Montford Point

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"When you say Tuskeegee Airmen, nine out of 10 people know who you're talking about.

In 2011, President Obama signed a law awarding Congressional Gold Medals to the men who trained at Camp Montford Point, becoming the very first Black Marines.

PHOTOGALLERY

We don't have that luxury with Montford Point.

But that is the objective: to get their story told to the point it's a common story."

Houston Shinal Monument Director National Montford Marine Point Association

However, problems with record-keeping have only allowed about 2,000 of the men to be honored.

The National Montford Point Marines Association is seeking to award the remaining 18,000 men or their families with bronze replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal.

The purpose behind Our America: Montford Point is not only to tell the story of these pioneering members of the U.S. Armed Services, but to get the remaining Marines the recognition they are due.

The new recruits trained at Camp Montford Point in Jacksonville, North Carolina from August 1942 until the camp was decommissioned in September 1949.

Its purpose: to aid in the prevention of discrimination against African Americans in government and defense work positions.

In June 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission.

The Montford Point Marines were the first Black men to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.

That was when President Harry Truman signed an Executive Order permanently abolishing racial segregation in the armed forces.

Among the outstanding Marines in the original group of black Marines was Pfc. Walker Manley, formerly an organist of the Christian Church in Raleigh, N.C., and a demonstrator for the Hammond Organ Company, who served as a post organist at Camp Lejeune. (Photo by Roger Smith)

A platoon of black "boot recruits" listen to their drill instructor, Sgt. Gilbert Hubert Johnson, whose job is to turn them into finished Marines at Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, N.C., April 1943.

A group of the black volunteers in their dress uniforms, May 1943. Although a dress uniform was not a part of the regular equipment, most of the black Marines spend $54 out of their pay for what is generally considered the snappiest uniform in the armed services. (Photo by Roger Smith)

Surrounded by a veteran crew of Marines who have spent 15 months in the southwest and central Pacific, this gun, named the "Lena Horne" by its crew, points majestically skyward. The gun is manned by members of the 51st Defense Battalion, one of two such black units in the Marine Corps during World War II.

Cpl. Arvin Lou Ghazio, USMC, gives judo instructions to Pvt. Ernest C. Jones, April 1943. Judo instruction is one of the high spots in the life of the latest addition to the Leatherneck Marines at Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, N.C. An instructor shows a recruit how to make the enemy's bayonet useless.

Black assault troops await orders D-day to attack enemy shortly after they had come ashore at Saipan in the Marianas, June 1944. (Photo by Marine Tech. Sgt. William Fitch)

The first black marines decorated by the famed 2nd Marine Dvision somewhere in the Pacific. (Left to right) Staff Sgt Timerlate Kirven and Cpl. Samuel J. Love, Sr., received Purple Hearts for wounds received in the Battle of Saipan.

Two duck DUKW drivers become riflemen after their vehicle is destroyed, Feb. 19, 1945.

Two black Marine movie operators, January 1945.

New recruits learn to drill. (Photo by Roger Smith)

Black Marines, attached to the 3rd Ammunition Company, take time out from supplying ammunition to the front line on Saipan. Riding a captured bicycle is Pfc. Horace Boykin while (left to right) Cpl. Willis T. Anthony, Pfc. Emmitt Shackelford and Pfc. Eugene Purdy watch, June 1944.

Black Marines on the beach at Iwo Jima are, from left to right, Pfc.'s Willie J. Kanody, Elif Hill and John Alexander, March 1945. (Photo by C. Jones)

Marines move through the trenches on the beach during the Battle of Peleliu, Sept. 15, 1944.

Pfc. Luther Woodward, a member of the 4th Ammunition Company, admires the Bronze Star awarded to him for "his bravery, initiative and battle-cunning." The award was later upgraded to the Silver Star, April 17, 1945. (Photo by Cpl. Irving Deutch)

Marine Cpl. Robert L. Hardin checks the main distributing frame in Montford Point's headquarters for line difficulties.

Two recruits in a light tank during training in mechanized warfare at Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, N.C., April 1943. (Photo by Pat Terry)

MASTER GUNNERY SERGEANT JOSEPH H. GEETER III, USMC RETIRED PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT, NATIONAL MONTFORD POINT MARINE ASSOCIATION INC. Joseph (Joe) H. Geeter III is a native of Chicago, Illinois. After graduation from Morgan Park High School on Chicago’s Southside in 1976, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps and received his recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego California. Joe graduated first in his class at Logistics School at Camp Pendleton, CA and was assigned to the 1st Marine Division HQ. Joe served in all three Marine Divisions during his first enlistment. Besides his three tours of duty with Marine Divisions, Joe served three tours with Marine Air Wings, three tours with Force Service Support Units, one tour with Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD), San Diego as the Depot Logistics Chief and a tour of Recruiting Duty in his hometown of Chicago. Joe’s final tour was as the Air Station Equal Opportunity Advisor for the Station Commander at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. Joe retired in 2001. During Joe’s final tour on active duty at Beaufort he was prompted to Master Gunnery Sergeant and completed his Bachelorette studies at Park University and graduated with honors with a BA in Business Management in 1999. Joe would later serve as a Trustee at Park University. After retiring from the Marines in 2001, Joe was appointed as the Corporate Relations Representative at AmeriGas Propane Inc., the nation’s largest propane provider. Joe was later promoted to Corporate Human Resource Manager. Joe currently serves as the Labor Relations Manager and manages AmeriGas’ military call up program. Joe officially joined the Montford Point Marine Association in 1987 while on recruiting duty in Chicago, Illinois. After reporting to MCRD San Diego in 1991, Joe joined the San Diego Chapter and provided logistical support during their annual convention in 1992. Upon reporting to MCAS Beaufort in 1995, Joe was recruited to the Beaufort Chapter where he was the Chapter Historian and Special Projects Officer. It was at Beaufort that Joe’s work with the Montford Pointers came to the attention of then National President Sam Saxton. Mr. Saxton appointed Joe to coordinate the 1999 Spring Council aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. This Spring Council is regarded as the largest and most successful in the Association’s history. With the assistance of the Depot Commander, Montford Pointers were afforded the VIP treatment aboard the very base that wouldn’t allow them to train during WWII. Montford Pointers had the honor to march in a platoon at the recruit graduation during this Spring Council. At Joe’s encouragement, Marine Staff Sergeant Glynis Harvey Sr. wrote and presented to the Association, her poem “Montford Point Remembered” at the Spring Council Banquet. Many legendary and now deceased Montford Pointers were at this Spring Council to include Association Founder, Master Gunnery Sergeant Brooks Gray, who continued to personally mentor Joe for future appointments and elected offices. Joe continued to rise in the Montford Point Association ranks after retiring from the Marines and joining the Philadelphia Chapter in 2001. Joe has served as the National Quartermaster (2001-2003), National Vice President (2003-2005), National President (2005-2009), National Legislation Officer (2009-present) and National Public Affairs Officer (2009-present). Joe is currently the Chapter President of the Association’s first chapter, Philadelphia #1. Philadelphia has the largest concentration of living Original Montford Pointer Marines in the Association. During Joe’s administration four new Chapters were charted to include; Quantico #32, Mobile, Alabama #33, Boston, MA #34, Warner Robins, GA #35 and Cherry Point, NC #36. Other Chapters were consolidated or revised under Joe’s leadership. In 2007 Joe was inspired by Original Montford Point Marine 1stSgt James “Rudy” Cater to seek the Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) for the Montford Point Marines. Rudy had just witnessed the Tuskegee Airmen received the CGM for their pioneering service and wanted the same for the Montford Pointers. Joe decided not to seek a third term as National President but to devote his time to lobbying for the CGM. Joe’s four year lobbying effort came to the attention of the Commandant of the Marines, James Amos, who authorized his Marine lobbying team to assist in Joe’s efforts. In October 2011 the US House of Representatives voted unanimously to award the CGM to the Montford Pointers. The US Senate also voted unanimously in early November and President Barrack Obama signed this bill into law in November 2011. Joe has been recognized for his work with the Montford Pointers on many levels that include; the Special President’s Award, the James Calendar Award and induction into the Montford Point Marine Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2015 Joe was the subject of a mini video sponsored by Headquarters Marine Corps to tell the story of his life’s work “Preserving the Legacy” of America’s first African American Marines, the Montford Point Marines. Joe is a fourth degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus, a fraternal Catholic Organization and a Fourth Degree Knight in the Knights of Peter Claver, a predominately African American Catholic fraternity. In 2015 Joe was selected to become a History Maker, a Chicago based organization that recognizes individuals whose professional life’s work stands above the norm. Joe’s life story is now in the Library of Congress. During the 2018 homecoming activities at his Alma Mata (Park University), Joe was selected as the recipient of the Marlowe Sherwood Memorial Award for his sustained work in the community, specifically his work preserving the legacy of America’s first Black Marines, the Montford Point Marines.

Mallorie KM Berger, MSc is an Executive Director and Consultant for Hollywood’s Diamonds in the Rough, a community driven, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all youth have an equal opportunity to uncover their unique potential through the game of golf. Previously, she worked in the payroll processing industry as the Director of Sales for South Florida Payroll Services, Inc., one of the most successful local payroll service providers in the Southeastern United States. Ms. Berger spent over 20 years in financial services. She joined South Florida Payroll Services from Capital Bank where she worked as a Senior Learning and Performance Leader, supporting 162 retail banking stores and 2000+ team members throughout the bank’s five state footprint. During her tenure at Capital Bank, she became a sought-after resource, garnering the reputation as a well-versed, skilled professional with exceptional presentation, facilitation, and training skills. She was also involved in developing and implementing the training plans for merger and conversion of Capital Bank’s branch and bank acquisitions. Prior to Capital Bank, Ms. Berger was recruited by Gibraltar Private and Trust, a Florida-based boutique firm that provided comprehensive wealth management and private banking services, to become the inaugural Director of Learning and Development. There she directed and managed the training function for the bank and led multiple corporate-wide learning and development initiatives, including creating career programs and succession plans, introducing corporate diversity and inclusion training as mandatory curricula, implementing a centralized learning management system (LMS) and developing a customer-centric training strategy and operating model. Ms. Berger’s bank career began with Union Planters Bank (now Regions Bank) in retail banking and corporate training. Roles included: Vice President, Senior Training and Development Specialist and Licensed Branch Sales Manager. Ms. Berger graduated from Indiana University and Florida International University (Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Master of Science in Finance, respectively) and is a graduate of Leadership Hollywood Class XLII. A dedicated community volunteer, Ms. Berger has served a variety of community service organizations through direct service and board roles. Following in the footsteps of her beloved Mother, she is a legacy member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and in honor of her late grandfather, who was one of the 20,000 Black men to integrate the Marine Corps during WWII, she is a member of the National Montford Point Marines Association’s Auxiliary. Without the love and support of her husband, Walter Berger, Mallorie admits she could not do all that she does. The Bergers live outside of Boca Raton, Florida with their two cats, Miles Davis and Marsalis.

Akilah Davis is the inaugural Race & Culture Reporter for WTVD-TV serving communities in the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville market. She is a producer on the Montford Point Marine documentary highlighting the undeniable legacy left by the first Black men to integrate the Marine Corps. Living history is how she has referred to these men who she has had the pleasure of meeting. They exhibited bravery and strength at Camp Montford Point on Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where boot camp was segregated. These men were forced to establish their own training grounds separate from White recruits. It is because of their dedication to serving this country that Marines of color do so proudly today. Their accomplishments will not be in vain. Growing up, Akilah had a natural curiosity for all things around her. She often took questions to her parents, who willingly obliged, answering the 'why's' of the world. By high school, she had taken an interest in the morning announcements. Providing staffers and the student body with daily announcements over the school's intercom system was a joy. This was practice for her career in journalism. Akilah joined the WTVD news team in July of 2017 serving the Fayetteville-Fort Bragg community as Bureau Reporter. In February of 2021, she accepted a new role as WTVD's first Race & Culture Reporter, covering disparities in marginalized communities Her professional journey in North Carolina has been quite a ride. She covered George Floyd’s funeral in Raeford, North Carolina. Thousands traveled across the country to pay tribute to him as his death sparked a global social justice movement. Since then, she’s used data to bring stories to life highlighting inequities in housing, education, etc. While in Illinois, she covered the fiscal crisis, heroin epidemic's impact on newborns in Central Illinois and former President Barack Obama's 2012 watch party. A Chicago native, she received my bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Master's from the University of Illinois at Springfield. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Sharing the stories that would have otherwise gone untold is always at the heart of TaRhonda Thomas’ work as a reporter for 6abc in Philadelphia. In 2021, she became the television station’s first ever Race and Culture reporter. Her work takes her across a three-state area to reflect the lives of all people. Thomas has also been open about sharing her life as a Gold Star Sister. In 2006, her brother, Chief Warrant Officer II Terry Thomas died in service. Since then, she’s been dedicated to the mission of sharing stories of military service members and their families. With three generations of her family having served in the Army and the Marine Corps, the Montford Point Marines documentary is close to Thomas’ heart. Prior to working in Philadelphia, Thomas was an anchor and reporter at KUSA-TV in Denver, Colorado. There, she honed her deep appreciation and skill as a true storyteller. Thomas has also worked as an anchor and reporter in Richmond, VA, Colorado Springs, CO and Morgan City, LA. The Louisiana native is an alumna of Louisiana State University and earned her Master's Degree in Media, Film and Journalism Studies from the University of Denver. TaRhonda is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Thomas has earned national and regional accolades including an Edward R. Murrow Award and awards from the Associated Press, National Association of Black Journalists and the Heartland Emmys. When she's not reporting the news, Thomas enjoys spending time with her husband and three children and keeping her southern roots strong by visiting her parents in Louisiana.

The granddaughter of a Montford Point Marine wants more families to know about the replica Congressional Gold Medal the Marines earned.

MGySgt. Joseph Geeter honors the first Black Marines with an expansive collection of memorabilia in his home.

The National Montford Point Marines Memorial was designed with symbolism in mind.

COURTESY: U.S. DEPT. OF DEFENSE

I'd never heard of the Montford Point Marines before this project. I suspect I'm not alone. Which really makes this story even more remarkable. How was it possible that the legacy of 20,000 men could be all but silenced... Black men who suffered racially fueled abuse all while training to serve the country where they were treated like second-class citizens. They were men like Maurice Burns and Morris Ruffin, whose grandchildren discovered that their late grandfathers were part of history that they never learned in school. Mallorie Berger and Reginald Moore were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal replicas on behalf of their loved ones. But the duo of childhood friends didn't stop there. They wanted other families to feel the pride of knowing their fathers or grandfathers were key historical figures and had been honored. They joined the National Montford Point Marine Association's ongoing mission to find the lost names and honor them or their surviving loved ones with bronze replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal. They reached out to The Walt Disney Company and ABC Owned Television Stations and the rest is history.

But how do we find the families of these men for which there is no roster? For that, we turned to the power of local television news. Our station in Philadelphia, WPVI asked viewers to check to see if their loved ones had trained at Montford Point. Several responded. I connected them with the National Montford Point Marine Association. A few weeks later, some of them received medals for their families. The first interviews of the Montford Point Marines in this project were conducted by Race and Culture reporter, Akilah Davis, who works at our station in Raleigh, and videographer Stephen Nitz, who is a combat veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the end of their shoot, both told me they were deeply affected. They were emotional. I didn't know exactly what they meant until I traveled from Philadelphia to Camp Lejeune for the commemoration of the Montford Pointers' 80th anniversary. It was the day I walked among heroes and witnessed living history. My emotion was evidenced by the mascara that had washed away by the end of the day. I saw my Daddy in these heroes that had gone through so much. I saw my grandfathers and the veterans in my family in them. I was moved by the sons, grandsons, daughters and wives who had gotten back a piece of their relatives through this medal. This was personal for me. And I really hope their stories resonate with you.

Are the medals enough to erase the trauma those men suffered? Probably not. But their story is being told. And I think there's healing in that. One of my favorite interviewees from the project was Tyese Althea Brown, granddaughter of Montford Point Marine Guy Johnson, Sr. She said, "A lot of information that we don't know has been kept from us as a people on purpose, so that we would not be empowered... And so certainly, I would say, we owe it to our ancestors to mine that information and to fill in those gaps." I believe Our America: Mission Montford Point is helping to fill in those gaps. And I hope my ancestors are proud. Porsha Grant Executive Producer

A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

HELP US FIND MORE MONTFORD POINT MARINES

If you believe your loved one was a Montford Point Marine, contact the National Montford Point Marines Association at

MORE STORIES FROM MISSION: MONTFORD POINT

BIOS

MontfordPointMarines.org

MGySgt. Joseph Geeter honors the first Black Marines with an expansive collection of memorabilia in his home.

The granddaughter of a Montford Point Marine wants more families to know about the replica Congressional Gold Medal the Marines earned.

The National Montford Point Marines Memorial was designed with symbolism in mind.

The granddaughter of a Montford Point Marine wants more families to know about the replica Congressional Gold Medal the Marines earned.

MGySgt. Joseph Geeter honors the first Black Marines with an expansive collection of memorabilia in his home.

The National Montford Point Marines Memorial was designed with symbolism in mind.