It took 70 years, but Marine veteran and proud New Yorker Clement Poussaint today is finally getting a share of the honors due for his service in World War II.
Poussaint was one of the first black Marines, enlisting in 1943 when the service was still segregated. For boot camp, he and about 20,000 other black recruits were trained apart at Camp Montford Point in Jacksonville, NC, adjacent to the training facility for whites.
The Montford Point Marines fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the war — and endured discrimination all the while.
So in recognition of their sacrifice and service, Congress in June awarded all living Montford Point Marines the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor.
Poussaint was unable to attend that ceremony in Washington, so the Marines are holding one for him today at 1:15 p.m. at the Harlem YMCA on W. 135th Street.
Black troops of the war like the 1,000 Tuskegee Airmen have been justly celebrated, but the valor of the 20,000 Montford Point Marines has long been overlooked.
Please keep Clement Poussaint and the Marine Corps in your thoughts today.