Next up: "Port Chicago Mutiny"</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Chicago_disaster">wikipedia.org</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/port-chicago-disaster">history.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.usmm.org/portchicago.html">ussmm.org</a><br />
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><a href="http://rense.com/general5/blast.htm">rense.com</a></span><br />
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*<i>An Exploration of Our History: Port Chicago</i> Video<br />
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See also:<br />
<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/10/executive-order-8802-bans.html">Executive Order 8802 Bans Discrimination in The Defense Industry</a><br />
<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/01/dad-decides-to-become-marine.html">Dad Decides to Become A Marine</a><br />
<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/10/early-black-military-experiences.html">Early African American Military Experiences</a><br />
<span style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_655739749"></span><span id="goog_655739750"></span><br /></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-85228749123596294222014-01-17T14:17:00.001-05:002014-01-24T14:06:40.391-05:00 Operation Crossroads and the Atomic Bomb Test Cake It all started with Pinterest. Pinterest is a major social media site where members pin favorite photos, infographics, articles and recipes on virtual boards. Its usage has grown significantly over the years, with businesses turning to visuals to increase brand awareness and sales. "Pinners," as they are called, pin items that appeal to them. You can discover lots of history just by perusing peoples' boards or doing a keyword search. Pinners that share your interests will follow you, and you can reciprocate.<br />
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It turns out that I pinned a photograph of a rather unusual picture of an atomic bomb test cloud cake. Yes, I said atomic bomb test cake. <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-51st-defense-battalion-were-sent-to.html">Marshall Islands</a>, where my father and other Montford Point Marine members of the 51st Defense Battalion were stationed, later became an atomic bomb testing site. The Marshall Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean. Bomb testing took place after World War II on the Bikini Atoll*. For obvious reasons bomb testing sites are in isolated low population areas. Scientists are compelled to test the effectiveness of weapons in warfare, and atomic bombs were no exception. Specifically, US President Harry S. Truman wanted to test the effects of atomic bombs on war ships.<br />
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From <a href="http://www.bikiniatoll.com/history.html">Bikini Atoll.com</a>:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">In February of 1946 Commodore Ben H.Wyatt, the military governor of the Marshalls, traveled to Bikini. On a Sunday after church, he assembled the Bikinians to ask if they would be willing to leave their atoll temporarily so that the United States could begin testing atomic bombs for "the good of mankind and to end all world wars." King Juda, then the leader of the Bikinian people, stood up after much confused and sorrowful deliberation among his people, and announced, "We will go believing that everything is in the hands of God."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">While the 167 Bikinians were getting ready for their exodus, preparations for the U.S. nuclear testing program advanced rapidly. Some 242 naval ships, 156 aircraft, 25,000 radiation recording devices and the Navy's 5,400 experimental rats, goats and pigs soon began to arrive for the tests. Over 42,000 U.S. military and civilian personnel were involved in the testing program at Bikini.</span></blockquote>
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When bombs were detonated, a thick cloud immediately appeared, pumping dangerous radioactive chemicals into the atmosphere. The US government allowed the Bikinians to return to their island in 1968, after declaring the island safe. However, many islanders were exposed to chemicals in their food supply and developed health problems such as thyroid cancer. Residents left their island again. (<a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/09/01/national/u-s-still-monitoring-residual-radioactivity-on-bikini-atoll-isle/#.UtilxBBdXDt">japantimes.co</a>)<br />
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But the picture in question was celebratory in nature.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #171717; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3', 'Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro', メイリオ, Meiryo, 'MS Pゴシック', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Infamous Cakes: In November 1946 the Joint Army-Navy Task Force Number One was celebrating the successful Operation Crossroads nuclear test at the Bikini atoll with a mushroom-cloud shaped cake. The photo, showing Vice Admiral William H.P. Blandy (commander of the task force), his wife and Rear Admiral Frank J. Lowry, was published in the <i>Washington Post</i>. </span></blockquote>
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A cake designer saw the photo and was amazed that an elaborate baked good was created resembling an an atomic bomb cloud. I thought the idea was "interesting" which is why I posted it. But the cake designer happened to live in the San Francisco Area. She read some of my posts via Pinterest since there is a Montford Point Marines and Honor Blogspot Pinterest page. Her candid comment was:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #211922; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3', 'Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro', メイリオ, Meiryo, 'MS Pゴシック', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;">I am a cake designer and I wouldn't make a cake like this, ever! Reading about the Montford Point Marines brings to mind the black sailors who served in..... </span></blockquote>
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I replied that I never heard of them but I would look into it, and write about the incident.So my next story will be the controversial story about an incident involving African American Sailors. Many theories and questions remain and it took <i>decades</i> to resolve. We have cake designer Shirley Wilson to thank for the post. Follow the "<b>Montford Point Marines and Honor Blogspot</b>" board on Pinterest. Some of the photos you might find in future posts...<br />
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What are your thoughts about the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb test cake? Do any of my readers know about the incident that cake designer Shirley Wilson was referencing? (I omitted the rest of her remarks deliberately.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikini Atoll Evacuation, 1946 on left.<br />
Modern day Marshall Islanders on right.<br />
In 2010 Bikini Atoll was designated a World Heritage Site.<br />
bikiniatoll.com</td></tr>
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Note: The above cake photo was denounced by a minister named Arthur Powell Davies. Davies wrote a scathing letter on how insensitive the celebration was, especially in lieu of the fact that hundreds of thousands died as a result of the atomic bombing of Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagaski. (August, 1945)<br />
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See also:<br />
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<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-indigenous-people-of-pacific-and.html">Indigenous People of the Pacific</a>.<br />
<a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-51st-defense-battalion-were-sent-to.html">Why the 51st Defense Battalion Were Sent to the Marshall Islands</a><br />
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*Atoll- An island made of of coral reef encircling a lagoon.<br />
Bikini-The minimalist two piece bathing suit was named after the island in 1947 by a French designer.<br />
. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-59275590648019933942013-12-13T12:04:00.000-05:002014-04-03T17:50:51.642-04:00 Dad Survives Financial Hardship During the Great DepressionBecause of financial hardship, many African American children sometimes live with relatives for a while. It is not uncommon for children to reside with an aunt or uncle for extended periods of times. Children from "up north" in the United States would often spend their summers in the south.They stayed with loving yet stern grandparents who would pass on important traditions of lifestyle and culture.<br />
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I also have many friends who shared stories of staying down south, or in the country surrounded by tons of cousins in the summertime. These trips were mainly because they were out of school and relatives were the trusted resource for childcare. Children were supervised, and consequently not getting into mischief, nor running the air conditioner all day long and eating up all the food.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">heleenvandeven.wordpress.com</td></tr>
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Fresh, home-cooked food was always featured in my friends' "down south" stories, along with tales of outdoor games, cook-outs and family reunions. Friends would unconsciously slip into an Alabama, Georgia, or Carolina accent when discussing their relatives and the great time that they had visiting. On the few occasions when I traveled to the south as a youngster, kids would remark, "Where is Connecticut?", or "You talk so <i>proper</i>."<br />
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My father lived with his maternal grandparents in Tampa, Florida. It was after directly after the <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/12/dad-causes-his-family-to-get-fired.html">"Dad Causes His Family To Get Fired" </a>incident. At one time his entire family lived with his grandparents after the Primus Family job dismissal. Eventually, the family secured employment in Daytona Beach, FL. Dad remained with his grandparents and an aunt in Tampa. He indicated that he was close in age to his younger brother Ted and that times "were rough during the Great Depression." One less mouth to feed would be easier.<br />
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Dad explained he was spoiled by his grandparents. His grandfather was Z.K. Rose, an African Methodist Episcopal minister who had his own church. The Rose family lived in a parsonage. Pastor Rose was given milk, sweet potatoes and "a few quarters thrown in the cigar box" by grateful church members. My father accompanied him on some of his ministerial trips. The presiding elder would pay dad's grandfather once a month. His other job was working in a phosphate mine in Floral City, Florida.<br />
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Dad went to school every day with his Aunt Bootsie, whose real name was Loretta. She was unmarried then and an elementary school teacher. His classmates included Black Cubans. They were forced to attend his segregated school away from their siblings that had a White appearance. Cuban families immigrating to America for a better life were racially divided within their own family. One does not have to be a revolutionary psychiatrist like Frantz Fanon to guess the inter-generational familial damage this policy created.<br />
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The Rose family lived across the street from a Cuban store. Dad said he was able to eat sausage all the time. That fact is telling; sausage was considered a delicacy due to adverse economic conditions. Americans were forced to have meatless dinners. Furthermore, back in 1928, Herbert Hoover's Republican campaign brochure promised a "Chicken in every pot"* for Americans. Americans were starving and desperate. There were no assistance programs such as government cheese, or free and reduced lunch programs for hungry school children. Folks had to be extremely resourceful when it came to meals.<br />
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One of my father's candies of choice.<br />
Named after New York Yankee Babe Ruth.</td></tr>
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After some time, Dad moved to Daytona Beach, Florida and lived with his parents and brothers and sisters. He attended Bonner Elementary School there. His grandparents and his aunt regularly sent him money. Dad's pockets were always jingling with nickles and dimes. Additionally, he would eat Baby Ruth and Goodbar chocolate candy bars in front of his siblings and refused to share. I guess this is where the "spoiled rotten" part comes into play.<br />
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As a teenager Dad worked at Hubert's Pharmacy and Harry's grocery store. He swept and arranged items in the stores, and loaded the car for delivery. Obviously, few people owned cars. Dad delivered groceries on his bike. He was also a newspaper carrier and had educator and civil rights icon Mary McLeod Bethune on his paper route.<br />
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Apparently, Dad was a hard worker as a juvenile. And that spoiled rotten part? He eventually outgrew that phase and made ultimate sacrifices for his country and family. A true Marine.<br />
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Notes: <b>Frantz Fanon</b> (1925-1961) is a Martinique born, French writer, psychiatrist and activist. He is famous for his books, <i>White Masks, Black Skin</i> and <i>The Wretched of the Earth</i>. Fanon became involved in the movement to free Algeria from French colonialism. He has had a profound effect on post-colonial discourse and leaders.<br />
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*"Chicken in a pot every Sunday" was originally attributed to Henry IV of France, when speaking about peasants during the 17th century.<br />
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**African Methodist Episcopal Church-Was the first major religious denomination in the Western World that had its origin over sociological and theological beliefs and differences. It rejected the negative theological interpretations which rendered persons of African descent second class citizens. Its founder was the Reverend Richard Allen of Philadelphia, PA in 1816. Allen and other leaders left St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church because of discrimination. From <a href="http://www.amechurch.org/">www.amechurch.org</a><br />
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***Phosphate is a mineral that is mined. In north America it can be found in central Florida. Plants need phosphates to stimulate healthy root development. Phosphates are used it in food, and in industrial detergents, acts as a anti-corrosion agent, plus a myriad of other uses.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-20005048669508234242013-12-01T18:39:00.000-05:002014-04-03T17:51:55.127-04:00Dad Causes His Family to Get Fired During the Great DepressionI have described my father's life as an elderly veteran for quite a few posts now. But a popular post among readers is the entry, <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-great-depression-and-hard-times.html">The Great Depression and Hard Times: Part I</a>. The post strikes an emotional chord with people because of the the similarities with the <b>Great Recession</b>, which is commonly known as the worst recession since the Great Depression. ( The Great Recession is believed to have started in 2007)<br />
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Some people now have to go to food banks, and apply for unemployment insurance for the first time. "Thrifting" and holding out on unnecessary purchases became the norm. Middle class people lost significant wealth and the poor became even poorer. Global readers have been effected by the Great Recession, and regular folk, students, the curious, all wanted to glean some lessons from The Great Depression, a destitute time in American history. Moreover, the frustration that the unemployed have in trying to seek jobs when they are fewer positions available fueled discontent among the younger generation. Millennials, as they are called, had difficulty obtaining employment after graduating college or they are inevitably underemployed. On the other hand, there is also ageism; companies do not want to pay higher salaries and health insurance to older applicants because of the additional expenses.<br />
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Readers researched the Great Depression because they were curious about the types of food that families ate, and how Americans managed day to day. They were particularly concerned about the plight of African Americans, who occupied the bottom rung of the socio-economic ladder, as previously enslaved chattel. I know this as I check the key words which cause viewers to land on Montford Point Marine and Honor Blogspot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://heleenvandeven.wordpress.com/tag/face/">http://heleenvandeven.wordpress.com</a><br />
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"You know, we used to live in Palm Beach County, Florida," My father stated, when I shared that I traveled to the area.<br />
"My father had a brother named Howard. Some of them ended up in Missouri, and other places but you do have relatives there. You also had a cousin who worked at Clark College*, do you remember her?" "Yes, I remember her," I answered. She was a dorm director and was pretty popular.<br />
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"My father's family worked for a wealthy family. I caused my family to get fired."<br />
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It was my dad's notorious story of mischief. The story was passed around among family and extended relatives. Family members usually tell the story with raucous laughter, unable to recount the story with a straight face and a serious tone.<br />
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The story went like this:<br />
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Dad's father was a landscaper. Dad's mother was a domestic, standard occupations for Negros during the early part of the 1900s. His parents were blessed enough to secure work as a couple employed by a rich family. The wealthy family were members of a well to do community in Palm Beach, who enjoyed the posh lifestyle and resided in a palatial estate. The building boom, attractive climate, and beautiful Spanish architecture made Palm Beach the perfect locale for moneyed entrepreneurs. Palm Beach was a winter haven for the rich back then as it is now. It represents one of the highest per capital income locales in the United States.<br />
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Dad began playing with the owner's little son. The son had a shiny new tricycle. This trike was especially appealing to dad, for many children had no toys or bicycles. Toys that were in existence either were hand me downs, or makeshift.<br />
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Suddenly, Dad and his new little friend ended up in the water that bordered the lovely compound. Neither child could swim and their frantic cries for help reverberated throughout the grounds. The male adults, clad in white seersucker suits, rushed to the aid of the young boys, dad remembered. I know for a fact that my father could not swim; the young boys could have easily drowned. <b>"I want you to leave the premises NOW!!</b>" The employer shouted to the Primus family. No opportunity was made to explain, or given extra time to make alternative housing arrangements.<br />
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The Primus family were immediately plunged into unemployment as a result of a Dad's incident with the tricycle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--sAckmg8Vcc/UpuRwRJDvSI/AAAAAAAADrI/1UW0-M8126Q/s1600/0506182011362boy_on_tricycle_sunset_di.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--sAckmg8Vcc/UpuRwRJDvSI/AAAAAAAADrI/1UW0-M8126Q/s640/0506182011362boy_on_tricycle_sunset_di.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://amdahlphotography.com/">amdahlphotography.com</a></td></tr>
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My paternal grandfather was forced to walk many miles looking for employment in the hot Florida sun. There were no state labor departments or applying for positions from the comfort of home electronically like today. Pictures of this era show men going from town to town on foot, desperately looking for work. Some places resented the influx of unemployed men in their area, due to to the scarcity of jobs and food. Dad said that the family stayed with friends during this stressful time.<br />
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The horror of losing a job for a breadwinner can be monumental. The Primus family consisted of numerous children during this dire situation. Dad had major guilt, which was a considerable amount of pain for a young child to bear. To top it off, he was described as a child with considerable energy, and simply could not sit still. <br />
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Even now, when I watch my Dad try and stand up after sitting, I notice the impulse to move quickly; his "chronologically advanced" joints remind him to slow down.This same energy enabled him to work several jobs, own a business, get a real estate license, travel, sign up for combat duty as a Marine, socialize and participate as an active member of the Masons.** The list goes on. In short, he is the type of individual who was in perpetual motion.<br />
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However, when you are kid and your family gets fired because of your extra energy and carelessness, there is no consolation. All you know is that your parents aren't happy with you and your family has now joined the significant ranks of the unemployed -- during the Great Depression.<br />
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See Also: <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-great-depression-part-ii.html">The Great Depression Part II</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Clark College</b> is now known as Clark Atlanta University-<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14.65625px;">Clark Atlanta University (CAU), established in 1988 as a result of the consolidation of two independent historically black institutions - Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869), is a United Methodist Church-related, private, coeducational, residential, and comprehensive urban research university. The University offers undergraduate, graduate and professional, and non-degree certificate programs.</span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.cau.edu/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.cau.edu/</span></a><br />
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**<b>Prince Hall Masonry</b>-<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"> is a branch of North American </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Freemasonry">Freemasonry</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"> founded by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Hall" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Prince Hall">Prince Hall</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"> in the 18th century and composed predominantly of African Americans. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The ideas of liberty, equality and peace were appealing to men of color, who were turned down by the Boston Chapter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source:<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Hall_National_Grand_Lodge" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Prince Hall National Grand Lodge"> </a></span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"> </sup></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Hall_Freemasonry#cite_note-2">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Hall_Freemasonry#cite_note-2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.princehall.org/">www.princehall.org</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1968430971477974813.post-79096226426553941952013-11-18T00:07:00.000-05:002013-11-21T10:14:22.293-05:00A Montford Point Marine Veteran Receives a Special Gift from a Businessman<br />
My father received a phone call before heading to his Medal of Honor Congressional Ceremony in June of 2012. It was a local businessman who read about Dad's Montford Point Marines story in the <i>Hartford Courant</i>. His name was John Carmon, a director of a funeral home. Mr. Carmon thanked my dad profusely for serving our country. He said had the utmost respect for soldiers. Mr. Carmon even took it a step forward and offered to pay for <i>all</i> of my dad's travel and lodging expenses to Washington, D.C.<br />
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Dad graciously replied that his expenses were already paid by the government, and he appreciated his offer. The business owner countered with paying for an engraved brick. Dad listened as Mr. Carmon explained that the brick would have his name on it and it would be on the walkway at the National United States Marines Corps Museum. <i>Semper Fidelis </i>Memorial Park overlooks the state of the art museum.<br />
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So Dad accepted. From the site <a href="http://www.usmcmuseum.com/">www.usmcmuseum.com</a>:<br />
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<b>"Your engraved brick will affirm for posterity, your <i>esprit de corps</i> with the men and women who risk their lives for the freedom."</b></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YhRM5IcRdVo/Uoln475Jp8I/AAAAAAAADp8/2jHrPMrt8p4/s1600/marine-corps-museum-jc-findley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YhRM5IcRdVo/Uoln475Jp8I/AAAAAAAADp8/2jHrPMrt8p4/s640/marine-corps-museum-jc-findley.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An exhibition area from the National Marine Museum. Source: <a href="http://www.usmcmuseum.com/">www.usmcmuseum.com</a></td></tr>
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The brick was later spotted by a family member. Mr. Carmon kept his promise. Dad was very touched by the gesture. He laughed, and exclaimed, "These funeral homes love an old geezer like me!" In fact, another funeral home had called to congratulate Dad. The owner of this particular funeral home served in the Army.<br />
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Folks in social media heard the news of Dad's Medal of Honor and extended best wishes to him; he was briefly featured on a local news broadcast. It was a culminating experience that brought Montford Marines and the "Lost Battalion", the 51st Defense Battalion, into American History.<br />
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I notified all of Connecticut's United State Congress members. They promptly responded with official congratulatory letters addressed to my father. The letters are nicely framed on the living room wall.<br />
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Sadly, we saw Mr. Carmon for my mother's funeral in March of 2013. Mother passed suddenly, and they handled the funeral arrangements, just as they did for my brother in 1992. They were always consummate professionals.<br />
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The kindness and generosity of the Carmon Funeral Home will always be appreciated. They were there for our family in times of sorrow, and in times of joy. It all started with a compassionate individual responding to a newspaper story and helping out a World War II Veteran. It was a far cry from the <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-non-welcoming-military-homecoming-for.html">Non-Welcoming Military Homecoming</a> my father received after his tour of duty in 1945.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jlw1irzh0Gs/UoloSTteeQI/AAAAAAAADqE/yF0cx96Z7iE/s1600/museum_NIGHT_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jlw1irzh0Gs/UoloSTteeQI/AAAAAAAADqE/yF0cx96Z7iE/s640/museum_NIGHT_large.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">National USMC Museum at night.. The shape of the building is said to invoke the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima.<br />
Source: <a href="http://www.mpma.org/">Montford Point Marines Association</a></td></tr>
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See the post: <a href="http://montfordpointmarinesandhonor.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-mother-dorothy-brooks-primus-part-i.html">"My Mother: Dorothy Marie Brooks Part II"</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14886091036420532889noreply@blogger.com0