MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, San Diego -- It was a balmy South Carolinian evening as the sun set on Fort Wagner, just north of Charleston, N.C., when Brig. Gen. Quincy Gilmore led the 54th Massachusetts Regiment into the second assault on the fort. The three Union brigades, comprised of approximately 5,000 soldiers, charged toward the fort defended by only 1,800 Confederate troops. The situation quickly became hopeless for the North, and a retreat was hastily sounded. In the front of the line, a color sergeant carrying the national ensign was shot through the heart and his die-hard grasp on the colors was released.
Sgt. William Carney saw this and quickly grabbed the colors and ran them to the front. He fought until the retreat was absolutely necessary, ran the colors back to his unit, and proudly proclaimed, “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground!”
For holding fast to the honor of his country, and being shot four times in the process, Sgt. Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award.
But there was something exceptional about this story. The 54th Massachusetts was an all-black unit commanded by white officers, and Carney was the first black service member to earn the Medal of Honor. Since that date, 86 more black service members have received the honor.
February was officially deemed “Black History Month” by President Gerald R. Ford in 1976, and has served to celebrate the identity and achievements of blacks.
It was April 7, 1942 that blacks were officially allowed to enlist. The first month, 24 black recruits arrived at Montford Point, N.C., the segregated Marine recruit training area.
Over the next two years, Montford Point would be the training site for the 51st and 52nd Defense Battalions. Ironically, these combat units never actually saw combat during the war. Instead, it was the black depot and ammunitions companies and the officers’ stewards who earned the battle scars and took the casualties.
Blacks continued to serve in segregated units until the fall of 1949, when an executive order from President Harry S. Truman established a policy of full integration. Additionally, in the fall of 1949, the first black woman, Annie E. Graham of Detroit, enlisted in the Marines.
Black Marines continued to valiantly serve throughout the Korean and the Vietnam Wars, expanding not only the storied Marine name, but the Marine Corps’ understanding of modern combat.
For example, 2nd Lieutenant Frank E. Peterson Jr., was the first black Marine Corps pilot, who flew 64 combat missions before the war ended. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and six Air Medals in the final months of the Korean War.
It was Marines like Peterson, regardless of color, that paved the way for successful operations in future conflicts by developing the concept of close-air support. Peterson served 38 years in the Corps and became the first black Marine Corps general officer. Black Marines also served in the Vietnam War, representing approximately 13 percent of Marines in the region and absorbing more than 14 percent of casualties. In the modern era, blacks make up approximately 12 percent of the Marine Corps total strength and just under two percent of officers.
The Marine Corps is not only mindful of what is to come in the future, but also recognize the importance of looking back to the heroic sacrifice made by so many in the past.
“Because of the many negative influences and events confronting today’s African-American, it becomes increasingly vital to acknowledge, understand and celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of our early leaders,” said Sgt. Maj. Sylvester Daniels, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego sergeant major. “Understanding and using the knowledge from our cultural past will enable us to more effectively explore a widening range of opportunities today.”
Daniels said understanding and using the knowledge from the Corps’ cultural past will enable Marines to more effectively explore a widening range of opportunities today. He said while some may not be sensitive to the importance of our various ethnic heritage months, he is.
Here on Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, the depot Marine Corps Community Services is hosting the 2011 Umoja Ball, celebrating Black History Month. The ball features several traditional items from black heritage, and Maj. Gen. Ronald Bailey, commanding general for MCRD and the Western Recruiting Region, is a keynote speaker.
The local San Diego community is also celebrating the occasion with several events and observations. The University of California at San Diego is hosting a month’s worth of events that feature film screenings and luncheons, and will culminate in the Black History Month Scholarship Brunch, Feb. 26 at the UCSD Faculty Club.
Public events in the community range from the San Diego Public Library offering featured reading lists and classes, to the Kuumba Fest, sponsored by the San Diego Repertory Theatre.
Most of the events around the community are either free, or cost very little to attend. Blacks have fought in every major American conflict since the Revolution, and have sacrificed so much to make this country the beacon of freedom and diversity that it is today. February is not merely a time to put an event poster on a bulletin board, go to a themed party, or commemorate a speech in history; rather, it is a time to recognize a part of our society that we could not be whole without.