Herbert Petty Receives a Posthumous Congressional Gold Medal

The ceremony celebrated Petty and the Montford Point Marines.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Tubman Museum held a ceremony Friday to present a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to Herbert Petty, honoring his service as one of the Montford Point Marines. They were the first Marine unit comprised of African American soldiers.

The event was a celebration of not just Petty’s individual contributions, but the legacy of the Montford Point Marines as a whole.

Despite serving their country during World War II, the marines were not permitted to share a base with white Americans without an escort.

Charles Rutland, President of the National Montford Point Marine Association, spoke to the personal significance of the occasion. As the son of a Montford Point Marine himself, Rutland said the history of the unit runs deep for him.

“I am the son of a Montford Point Marine — my father was a Montford Point Marine. So I am fully invested. And then to understand the story of the marines, as we said earlier, they had to fight for the right to fight. It’s a very significant and moving event for me,” Rutland said.

Rutland is urging other families connected to Montford Point Marines to come forward so their loved ones can be recognized with the same honor they deserve.