III 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 587 

Designating August 26, 2010, as ‘‘Montford Point Marines Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 20, 2010 

Mr. BURR (for himself and Mr. BURRIS) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating August 26, 2010, as ‘‘Montford Point Marines 

Day’’. 

Whereas, on June 25, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 

issued Executive Order 8802, which established the fair 

employment practices that began to erase discrimination 

in the Armed Forces; 

Whereas in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a 

Presidential Directive that integrated the United States 

Marine Corps; 

Whereas approximately 20,000 African-American Marines received basic training at Montford Point in the State of 

North Carolina between 1942 and 1949; 

Whereas the African-American Marines trained at Montford 

Point became known as the Montford Point Marines; 

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•SRES 587 IS 

Whereas the African-American volunteers who enlisted in the 

United States Marine Corps during World War II— 

(1) joined the United States Marine Corps to demonstrate their commitment to the United States, despite 

the practice of segregation; 

(2) served the United States in a most honorable 

fashion; 

(3) defied unwarranted stereotypes; and 

(4) achieved distinction through brave and honorable 

service; 

Whereas, during World War II, African-American Marine 

Corps units fought and served in the Pacific theatre, participating in the liberation of the Ellice Islands, the Eniwetok Atoll, the Marshall Islands, the Kwajalein Atoll, 

Iwo Jima, Peleliu, the Marianas Islands, Saipan, Tinian, 

Guam, and Okinawa; 

Whereas Robert Sherrod, a correspondent for Time magazine 

in the central Pacific during World War II, wrote that 

the African-American Marines that entered combat for 

the first time in Saipan were worthy of a 4.0 combat performance rating, the highest performance rating given by 

the Navy; 

Whereas the heroism, commitment, and valor demonstrated 

by the Montford Point Marines— 

(1) changed the negative attitudes of the military 

leadership toward African-Americans; and 

(2) inspired the untiring service of future generations of African-Americans in the United States Marine 

Corps; 

Whereas in July 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued 

Executive Order 9981, which ended segregation in the 

military; 

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•SRES 587 IS 

Whereas in September 1949, the Montford Marine Camp was 

deactivated, ending 7 years of segregation in the Marine 

Corps; 

Whereas in September 1965, over 400 former and active duty 

Marines met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at a reunion 

to honor the Montford Point Marines, leading to the establishment of the Montford Point Marine Association; 

Whereas 2010 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the Montford Point Marine Association; and 

Whereas the sacrifices, dedication to country, and perseverance of the African-American Marines trained at 

Montford Point Camp are duly honored and should never 

be forgotten: Now, therefore be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates August 26, 2010, as ‘‘Montford 

3 Point Marines Day’’; 

4 (2) honors the 68th anniversary of the first day 

5 African-American recruits began training at 

6 Montford Point; 

7 (3) recognizes the work of the members of the 

8 Montford Point Marine Association— 

9 (A) in honoring the legacy and history of 

10 the United States Marine Corps; and 

11 (B) in ensuring that the sense of duty 

12 shared by the Montford Point Marines is passed 

13 along to future generations; 

14 (4) recognizes that— 

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•SRES 587 IS 

1 (A) the example set by the Montford Point 

2 Marines who served during World War II 

3 helped to shape the United States Marine 

4 Corps; and 

5 (B) the United States Marine Corps pro6 vides an excellent opportunity for the advance7 ment for persons of all races; and 

8 (5) expresses the gratitude of the Senate to the 

9 Montford Point Marines for fighting for the freedom 

10 of the United States and the liberation of people of 

11 the Pacific, despite the practices of segregation and 

12 discrimination. 

Æ 

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