Detroit, Michigan is home to “America’s Greatest Generation” where during WWII the automotive industry converted its gigantic plants into production of the world’s most formidable wartime machine to produce warplanes, bombers, tanks, military vehicles, and ammunition in order to fight the “Two Ocean War” against Nazi Germany and Japan. Since that time Detroit has earned the motif of “The Arsenal of Democracy”.

During that era, America recruited a significant number its very first Black recruits into the United States Marine Corps on June 1, 1942 after passage of President FDR’s Executive Order 8802 which ended discrimination in the Defense industryand in the armed services of the United States.  The impact on the Marine Corps was that it abolished a 167 year color barrier that denied enlistment of men of color.

The history about the Marines of Montford Point has been one of America’s best kept military secrets until recent years.  Their story is that of the Marines Corps Black “hidden heores” who were coerced to train at a segregated facility “away from whites” known as “Montford Point” located at New River (MCB) Camp Lejuene, N.C.  This Jim Crow policy against Blacks prevailed until 1949 when President Truman enacted Executive Order 9901 which finally desegregated the Marine Corps.

Today, a number of these “hidden heroes” are still active participating members of the Montford Point Marine Association, Detroit Chapter 19 and remain to give their first-hand accounts that dispel all myths “that no Blacks fought in combat during WWII”. They can tell you how they fought in the Battle of Saipan, Invasion of Peleliu, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima, and many denied promotions or recognition. However, Time Magazine war correspondent Robert Sherrod wrote in his article dated July, 1944 that the Marines of Montford Point ranked a 4.0 (Annapolis’s highest performance mark of perfection) from their commanding officer Colonel Earl Phillips as they conducted themselves in combat. Also, in February 1945, Sherrod wrote about a group of Black Marines from the 51st Defense Battalion in the 2nd and 3rd wave to reach the beachhead on Iwo Jima performing magnificently under fire.  Marine Archibald Mosley and S.L. Roberson are two Detroit area Leathernecks who were a part of that campaign, and others fought valiantly on Saipan, and Okinawa.  Each year at our signature event hundreds of people come to honor these heroes at the Montford Point Marines Black History Armed Forces Banquet each February.  As you enter this website you discover a number of Detroit’s Black Marines who have left their indelible mark in American history.  Semper fi.

           Robert B. Middleton
   President Detroit Chapter #19

A veterans military organization that celebrates the historical legacy of the very first Black Marines inducted into the all-white United States Marine Corps during WWII between the years 1942-49. They trained and performed in the crucible of the some of the most brutal forms of racism and segregation at a separate training facility named Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina after which Montford Point Marine Detachment adopted its name. Despite the prevalence of bitter prejudice, the Montford Point Marines became some of the finest men to ever wear the Globe and Anchor.

Montford Point Marine Detachment shall serve as a historical repository of the life and military experience of the very first African-American Marines. We believe it is our duty to document and preserve the Montford Point legacy for future generations and promote its recognition in mainstream American History. It is our goal to create new alliances and strategic opportunities to foster higher levels of visibility in the community and academia.