FORWARDED MESSAGE
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From: "Gash, Kevin"
To: "Gash, Kevin"
Subject: Montford Point Marine Congressional Resolution
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 13:34:29 -0500

I wanted to make you aware of the enclosed resolution Representatives Lane Evans and Corrine Brown will be introducing in Congress shortly. Representative Evans is the senior Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and a Marine. Representative Corrine Brown is a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Please make your membership aware of the resolution and I will keep you updated on its progress.

Thank you,

Kevin Gash

Rep Lane Evans

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February 15, 2005

Honor the First African-American Marines

Dear Colleague:

We urge you to join us in commemorating the sacrifice of the "Montford Point Marines" who honorably served our nation in World War II.

African-Americans were first recruited by the Marine Corps in 1942 and trained in isolation at Montford Point on the western-most portion of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. This brave group of recruits became known as the "Montford Point Marines" and endured racial discrimination and harassment.

Segregated African-American Marine Corps units fought and served in the Pacific theatre liberating the Ellice Islands, Eniwetok Atoll, the Marshall Islands, Kwajalein Atoll, Iwo Jima and Peleliu, Mariana Islands, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, and Okinawa. Robert Sherrod, Time Magazine's correspondent in the Central Pacific, noted that the uninitiated African-American

Marine units first encountering combat in Saipan were worthy of the Navy's highest possible combat performance rating of a 4.0.

We offer this resolution to recognize their service and sacrifice and to acknowledge today's United States Marine Corps as an excellent opportunity for advancement of persons of all races due to the service and example of the original Montford Point Marines. Please contact Kevin Gash (Evans) at kevin.gash@mail.house.gov to be an original cosponsor.

Sincerely,

/s
LANE EVANS

Member of Congress

/s
CORRINE BROWN

Member of Congress

Kevin J. Gash
Legislative Director
Representative Lane Evans
2211 Rayburn House Office Bldg.
Washington DC 20515

Phone: 202-225-5905
Fax: 202-225-5396