Montford Marines: Few, proud and black - CNN.com: ...It was one of the worst times of my life,' said Fizer, in Atlanta Saturday for the annual gathering of the Montford Point Marines. 'I was fighting the war on racism and Jim Crow and at the same time getting ready to fight a war overseas.'
The history-making Marines never received the same recognition as the famed Tuskegee Airmen, African-American pilots who fought in World War II. But the few Montford Marines who are still alive reunite each year at their convention and hope to spread the word about the path they paved.
This year, they are focusing on preserving their legacy with a monument at Montford Point and supporting a bill that would grant Congressional Gold Medals for the first black Marines. On Saturday, Commandant Gen. James Amos will meet with the Montford Point survivors and begin a month-long effort to pay tribute to them.
