Montford Point Marines

The Montford Point Marines are the first African-Americans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps after President Franklin Roosevelt issues an Executive Order establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission in June 1941. They were the approximately 20,000 African American Marines that served between 1942 and 1949 and because of segregation were not allowed to train with their white counter parts and instead had to train at a little makeshift installation just outside of Camp Lejeune North Carolina called Camp Montford Point.  They were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011 for their personal sacrifice and service to their country during WWII.