In celebration of Black History Month, the Veterans Memorial Hall presents, “Meet the Montford Point Marines.”

 

In 1942, President Roosevelt established a presidential directive giving African-Americans an opportunity to be recruited into the Marine Corps. African-American Marines were segregated – experiencing basic training at Montford Point – a facility at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Approximately twenty thousand (20,000) African-American Marines received basic training at Montford Point between 1942 and 1949.

 

Original Members of the Chicago Chapter of the Montford Point Marines will share their stories of service during a transitional period for the United States Military.

 

Those in attendance will be riveted by the stories of valor and shared adversity, and inspired by being in the same “airspace” with this type of patriotism.

 

This event is open to the public at $5.00/person. For more information, please call Verterans Memorial Hall at (815) 969-1999.

 

This event is made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council and the following sponsors: BMO Harris Bank, VAW Local Union No. 1268, US Bank, The Honorable K. Patrick Yarbrough Family, Winnebago County Board Member Lynne Strathman, Northwest Bank, Swedish American Health Systems, West-Field Post 48 Auxiliary Unit 48 and S.A.L. Squadron 48, Marine Corps Mustang Association, Inc. Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, Dennis & Elaine Leslie, Blackhawk Voiture No. 408 – American Legion Horton Post 340, Rockford Chapter VietNow, Winnebago County Veterans Association, and Citizens to Elect Judge Brendan Maher.

 

Visit the Montford Point Marines website for more information on this group.