November 2022 Newsletter
Thank you for subscribing to our monthly newsletter! We hope that you enjoy this month’s information. November celebrates Veterans Day and National Native American Heritage Month. If you want us to address a specific topic, send a message to tanya@familymattersgenealogy.com. We will discuss it in upcoming newsletters.
Honoring Veterans – The Meaning of the Holiday
Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, began in 1921 with the burial of an unknown World War I (WW I) American Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The chosen day of November 11th celebrated the end of WW I at 11:00 am on November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). A congressional resolution officially recognized Armistice Day in 1926. It became a national holiday in 1938. Parades and other festivities honored those that fought in the war. In 1947, Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized a National Veterans Day in Birmingham, Alabama. It was to celebrate those that fought in all wars. Congress passed a resolution proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day in 1954.
They Arrived, They Served, They Lived
Montford Point Marines
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established Executive Order 8802 in 1941 that barred racial discrimination among government workers and contractors. It also required that all branches of the Armed Forces recruit, enlist and train African Americans. Until this time, the Marine Corps was the last branch of the military that did not allow Blacks, Native Americans or other minorities to enlist. Due to this order, the Marine Corps started recruiting Black Marines on June 1, 1942. Their training center stood outside the gates of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. A segregated base named Montford Point was the only base that would train these Black Marine recruits.
Segregation in the South
Unfortunately, the executive order did not disband or discourage the segregationist practices that were prevalent in the military and in North Carolina. Jacksonville was not a welcoming town for the new black recruits. Many places in the town were off-limits to Blacks because of segregation. The railroad tracks divided the races and the Montford Point base. Recruits and Marines that ventured outside the gate only went across the tracks to the Black section of Jacksonville; they could not go downtown.
Camp Lejeune cleared the land for the Montford Point base; however, the recruits had to build their base themselves, constructing all the buildings and huts they lived in. Blacks could only go through the front entrance of the main base if escorted by a white officer. Begrudgingly, white officers trained the Black Marines until 1945, when all drill instructors were Black.
Between 1942 and 1949, Camp Montford Point trained over 20,000 African American Marines. They faced racism and discrimination but surprisingly it did not distract them from serving their country. Approximately 12,000 Montford Point Marines had duty in the South Pacific but never saw combat. The ammunition and depot companies (51st and 52nd Defense Battalions) saw action in the Battles of Saipan, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Integration of the Military
President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 that eliminated segregated military units in 1949. The government deactivated Camp Montford Point but it still remained a part of Camp Lejeune military base. Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California and Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina accepted Blacks recruits therefore intergrating the military.
On April 10, 1974, Montford Point was renamed Camp Johnson. Sergeant Major Gilbert “Hashmark” Johnson, was one of the first Montford Point Marines and one of the first African American drill instructors. The Montford Point Marines exhibited strength and courage, not just as members of the military but by being the first to combat racism, discrimination, unfair practices and violence to pave the way for others to follow. I had the honor of volunteering at the Montford Point Museum this summer. It closed in 2018 due to severe damage from Hurricane Florence but recently reopened in April 2022.
Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month
The acknowledgement of Native American Heritage began on the 2nd Saturday in May as American Indian Day in 1915. Although not nationally recognized, New York celebrated on the 2nd Saturday of May in 1916. Starting in 1986, many celebrated Native American Heritage Day during the last week of November to coincide with Thanksgiving, calling it American Indian Week. In 1990, President Bush designated the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month. It became fully accepted sometime after 1995.
Native American Records
There are several documents that can be used for researching your Native American ancestors. The National Archives have several collections for finding individuals, families, and tribes. These include Indian census rolls, treaties and laws, school records, and Bureau of Indian Affairs records. Here are a few of the most significant:
- Eastern Cherokee Indian Reservation Rolls (1848-1970) – this collection contains census records and rolls listing members of the Cherokee Nation. It lists the Cherokee and Council numbers, includes the Native American and English names, residence, individuals living in the household with their ages and genders, number of slaves (pre-Civil War) and type of livestock.
- Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs (1824-1881) – this collection contains letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs between 1824 and 1881. This office was formed in 1824 to help broker relations between the U.S. government and Native Americans. If you are researching your Native American ancestors, knowing your family’s tribal affiliation and where they lived will help.
- Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes (1898-1914) – The government established the Dawes Commission that negotiated agreements with the Five Civilized Tribes – the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. The agreements provided for the dissolution of the tribal governments and the allotment of land to each tribal member. The Commission prepared tribal membership rolls and oversaw applications for tribal citizenship. The Dawes Rolls contain approved and denied applications.
On Ancestry, there are over thirty databases, including seven free indexes of Native American records. If you need assistance with finding and reviewing specific records, contact us.
They Were the Wampanoag Indians
As a child, we all learned the “history” of Thanksgiving. It always bothered me that the name of the Indian tribe was never mentioned. The history books somehow erased the name of the specific tribe. This is a common scenario in American history books. From what I remember, the first Thanksgiving was a celebration of the harvest between the Pilgrims and Indians. The Indians brought a cornucopia filled with corn and maize to welcome the Pilgrims to their lands. Allegedly, they sat at a long table and at some point they smoked a peace pipe.
As I got older and took history courses, this grammar school recollection forced me to evaluate what I had learned and question the obvious. It was on a visit to my grandparents home in Massachusetts, I visited a Wampanoag Museum and became intrigued with Native American culture. The things I remember from that visit – his native attire, his story about the first Thanksgiving, how his people were left out of the story and that the Thanksgiving story told is not what really happened.
As I got older and read more, I discovered that the perpetrators became the storytellers who reconstructed the historical narrative. The truth from the Native American community, specifically the Wampanoag Indians who participated in that first Thanksgiving, has been reduced in elementary school social studies books. As with many erasures of historical facts about Native Americans, the truth about hostile land takeovers and brutalities against tribes would not make a good story for future generations of how this country came into existence…so changing the story and the outcome was necessary.
Client Corner – Cara L. Breaux Michel
I highly recommend Tanya Foreman as a genealogist! She started posting regular tips on how to preserve your family history. I mentioned to her that her timing was great because the theme for Black History Month that year was the Black Family. She offered to help anyone who was interested in getting their family tree started and I took advantage of that offer.
I had always thought about my family history. While I was always curious, I didn’t really take that leap until Tanya made that offer. I am extremely grateful that she did and I was so excited every time she shared something new. I would update my dad and siblings every time Tanya shared new information. As a result of this journey, I reached out to one of my aunts and found out that she had started a family tree on my mother’s side. She and I communicated more because of this.
One of the loveliest benefits that came out of this search was that I found out that Tanya and I have a family connection. How cool is that??? Tanya is thorough in her research. She asked questions that helped me communicate more with my family and find out answers to questions that I never knew I wanted to know. She did not let roadblocks stop her from continuing the search. I was totally and happily amazed at the results she was able to get (especially with my limited information). Tanya gets the top rating in my book and I would highly recommend and encourage anyone who wants to know about their family to use Tanya’s services. She is the best!
Looking for Lost Ancestors?
If you are interested in researching your family history (and I strongly encourage everyone to do so), let me know and I can assist you. For the month of November 2022, I will allow you to 2 FREE HOURS of research as a consultation BEFORE signing you on as a client! What does that mean? I will research your family for free up to 2 hours. After you receive my Fact Finding Report, you can decide if you want to hire me for further research. I offer several affordable packages depending on your research needs. If you are an amateur genealogist/family historian, I can create a research plan to guide you in the right direction.
Did you know?
Neither Rain no Sleet nor Stormy Weather Could Stop the 6888th Battalion!
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was an all-African American, all-female postal military unit that delivered mail across England and France to American troops, government personnel and Red Cross volunteers during WWII. A warehouse in England stored millions of pieces of mail considered undeliverable. Mail improperly addressed or the shifting locations of troops made them hard to find. This affected the morale of servicemen because they could not receive packages or letters from loved ones. The Army estimated that it would take six months or more to deliver the backlog.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt created The Women’s Army Corps (WAC) to include women in the war effort. First Lady Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt along with civil rights leader Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune advocated for African American Women to have a place in WAC despite segregation. By late 1944, about 817 African American women enlisted and trained in Oglethorpe, Georgia to serve overseas.
The Army established the 6888th battalion in February of 1945 and chose Major Charity Edna Adams to lead these women. They understood the perils of delivering mail in a war zone. The women of the “Six Triple Eight” worked three eight-hour shifts seven days a week around the clock to sort and deliver the backlog. Using this method, they created a new tracking system and managed to process the backlog in three months instead of the estimated six.
The British and the French celebrated and praised the 6888th but the United States ignored their valor and tenacity when they arrived back home. They returned to the United States in February 1946 without a parade, fanfare, or a hero’s welcome and the Army deactivated the unit shortly thereafter. On March 14, 2022, President Joe Biden awarded the 6888th the Congressional Gold Medal, 76 years after they disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Editor’s Note – HAPPY VETERANS DAY AND THANKSGIVING
The story of Montford Point resonates with me. Several years ago, my 90-year-old aunt asked me two questions to find out about her father: where did he learn to do masonry work? what happened to his World War I medal?
Of course I had to dig into full research mode. Both answers were connected to his enlistment in the Army. He was stationed at Camp Green in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a brand new training base that transported soldiers to the front lines in France. My grandfather was part of a 348th Labor Battalion.
Labor battalions often resembled a “slavery-like” work type. Black servicemen performed labor intensive work in the camps (building barracks, digging foundations, etc.), chain-gang like labor outside the camps, and contract labor by some officers.
My grandfather did manage to go overseas, arriving in France two weeks before the Armistice. He stayed in France for an additional six months, most likely to disinter soldiers to be sent home to the United States or to “clean up” after combat units. Between requesting his DD214, dealing with a backlog and COVID, the process took almost two years. I finally received his medal, the Victory Medal, and gave it to my aunt. His medal should have been given to him at the end of his service in World War I. Unfortunately, many African American servicemen did not receive their medals; they weren’t allowed to have them and the servicemen didn’t insist on it.
As you sit down and fellowship with your family this Thanksgiving, talk to your family about your ancestors. You might have had relatives that created a family tree or you have a famous relative. Maybe you had a Civil War vet in the family or your great grandmother was a suffragette. Every family has a story. Record these stories and pass them along to your children – that’s how you guarantee that your family history never dies.
