Explore The Unsung African-American Heroes of the Greatest Generation!
The Marines of Montford Point: Fighting for Freedom

In a race against time, the largely untold story of the nation's first African-American Marines is, at last, made known through The Marines of Montford Point: Fighting for Freedom. Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. narrates this stirring, hour-long documentary that captures the experiences of the more than 20,000 African Americans trained in segregated facilities between 1942 and 1949 at Montford Point, North Carolina—becoming the first African Americans to serve in the United States Marine Corps.

This all-new examination of these World War II heroes is offered nationally (check local listings), through American Public Television (APT).

From its inception until 1942, the Marine Corps refused to recruit African Americans, American Indians and other minorities. Franklin D. Roosevelt's creation of the Fair Employment Practices Commission in 1941 forced the Corps, despite objections from its leadership, to begin recruiting African American Marines in 1942. The Marines' first black recruits received basic training at the segregated Montford Point Base, adjacent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and would continue to do so until 1949.

Recruited as a result of America’s entry into World War II, all African-American Marines would continue to train at Montford Point well after the War’s end.  In the decades that followed, thousands who trained at Montford Point saw combat duty in the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War while all the while fighting for civil rights in their homeland.

Combining the experiences of over 60 Montford Point Marines, interviewed over a period of five years, The Marines of Montford Point: Fighting for Freedom delivers the powerful soldier stories from this brave group of men, told with eloquence, dignity, passion and pride. These true tales express anger and humor, sorrow and wisdom, yet reveal a pride fostered by each soldier’s incredible accomplishments in the face of adversity.  Every story contains timeless words to be heard, words to be pondered, and words that hold deep meaning and significance for American society in the 21st century.  The documentary, written and directed by Dr. Melton McLaurin, Professor Emeritus, at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, was shot and edited by UNC-Wilmington Television.

Don’t miss the premiere of this all-new exploration into this one-of-a kind historical experience in The Marines of Montford Point: Fighting for Freedom, (check local listings).

For more information about UNC-TV’s presentation of the documentary The Marines of Montford Point: Fighting for Freedom, please visit www.unctv.org/marines.

UNC-TV is North Carolina’s only member-supported statewide broadcasting system, made possible through a unique partnership of public investment and private support. The Marines of Montford Point: Fighting for Freedom is part of UNC-TV’s commitment to producing and broadcasting programs for and about North Carolina.

The Marines of Montford Point: Fighting for Freedom is distributed nationally by:

For 46 years, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation’s public television stations. APT distributes more than 300 new program titles per year and has 10,000 hours of programming in its library. It is responsible for many public television milestones including the first HD series and the 2006 launch of the Create™ channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming.

APT is known for its leadership in identifying innovative, worthwhile and viewer-friendly programming. It has established a tradition of providing public television stations with program choices that strengthen and customize their schedules, such as JFK: Breaking the News, Battlefield Britain, Globe Trekker, Rick Steves' Europe, Great Museums, Jacques Pépin: Fast Food My Way, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Broadway: The Golden Age, Lidia's Family Table, California Dreamin’ – The Songs of The Mamas & the Papas, Rosemary and Thyme, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, The Big Comfy Couch, Monarchy With David Starkey, and other prominent documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs and classic movies. 

For more information about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org.

-UNC-TV-