African American Military History for the Month of August

African American military history in August includes the start of Montford Point Marine training in 1942,

the 14th USCT combat in the Civil War in 1864, and the Fort Hood 43 protest in 1968.

Key August Military Milestones

·         August 1942: About 900 Black recruits headed to Montford Point, North Carolina, to form the first African American units in the U.S. Marine Corps.

·         August 15, 1864: The 14th United States Colored Troops (USCT) fought a Confederate cavalry attack near Dalton, marking the first time Black troops fought in the Civil War in Georgia.

·         August 23, 1968: Forty-three Black soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, staged a nonviolent sit-in protest against riot-control deployment, marking a major act of active-duty military dissent.