DETROIT (WXYZ) — Randall Clemons is the commandant of the Montford Point Detachment #158 in Detroit.
He and his wife Kimberly Clemons dedicate a great deal of their lives to serving the detachment, making sure as many people as possible know the story of the first Black Marines.
"When they first allowed Blacks into the Marine Corps, they stuck a group of them on an island, expecting them to fail, and it was called Montford Point," said Randall. "Even within the Marine Corps, a lot of people don’t even know what Montford Point is, they still don’t know the story."
In 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt cleared the way for African-American men to join the Marines.
However, the men who signed up were segregated, forced to build their own camp, and held back from combat until World War II.
After the war in 1949 they were desegregated but forever known as the Montford Point Marines.
Eugene Owens served as a Marine for 28 years and is a member of the Detroit detachment.
He told us that the legendary Marines were faced with more hardships than others every day, "At that time the police didn’t know that there was Black Marines, and the police saw them in their uniforms and arrested them."
There's still one original Montford Point Marine alive, 98-year-old Robert Hassler who lives here in Detroit and is a member of the detachment.
The group holds trunk or treats, toys for tots fundraisers, and more community events to support their Detroit community.
Through their giving, the detachment continues the Montford Point Marine fight, making sure as many people as possible know about what the first Black marines overcame to pave the way for others.
The Montford Point Detachment holds a Fish Fry Friday every Friday of the year if you'd like to come and meet the men and women!
