History has largely overlooked the trailblazers who were the first Black men to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, the Montford Point Marines.
Named after the segregated section of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where they trained.
Camp Lejeune, still in operation and no longer segregated, has managed to become the focal point of considerable public scrutiny. This comes in the wake of the revelation that Camp Lejeune water contamination has adversely affected the health of servicemembers and their family members stationed there between 1953-1987.
Today, Friday, August 26, 2022, on the 80th anniversary of when the first Montford Point Marines set foot on the Marine base, ABC Owned Television Stations debut the trailer of “Our America: Mission Montford Point.”
The documentary special will debut on ABC Owned Stations 24/7 streaming platforms, 32 connected TV apps across streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku and Hulu beginning September 20, 2022.
Chronicling the history of the Montford Point Marines, the one-hour special also highlights the dedicated individuals locating these Marines and their descendants in an effort to honor them with the Congressional Gold Medal the men collectively earned in 2012.
Presently, an estimated 2,000 men have received the medal, leaving approximately 18,000 who are still due the honor.
“The legacy of the Montford Point Marines has been a largely hidden story and it is our responsibility to amplify the voices of these heroes while attempting to right a historic wrong,” said ABC Owned Television Stations Race & Culture executive producer Porsha Grant. “We hope this news special will encourage the audience to not only embrace the Marines’ contributions but also to be inspired by the strength it took to serve and love a nation that did not always love them back.”
The U.S. Marine Corps was the last of the armed forces to allow Black men to join.
Still, the men came from far and wide and enlisted while staring down racism and discrimination.
Housing conditions and treatment were harsh, but the Montford Point Marines persevered. Thousands saw combat in World War II’s Pacific Theater. S
ome of the Montford Pointers continued to serve with honor in the USMC after the end of segregation in the military, and others went on to have distinguished careers in public service and the private sector.
Those who served – or family members of deceased Montford Point Marines – can learn more on ABC7/ouramerica.com.
Our America: Mission Montford Point | Official Trailer:
More information about ABC Owned Television Stations streaming channels can be found here: ABC7/WABC-TV New York, ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago, 6ABC/WPVI-TV Philadelphia, ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco, ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston, ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno.
ABC Owned Television Stations
Disney Media Entertainment & Distribution’s eight owned ABC stations are multiplatform leaders in local news and information. Collectively No. 1 across all U.S. television, reaching 23% of households and more than 34 million Total Viewers and 62 million digital visitors a month, with a record of 2.2 billion minutes streamed, the eight stations are comprised of WABC-TV New York, KABC-TV Los Angeles, WLS-TV Chicago, WPVI-TV Philadelphia, KGO-TV San Francisco, KTRK-TV Houston, WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and KFSN-TV Fresno. WABC-New York has remained the No. 1 station in the country for 19 years.
Photo credit: 1) Photo Wikipedia. 2) Youtube.
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