Fighting for the right to fight: Louisiana Montford Point Marines posthumously awarded...

Seven African-American Marines originally from Louisiana were posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at the Algiers Auditorium here on Nov. 13 for their service during World War II.

Montford Point Marines Granville Alexander Sr., George A. Dupré Sr., Andrew J. LeBlanc, Nolan A. Marshall Sr., Melvin O. Parent Sr., Gilbert O. Smith Sr. and Lloyd B. Wills Sr, were honored at the gathering for their selfless service to the Nation and for their role in the advancement of civil rights.

These Marines were among the first of approximately 20,000 African Americans to serve in the Marine Corps since the American Revolution. While white recruits attended basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depots in Parris Island and San Diego, black recruits from 1942 to 1949 were sent to the segregated training facility at Montford Point Camp in Jacksonville, N.C.