Original Montford Point Marines who helped integrate U.S. Marine Corps honored in Philly

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia is honoring veterans this Black History Month and tonight, they recognized the Montford Point Marines. 

These men helped to integrate the U.S. Marine Corps during World War 2.

"Teacher come ask us, what do you want to be when you grow up, I want to be a farmer, I want to be a policeman, I said I want to be a marine," said Gunnery Sergeant Roosevelt Farrow, a Montford Point Marine.

Something Farrow wanted to be ever since he was a little kid back in North Carolina living near Cherry Point Marine base. 

"I always saw Marines, I look out the side window and the back window there were all Marines but they were all white," said Farrow.

Back in the 30’s, Black people were not allowed to be Marines. 

"Never knew that there were no Blacks in the Marine Corps, I didn’t know that," said Farrow.

That changed in 1941 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed executive order 8802, prohibiting racial discrimination in the national defense industry.

Six years later, Farrow graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in Philadelphia and immediately enlisted into the Marine Corps.

Farrow joined a group of thousands of African American Marines sent to basic training at the segregated Montford Point Camp in North Carolina. 

After asking Farrow how it felt to put on the Marine uniform, he said, "It felt great, it felt wonderful". 

Nearly 77 years later, Gunnery Sergeant Farrow still had the pep in his step at 94-years-old, to be recognized as one of the few original Montford Point Marines still living. 

To the surprise of everyone, in the middle of the event came rolling in another original Montford Point Marine, 100-year-old Leroy Artison.

MORE HEADLINES: 

• AMC offering $5 movie tickets to celebrate Black History Month
• Philly’s first Black-owned brewery, Two Locals Brewing Company, opens new brick-and-mortar in University City
• Lincoln University creating legacies for young Black students after 170 years despite financial struggles

A monumental moment of two barrier breakers in the same room. 

"It’s a wonderful feeling and you can say well done," said Artison.

All of which happening in front of younger Marines that they helped pave the way for.

"Every one of these men that I’ve met particularly in Philadelphia they are like uncles, fathers, grandfathers to me so, it means the world to me," said Joseph Geeter III, the President of the National Montford Point Marines Association of Philadelphia. 

"We find that there’s a lot of people that are not aware of Montford Point Marines, the sacrifice, and the fight that these men endured just to become a Marine so, we promote that," said Willis Gray Jr., the VP of the Chapter 1 Montford Point Marines Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Chapter of NMPMA helps get these Marines the recognition they deserve. 

This Saturday they will be honoring two Montford Point Marine families with the Congressional Gold Medal.