A story of service, separation, and an unbreakable bond came to a fruition with the centennial birthday celebration of fellow Montford Point Marines Charles “C.C.” Hall and George McIvory. The two veterans were reunited after more than 80 years since World War II.
The celebration, hosted by St. Phillips Episcopal Church, was held at the Longshoremen’s Hall, was initially planned as a solo centennial tribute for its parishioner, Mr. McIvory.
McIvory, born November 15, 1925, answered his nation’s call in 1943 when he was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps while still in high school. His service began at the segregated Montford Point Camp, the training facility for the first African American Marines.
Following training, he was assigned to Camp Pendleton and deployed to the Asia-Pacific Theater by the summer of 1944. Following his military career, he worked in the railroad industry, served on the Civil Service Commission, and dedicated 26 years to the International Longshoremen’s Association, Local 1408. He now resides in New Jersey with his family.
The journey to the reunion began with a single artifact: a 1944 platoon photo belonging to Montford Point marine Maurice L. Burns, Sr., discovered by his grand-daughter Mallorie Marshall Berger. This photograph became a sacred map in her mission to find the 33 men of Platoon 345, the brothers with whom he served at the segregated Montford Point training camp in North Carolina. Berger’s search led her to George McIvory in Jacksonville several years ago. Then, just weeks ago, she located C.C. Hall in Georgia. They are the last two surviving members of that platoon. Upon learning that St. Phillips Episcopal was planning Mr. McIvory’s birthday celebration, Berger reached out to the church’s planning committee who enthusiastically agreed to host a dual centennial celebration, setting the stage for a historic reunion.
The night before the main celebration, the Berger and Hall families met for the first time. As Mallorie handed the historic platoon photograph to Mr. Hall, he gazed at it, overcome with emotion, and stated, “I never thought I would see this photograph again.”
It had been 80 years. The resulting moment was profound.
“Helping to bring their legacy to light has been one of the most profound honors of my life,” Berger stated.
The Montford Point Marines were the first African Americans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, they trained at the segregated Montford Point Camp in North Carolina from 1942 to 1949. A Congressional Gold Medal was awarded collectively to the Montford Point Marines in 2012.