GADSDEN CO., Fla. (WTXL) - It's an honor only a select few ever get. It's why Chester Davis Junior proudly displays his father's Congressional Gold Medal in his home.
"He wanted to be one of the best," said Davis, Jr., "at the time when Marine units were offered up to black men, he wanted to be a part of that."
Chester Davis Senior was in the first class of all black Marines in the United States. His unit, the Montford Point Marines, formed in 1942, was segregated from the white Marine units, and even had a separate base, in Montford Point, North Carolina.
"He looked at it as, this is a challenge, this is something I wanted to do, that was to help defend my nation, and so he fought with vigor, courage, valor, and patriotism, and for that, I am extremely proud of my dad," said Davis Sr.'s second oldest son, Tom Davis.
Although the citizenship listed on his paperwork distinguished him from a white Marine, race didn't matter when it came to fighting the enemy.
"He went directly into the fight with the US Marines fighting the Japanese in the South Pacific from Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Saipan, Solomon Islands, all the way to the surrender to the Japanese in 1945," said Davis Jr.
But his service didn't come without sacrifice. The biggest challenged he faced? Harassment, according to Davis Jr.
"They just wasn't able to do the things that the other white soldiers were able to do, but yet still, they had to fight the Japanese at nighttime and perform their duties they were assigned to doing that time to try to keep the peace," said Davis Jr. "They had to patrol the perimeter of the base as well, and some of their men would get killed, shot, injured, but they weren't getting any credit for it."
That was until recently. Fast forward 70 plus years -- in 2011, Congress unanimously voted in favor, and President Obama signed into law, a proclamation recognizing the Montford Point Marines.
"Exciting, exciting, said Davis Jr., "First thing we received was the proclamation from the government in Washington about the Montford Point Marines. Knowing that dad had been a part of that, and it just elated us."
While Davis Sr. was not alive to witness the recognition, his sons hope future generations recognize the courage, perseverance and determination of these heroes.
"You autograph the landscape so that those who come behind you can actually see the imprint that you left on the land, and that is what my dad did for us," said Tom Davis, "He is a hero."
Tom and Chester inherited more than just a last name from their father, they also got his love of country and passion to serve. Chester Davis Jr. is a retired Air Force captain and Tom Davis is a retired Army Sgt. major.
On Friday, February 28, the National Montford Point Marine Association (MPMA) will hold a groundbreaking for a memorial in honor of the servicemen. For more information about the MPMA, visit http://www.montfordpointmarines.com.
