The Unit in the Marine Corps Photo that included the first black soldiers

First black Marine

Archive

Archive of 21 silver gelatin photographs during WWII depicting a Marine Corps unit, the 51st Defense Battalion. Photographs in this archive range in size from 2.5" x 3.5" to 3.5" 6.75". Black and white photographs. The soldiers are pictured on base and in the field, at Montford Point, their training camp at Camp Lejeune. The 51st was originally formed in August 1942 and included the first African American unit in the Marine Corps. Its original mission was to provide air and coastal defense for advanced naval bases. During the war, the battalion served in the Ellice and Marshall Islands in the Pacific Theater. Most the of the photos of the soldiers are taken on base, near the barracks. We see them playing football , lifting weights, playing golf, or sometimes hanging out shirtless. Other photos show them in uniform. In one photo, we see one black soldier as part of group around a tree. This black soldier is in uniform with his cap and was part of the first African American Marines. The other photographs only show white soldiers. The 51st was deployed to the South Pacific Ellice Islands in February 1944 and later moved to Eniwetok, where it was posted for the remainder of the war. After the war they returned to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and decommissioned on January 31, 1946. This photo archive gives a rare glimpse into a groundbreaking unit and the experiences of the men who comprised it. In very good condition overall.

Item #20320

Price: $225.00