"Frederick Clinton Branch"(May 31,1922-April 10,2005)

Was the first African American officer of the United States Marine Corps.In June 1941,President  Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the Marines Corps to African Americans through an executive order (8802) that prohibited racial discrimination by any government agency.Previously,African-Americans had been barred Marine Corps Service.Frederick attended Johnson C.Smith  in Charlotte where he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity,before transferring to Temple University in Philadelphia where he received a draft notice from the Army.When Frederick reported for induction to Fort Bragg,North Carolina in May 1943,he was chosen to became a marine.He underwent training at Monford Point,North Carolina along with other African-American Marines(who became known as the "Montford Point Marines").Frederick applied for Officer Candidate School,but was initially denied.While serving with a supply unit in the Pacific,his performance earned him the recommendation of his commanding officer.He received his officer's in the Navy V-12 program at Purdue University and was commissioned as second lieutenant on November 10,1945.Following World War II,Frederick left active duty for the Reserves.He was re-activated during the Korean War serving at Camp Pendleton,California in command of an antiaircraft training platoon.He was discharge from active duty in 1952,returning to the Reserves,reaching the rank of captain before leaving the Marine Corps in 1955.In 1995,on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his commissioning,a United States Senate resolution was passed honoring Frederick.In 1997 he was honored for his pioneering role in integration of the Corps-a training building in the Marine Officer Candidate School in Quantico,Virginia is named in his honor.On April 25,2005,after his death,a U.S. Senate resolution 116 was sponsored by North Carolina's senators Dole and Burr "to commemorate the life, achievements,and contributions of Frederick Clinton Branch.In 2006 Marine Corps Recruiting Command created the Frederic C. Branch Leadership Scholarship.It is a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship for students who are currently attending or have received letters of acceptance to one of 17 historically black colleges and universities that have NROTC programs on campus.A total of  68 scholarships are available per year.Each participating school may give two four-year scholarships and one two-year scholarship.Graduates are commissioned as Second Lirutenants in the Marine Corps.Captain Branch was buried on April 20 2005 with full military honors at Quantico,Virginia.His wife Camilla,predeceased him on May 11 1999 and was buried on May 20.