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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Over 20,000 black Americans trained at Montford
3Point, fought honorably and with distinction, and broke down
4barriers of discrimination to become the first black Americans
5to serve in the Marine Corps; and
 
6    WHEREAS, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive
7Order 8802 on June 25th, 1941, banning discrimination because
8of race, creed, color, or national origin in all government
9agencies; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The first recruits reported to the segregated
11Camp Montford Point, a small section of land on Camp Lejeune,
12North Carolina, on August 26th, 1942; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The men of the 51st Composite Defense Battalion
14distinguished themselves as the finest artillery gunners in
15the Marine Corps, breaking almost every accuracy record in
16training; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Private Kenneth Tibbs was the first black Marine
18to lose his life on June 15th, 1944; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Black marines served valiantly in the Pacific
20Theatre of Operations during World War II and participated in

 

 

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1battles on Saipan, Guam, and Peleliu; and
 
2    WHEREAS, On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman
3signed Executive Order 9981 establishing the President's
4Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the
5Armed Services, committing the government to integrating the
6segregated military; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Camp Montford Point was decommissioned on
8September 9, 1949 because of improved inclusion brought forth
9by the courageous service of the Montford Point Marines;
10therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
12HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13we honor the brave marines who trained at Montford Point and
14were trailblazers who broke down barriers within the Marine
15Corps; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That we acknowledge the Montford Point Marines
17for their heroic service and therefore declare August 26, 2021
18Montford Point Marines Day.