Preparing To Serve
"Freedom is never given; it is won."
~ A. Philip Randolph, Civil Rights Leader, 1941
~ A. Philip Randolph, Civil Rights Leader, 1941
The recruits were trained by white drill sergeants. Some treated them fairly; others riddled them with un-pleasantries. The training was more rigorous for African Americans than their white counterparts. Every day, they had the responsibility to prove they were just as capable as a white Marine.
“I came to here to undertake the impossible assignment of making Marines out of you goddamn people. When the first load of y’all got here it made want to puke, then go get drunk! The material gets worse with each platoon. The Marine Corps is not for cooks and janitors, which is about all you...are qualified to do.”
~ Drill Instructor Sergeant Germany, 1942 |
Montford Point Marines training. (USMC Randall Library)
|
Montford Point Marine Mike Woods
(WXYZ-TV Detroit / Channel/7) |
Larry Elder, Son of Montford Point Marine Staff Sergeant Randolph Elder
(Marine Corps) |
Hostilities faced on base were amplified by Jacksonville locals. On leave from base, the laws of Jim Crow overrode the fact they were government employees. They confronted the brunt of southern discrimination. Jacksonville police looked for reasons to arrest and beat them, which shocked Northern Montford Pointers.
Montford Point Marines Corporal James Ferguson and Sergeant Steven Robinson
(USMC Randall Library) |
Montford Point Marine Staff Sergeant (Ret.) John L. Spencer
(Personal Interview in January 2014) |