PUBLIC LAW 112–59—NOV. 23, 2011 125 STAT. 749 

Public Law 112–59 

112th Congress 

An Act 

To grant the congressional gold medal to the Montford Point Marines. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

Congress makes the following findings: 

(1) On June 25, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 

issued Executive Order No. 8802 establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission and opening the doors for the very 

first African-Americans to enlist in the United States Marine 

Corps. 

(2) The first Black Marine recruits were trained at Camp 

Montford Point, near the New River in Jacksonville, North 

Carolina. 

(3) On August 26, 1942, Howard P. Perry of Charlotte, 

North Carolina, was the first Black private to set foot on 

Montford Point. 

(4) During April 1943 the first African-American Marine 

Drill Instructors took over as the senior Drill Instructors of 

the eight platoons then in training; the 16th Platoon (Edgar 

R. Huff), 17th (Thomas Brokaw), 18th (Charles E. Allen), 19th 

(Gilbert H. Johnson), 20th (Arnold R. Bostic), 21st (Mortimer 

A. Cox), 22nd (Edgar R. Davis, Jr.), and 23rd (George A. Jackson). 

(5) Black Marines of the 8th Ammunition Company and 

the 36th Depot Company landed on the island of Iwo Jima 

on D–Day, February 19, 1945. 

(6) The largest number of Black Marines to serve in combat 

during World War II took part in the seizure of Okinawa 

in the Ryuku Islands with some 2,000 Black Marines seeing 

action during the campaign. 

(7) On November 10, 1945, the first African-American 

Marine, Frederick C. Branch, was commissioned as a second 

lieutenant at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. 

(8) Overall 19,168 Blacks served in the Marine Corps in 

World War II. 

(9) An enterprising group of men, including original 

Montford Pointer Master Sergeant Brooks E. Gray, planned 

a reunion of the Men of Montford Point, and on September 

15, 1965, approximately 400 Montford Point Marines gathered 

at the Adelphi Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to lay 

the foundation for the Montford Point Marine Association Inc., 

16 years after the closure of Montford Point as a training 

facility for Black recruits. 

31 USC 5111 

note. 

Nov. 23, 2011 

[H.R. 2447] 


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125 STAT. 750 PUBLIC LAW 112–59—NOV. 23, 2011 

(10) Organized as a non-military, nonprofit entity, the 

Montford Point Marine Association’s main mission is to preserve the legacy of the first Black Marines. 

(11) Today the Montford Point Marine Association has 36 

chapters throughout the United States. 

(12) Many of these first Black Marines stayed in the Marine 

Corps like Sergeant Major Edgar R. Huff. 

(13) Sergeant Major Huff was one of the very first recruits 

aboard Montford Point. 

(14) Sergeant Major Huff was also the first African-American Sergeant Major and the first African-American Marine 

to retire with 30 years of service which included combat in 

three major wars, World War II, the Korean War, and the 

Vietnam War. 

(15) During the Tet Offensive, Sergeant Major Huff was 

awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat ‘‘V’’ for valor 

for saving the life of his radio operator. 

(16) Another original Montford Pointer who saw extensive 

combat action in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War 

was Sergeant Major Louis Roundtree. 

(17) Sergeant Major Roundtree was awarded the Silver 

Star Medal, four Bronze Star Medals, three Purple Hearts, 

and numerous other personal and unit awards for his service 

during these conflicts. 

(18) On April 19, 1974, Montford Point was renamed Camp 

Johnson after legendary Montford Pointer Sergeant Major Gilbert ‘‘Hashmark’’ Johnson. 

(19) The Montford Point Marine Association has several 

memorials in place to perpetuate the memory of the first African-American Marines and their accomplishments, including— 

(A) the Montford Point Marine Association Edgar R. 

Huff Memorial Scholarship which is offered annually 

through the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation; 

(B) the Montford Point Museum located aboard Camp 

Johnson (Montford Point) in Jacksonville, North Carolina; 

(C) the Brooks Elbert Gray, Jr. Consolidated Academic 

Instruction Facility named in honor of original Montford 

Pointer and the Montford Point Marine Corps Association 

founder Master Gunnery Sergeant Gray. This facility was 

dedicated on 15 April 2005 aboard Camp Johnson, North 

Carolina; and 

(D) during July of 1997 Branch Hall, a building within 

the Officers Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia, was 

named in honor of Captain Frederick Branch. 

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

(a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall 

make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of the 

Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor 

of the Montford Point Marines, collectively, in recognition of their 

personal sacrifice and service to their country. 

(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the award 

referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter 

in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike the gold 

medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary. 


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PUBLIC LAW 112–59—NOV. 23, 2011 125 STAT. 751 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2447: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 157 (2011): 

Oct. 25, considered and passed House. 

Nov. 9, considered and passed Senate. 

Æ 

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 

Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 

medal struck under section 2, at a price sufficient to cover the 

costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of 

machinery, and overhead expenses. 

SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS. 

Medals struck pursuant to this Act are National medals for 

purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE. 

(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 

Fund, an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of 

the medals authorized under section 2. 

(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the sale of 

duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the 

United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. 

Approved November 23, 2011. 


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