John,

For Black History Month, I want to share with you a bit about the service and the sacrifice of some of my fellow Marines.

You may not know this, because it doesn’t show up in the books and movies, but Black Americans have served our country in every single armed conflict in our nation’s history.

From the American Revolution to World War II, when the first order to desegregate was signed and the first Black troops enlisted, and all the way up to current day – Black Americans have faithfully served a country where they have rarely been treated as equals.

The Montford Point Marines were known as “The Forgotten Warriors” for a reason. The presidential executive order that ended racial discrimination in the U.S. armed forces allowed Black recruits to join – but it didn’t mean racism in the military was over.

They were forced to live and train at separate barracks. They weren’t allowed to give orders to white Marines. They had to fight for the right to attend Officer Candidate School and earn a commission.

It would take almost 20 years for the Corps to fully desegregate – all while my fellow Marines served with honor and distinction in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and other deployments.

If you want to learn more about the Montford Pointers (and we all should), check out this write-up from the historians at JSTOR.

Reading all of this makes me think about the men and women I served with – all races, all religions, all ethnicities. In the heat of battle it never mattered where we came from. We were all United States Marines, and I knew I could count on any one of them with my life. More than once, I did.

While we can celebrate the progress we’ve made, we know there is so much more work to do.

Since retiring from the service I have devoted my time to my family, my community, and continuing the fight for justice. I am a proud member of our local chapter of the NAACP and support their ongoing efforts to achieve equality.

Left: Ike and Danielle Young-Kombo, former president of the local NAACP chapter where Ike is a member, attend a Black Lives Matter rally. Right: Ike and a crowd at the BLM event listening to a local speaker.

Today, I’m asking you to honor the Montford Pointers with a donation to the Montford Point Museum, which preserves the legacy of these fine Marines and supports scholarships for young people trying to get ahead.

And if you can give twice, please consider a contribution to the NAACP CO-MT-WY State Conference to support their justice work throughout the Rocky Mountain region.

Thank you for taking some time to learn about our forgotten warriors, and for joining me to make sure their sacrifices are remembered.

Semper Fi,

Ike McCorkle

Combat Wounded

U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

Democratic Candidate for CO-04

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