Securing America: Honoring the First Black Marines

The nation’s first black Marines will be honored by Congress in Washington, D.C. today.

FOX News Radio’s Lisa Brady reports in our ongoing series on national security:

Securing America.

It was the last branch of the U.S. military to accept African-Americans.

(Gen. Amos) “There is no bitterness in them.  They will come up, and…and they’ll…they’ll tell you that it was the best thing that ever happened to them, was joining the Marine Corps.”

Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. James Amos, on the Montford Point Marines, named after the separate training camp they had to build adjacent to North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune.  They weren’t allowed to fight alongside white counterparts until the Korean War, but even in supporting roles, still ended up in some of the bloodiest Pacific battles of World War II, including Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

(Gen. Amos) “Wounded Marines were calling them the “Black Angels,” because they saved their lives.”

More than 400 Montford Point veterans will be on hand to accept the Congressional Gold Medal.

Lisa Brady, FOX News Radio.