A symbol of honor

Jan. 21—HIGH POINT — One day early last year, Natika George was watching the news when she saw a short segment on the Montford Point Marines, the first African American Marine recruits during World War II.

While many Americans likely have never heard the inspiring story of the Montford Point Marines, George beamed with pride as she watched the segment.

"My dad was a Montford Point Marine," the High Point woman says of her late father, William Earl Saunders. "He enlisted with three of his friends in 1943. He always talked about when the flag was raised at Iwo Jima — he was there when that happened."

George found the piece on the Montford Point Marines compelling for another reason — as the first recruits to break the Marine Corps' color barrier, they had been collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress for distinguished achievement.

Furthermore, replicas of the medal were being awarded to the individual Marines or their families ... when they could be found. To date, only about 3,000 of the more than 20,000 Montford Point Marines have been so recognized, according to the National Montford Point Marine Association.

A year after watching that news segment, George has added her father's name to the list of Montford Point Marines to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal replica. She received the medal at a ceremony last month in Greensboro.

"It's amazing," George says. "I can't believe we finally received it."

Receiving her father's medal marks the culmination of a journey that began in June 1941, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order requiring the armed services to recruit and enlist African Americans. Such recruiting for the Marines began in the summer of 1942, and Saunders — a native of Creswell, in Washington County — and his buddies enlisted the following year, when he was only 20 years old.

They and thousands of other Black enlistees trained at Camp Montford Point, a segregated boot camp in Jacksonville adjacent to Camp Lejeune. George says her father never went into great detail about his training — other than to acknowledge it was "really hard" — but other Montford Point Marines have spoken openly about the racism they experienced there at the hands of white drill sergeants.

Saunders went on to serve as an assistant steward to Gen. Harry Schmidt, a storied Marine Corps officer who was commanding general of the 4th Marine Division and later the 5th Amphibious Corps during World War II. It was with the latter unit that Schmidt helped secure victory in the Battle of Iwo Jima, giving credence to Saunders' claim that he witnessed the iconic flag-raising scene atop Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi.

"A lot of military men don't talk about their experiences, and my dad was like that," George says. "But he was a proud Marine — I know that. And he did talk about being at Iwo Jima. I know he saw combat, and he was lucky he didn't get hurt. We were fortunate to get him back home safely."

Inspired by their father's military service, two of Saunders' sons joined the armed forces — one in the Marines, the other in the Air Force — and served during the Vietnam War.

"My dad was so proud of both of them for doing that," George recalls.

Saunders died in 2000 at age 77 and was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

Although her father didn't talk much about his training at Camp Montford Point, George believes he would've been proud to receive the Congressional Gold Medal — and she was equally proud to accept the medal on his behalf. After seeing the news segment about her father's boot camp, she contacted the National Montford Point Marine Association, submitted the necessary paperwork to verify her father had trained at Camp Montford Point, and then waited.

The medal was supposed to have been presented in August during a ceremony at Camp Lejeune, with George's brother slated to accept it. Unexpected surgery kept him from attending, however, and George was invited to receive the medal last month at the Armed Forces Retiree Club in Greensboro.

The front of the distinguished-looking medal features the images of several Marines, along with the words, "Montford Point Marines: 1942-1949." The back of the medal features the image of a Marine drill sergeant inspecting his troops, with the words, "For Outstanding Perseverance and Courage that Inspired Social Change in the Marine Corps." An inscription at the bottom reads "2011 Act of Congress," referencing the year Congress voted to award the medal to the Montford Point Marines.

"It was quite an honor to receive this medal," George says. "My father was deserving of the medal, and I was thrilled to receive it for our family."

jtomlin@hpenews.com — 336-888-3579