Congressional Gold Medal. The award was posthumously given on June 27, 2012 for his service as a World War II Montford Point Marine after President Barack Obama signed the law to award all Montford Point Marines with the Congressional Medal in 2011. Masters was the first African American to be sworn in as a member of the United States Marine Corps. He was one of more than 20,000 African Americans who enlisted in the Marines during World War II that trained at the segregated Montford Point Camp in North Carolina. Masters was assigned to the Battery "A" of the 51st Composite Defense Battalion for recruit training and then honorably served in the Stewards Branch Battalion and 52nd Defense Battalion, with which he was deployed to Majuro and Guam. He was later advanced to Technical Sergeant for his exemplary service. Masters retuned to the states in 1945 and was honorably discharged at Camp Pendleton in California, receiving 38 months of service credit. He was the former husband of five time presidential candidate, Isabell Masters before remarrying to Mary Hendricks in 1949. Masters spent the latter parts of his life working in agriculture until his death in New Mexico.
Military Information: T/SGT, US MARINE CORPS
Military Information: T/SGT, US MARINE CORPS
Congressional Gold Medal. The award was posthumously given on June 27, 2012 for his service as a World War II Montford Point Marine after President Barack Obama signed the law to award all Montford Point Marines with the Congressional Medal in 2011. Masters was the first African American to be sworn in as a member of the United States Marine Corps. He was one of more than 20,000 African Americans who enlisted in the Marines during World War II that trained at the segregated Montford Point Camp in North Carolina. Masters was assigned to the Battery "A" of the 51st Composite Defense Battalion for recruit training and then honorably served in the Stewards Branch Battalion and 52nd Defense Battalion, with which he was deployed to Majuro and Guam. He was later advanced to Technical Sergeant for his exemplary service. Masters retuned to the states in 1945 and was honorably discharged at Camp Pendleton in California, receiving 38 months of service credit. He was the former husband of five time presidential candidate, Isabell Masters before remarrying to Mary Hendricks in 1949. Masters spent the latter parts of his life working in agriculture until his death in New Mexico.
Military Information: T/SGT, US MARINE CORPS
Military Information: T/SGT, US MARINE CORPS
Bio by: MistyT
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TSGT
US MARINE CORPS
WORLD WAR II
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