The Civil Radical Battles of the Black American Soldier
Portraits of Valor: Some of the Last Living Black WWII Veterans
Photographer chronicles surviving members of the 6888th, Montford Point Marines
Michael A. McCoy, – AARP
Seventy-five years since the historic Executive Order 9981 desegregated the U.S. military, photographer Michael A. McCoy captured portraits of some of the few surviving Black veterans of World War II who served the country in the face of racial injustice and discrimination.
Two groups were the focus of McCoy’s portraits: the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and the Montford Point Marines. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, a unit within the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), had 855 women in its ranks, primarily of African American descent. The unit was tasked with clearing a backlog of 17 million pieces of mail destined for troops in Europe, providing a boost in morale for the soldiers who eagerly awaited letters from their loved ones. The Montford Point Marines, active from 1942 to 1949, were the first African American men admitted to the Marine Corps. Their training took place at Montford Point in Jacksonville, North Carolina, under less favorable conditions than their white counterparts faced. By the war’s conclusion, approximately 13,000 Montford Point Marines were deployed to locations including Saipan, Guam, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Read on to learn more about these unsung heroes.
Members of the Buffalo Soldiers welcome Romay Davis during a ceremony to honor her service in the 6888th.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
Romay Davis, 104, is the most senior living member of the 6888th.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
Now 104, Romay Davis made history with her service in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, affectionately known as the Six Triple Eight. The women’s living quarters, mess halls, recreational facilities, and water fountains in basic military training were segregated.
Anna Mae Robertson, 99, was a member of the Six Triple Eight.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
Pfc. Anna Mae Robertson, 99, is the most junior of the living members of the Six Triple Eight. During the battalion’s deployment, the women sorted through 7,500 undelivered letters addressed to “Robert Smith” alone, requiring them to look for clues within the mail’s contents to determine the intended recipient.
Fannie Griffin McClendon, 103, a veteran of the 6888th, became an Army major.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
Maj. Fannie Griffin McClendon, 103, is the only surviving officer among the 855 members of the Central Postal Directory Battalion.
Members of the 6888th worked in eight-hour shifts around the clock, seven days a week. Their motto wasn’t ambiguous: “No mail, low morale.”
Henry Wilcox, 95, poses outside his home in Philadelphia.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
Marine Sgt. Henry Wilcox, 95, is one of approximately 20,000 African American men who received training at Camp Montford Point. Their dedication and contributions during World War II were recognized in 2011 when they received the Congressional Gold Medal for their role in the Allied victory.
Ivor Griffin, 96, stands by the Montford Point Marines memorial.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
Sgt. Ivor Griffin, 96, was one of the first Black recruits to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He returned to the Montford Point Marines memorial over 70 years after training at the same location.
George McIvory, 97, returned to the former Montford Point Marines Training Camp.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
After hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor, George McIvory, now 97, wanted to help his country fight back. He enlisted on reaching age 18 in 1944 and rose to the rank of corporal.
Carroll William Braxton, 99, was one of the early recruits at Montford Point.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
Retired Master Sgt. Carroll William Braxton, 99, was an early Black recruit in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Montford Point Marines. Approximately 2,000 Montford Marines served in the assault on Okinawa.
Eugene Bishop marked his 100th birthday in 2022 with a portrait at his home in Temple Hills, Maryland.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
Born in 1922, Eugene Bishop enlisted in the U.S. Army on Aug. 2, 1942, a few weeks before the Montford Point Marines began their training. Although he wasn’t a Montford Marine, his service is a reminder that over 1 million African Americans contributed to the war effort across the military branches and theaters during the war.
Arthur Gregg poses with a photo of himself during his time in the service.
MICHAEL A. MCCOY
Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg, a trailblazing figure in the U.S. Army, achieved a historic milestone on July 1, 1977, by becoming the first African American to attain his rank. He previously made history as the first African American to reach the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps in October 1972. Gregg was honored when the Fort Lee Army base was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams, honoring Gregg and Lt. Gen. Charity Adams (of the 6888th) for their service.
Michael A. McCoy is a Washington, D.C.-based portrait photographer and Pulitzer Prize-nominated photojournalist who has captured some of the most pivotal moments in recent history.
PINTEREST Scrap Book
Photographic print of helmeted boy in toy US tank
Charles “Teenie” Harris; National Museum of African American History and Culture
Army Sgt. William H. Carney. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army.
“Sergeant William Harvey Carney is recognized as the first African-American MOH recipient to receive the award. Carney’s father, William, escaped from slavery in Norfolk, Virginia, by using the underground railroad and raised William Jr. in New Bedford, Massachusetts. In 1863, at 23 years old, Carney and 45 other volunteers joined a Union Massachusetts militia called the Morgan Guards, which later became Company C of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Except for officers and senior noncommissioned officers, the unit was an all-black corps.
During the nighttime Battle of Fort Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina, as the 54th Massachusetts assaulted the fort guarding the entrance of the Charleston, their troop’s flag bearer was hit by musket fire, and a barrage of cannon shrapnel and dropped the flag. The flag’s colors shall never touch the ground, so Carney dropped his rifle, charged at a full-out sprint, grasped the flag, and continued onward despite being surrounded. He then hurled himself against a low protective wall of the fort. He later wrote, “The bullet I now carry in my body came whizzing like a mosquito, and I was shot. Not being prostrated by the shot, I continued my course, yet had not gone far before I was struck by a second shot.”
A soldier from the 100th New York joined him, and they retreated to their lines. Carney sustained two bullet holes and two grazes in the arm and on the head. “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground,” he said before collapsing and receiving medical attention.”
Marines, Harlem 1940s.
African-American soldier polishing his boots during World War 2 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, 1942. US Army Signal Corps.
– Public Domain
The Overlooked Black History of Memorial Day
The fact that the freed slaves’ Memorial Day tribute is not as well remembered is emblematic of the struggle that would follow, as African Americans’ fight to be fully recognized for their contributions to American society continues to this day.
BY OLIVIA B. WAXMAN
An April 1865 photo of the graves of Union soldiers buried at the race course-turned-Confederate-prison where historians believe the earliest Memorial Day ceremony took place.Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Civil War veterans, celebrating Juneteenth in Eastwood Park, Austin, TX 1900.
Lawrence Brooks (aged 112), a proud member of our Allied Forces, and the oldest living WWII veteran.
Lawrence is pictured here wearing a copy of his old summer uniform and holding his 91st Engineer Battalion badge – the picture was taken during a recent stay in a New Orleans hospital.
Brooks, the son of Louisiana farmers and one of 15 children was born in 1909, just north of Baton Rouge in Norwood. He grew up outside of Stephenson, Mississippi, a small sawmill town where his family moved to work during the Depression.
“I just want to be remembered as a good soldier,” said Lawrence.
Cassandra Gillens Studio
Black Japanese Generals celebrating their victory over Russia in 1907. They are of Ainu ancestry. The Ainu were of African descent who migrated and settled in ancient Japan. You may have read in history about Japan defeating Russia in a brilliant naval / military campaign at Port Arthur.
“Stand Proud” from Blue Sky, White Stars – illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Trump’s DEI Ban Erases Black Veterans’ Graves from Arlington Cemetery Website
Nationwide — President Donald Trump’s administration has quietly removed content about Black, Hispanic, and women veterans from the Arlington National Cemetery website. The deleted pages also included information on the Civil War and Black history, aligning with Trump’s anti-diversity policies.
Webpages featuring graves of notable minority veterans and educational resources on African American and women’s history were either deleted or moved to categories that no longer mention race or gender. An archived page highlighting Black war heroes and the Civil Rights Movement has since been removed.
According to MSNBC, a cemetery spokesperson confirmed that these pages were removed to comply with administration policies. Civil War historian Kevin M. Levin and military news outlet Task & Purpose first reported the removal.
The changes are part of Trump’s larger effort to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a known critic of DEI, has led efforts to eliminate what he calls ‘wokeness’ in the military. Several high-ranking officers have since been removed from office or forced to retire, including US Army Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, who previously led the military’s health agency.
In line with these efforts, the Defense Intelligence Agency has also banned events related to cultural heritage celebrations, including Black History Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and Women’s History Month.
