MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(Feb. 16, 2006) -- Female African-American Marines were nonexistent in the 1940’s.

That changed in 1949, when Annie E. Graham (Gillard), the first African-American woman to join the Marine Corps, and the following day Anne E. Lamb (Ellis) joined.

“It was a great thing,” said retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Nathaniel R. Hosea, a former Montford Point Marine.

Then in 1950, Anne Grimes became the third African-American to enlist.

“I met a (black) female Marine during World War II. They were a tough line of women,” said Hosea.

Retired Sgt. Maj. William “Movin” Vann said seeing a female African-American Marine was a great experience.

“We were elated to see black female Marines because we had paved the way,” said Vann, a former Montford Point Marine. “It was progress as far as African Americans serving in the Marine Corps.”