Montford Point Marines of America
VANGUARD OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MARINE CORPS HISTORY
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51st Defense Battalion
The first African-American combat unit in the Marine Corps was the 51st Defense Battalion initially designated in June 7, 1943 whose principle armament became the 90mm antiaircraft weapon.
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The first African-American combat unit in the Marine Corps was the 51st Defense Battalion.
The first African-Amercan combat unit in the Marine Corps was the 51st Defense Battalion initially designated in June 7, 1943, whose principle armament became the 90mm antiaircraft weapon. On August 18, 1942, Col. Samuel A. Woods activated the nucleus of the 51st Defense Composite Battalion becoming the first Marine officer to command a unit of African-Americans. The outgrowth of various re-designations such as the 153mm Gun Battery which expanded to the 155mm Artillery Group with its machine gun group becoming the Special Weapons Group resulted in the inclusion of the 20mm and 40mm cannon and .50 caliber machine guns.
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African-American Marines in World War II
Building the 51st Defense Battalion The proliferation of African American units and the expansion of activity at Montford Point interfered with the organization and training of the 51st Defense Battalion (Composite) by making demands on the pool of black...
MONTFORD POINT MARINES ON IWO JIMA (WWII- February 1945)
The intent of the United States for invading Iwo Jima was to establish an airstrip for the purpose of attacking the mainland of Japan. Enitiwok was the staging ground for the military assault on Iwo Jima. Almost 900 African-American troops took part in the battle of...
The Continental Marines: Origin of Black Marines in America
The Marine Corps was first formed by the direction of the Continental Congress consisting of two battalions of Marines. Initially, the Congress anticipated that that the personnel for the Marine Corps would be furnished by General George Washington from his own...