st.
Nevertheless, because of the "importance" of his reservations the
matter was brought to the attention of the Director of Plans and
Policies.[4-33] As a result, the assignment of the 7th and 8th Depot
Companies to Samoa proved short-lived. Arriving on 13 October 1943,
they were redeployed to the Ellice Islands in the Micronesia group the
next day.

[Footnote 4-33: Brig Gen Rockey for S-C files, 4 Jun
43, Memo, G. F. Good, Div of Plans and Policies, to
Dir, Div of Plans and Policies, 3 Sep 43. Both
attached to Price Ltr, see n. 32 above.]

Thanks to the operations of the ammunition and depot companies, a
large number of black marines, serving in small, efficient labor
units, often exposed to enemy fire, made a valuable contribution. That
so many black marines participated, at least from time to time, in the
fighting may explain in part the fact that relatively few racial
incidents took place in the corps during the war. But if many Negroes
served in forward areas, they were all nevertheless severely
restricted in opportunity. Black marines were excluded from the corps'
celebrated combat divisions and its air arm. They were also excluded
from the Women's Reserve, and not until the last months of the war did
the corps accept its first black officer candidates. Marine spokesmen
justified the latter exclusion on the grounds that the corps lacked
facilities--that is, segregated facilities--for training black
officers.[4-34]

[Footnote 4-34: Ltr, Phillips D. Carleton, Asst to
Dir, MC Reserve, to Welford Wilson, U.S. Employment
Service, 27 Mar 43, AF-464, MC files. For more on
black officers in the Marine Corps, see Chapter 9.]

These exclusions did not escape the attention of the civil rights
spokesmen who took their demands to Secretary Knox and the White
House.[4-35] It was to little avail. With the exception of the officer
candidates in 1945, the separation of the races remained absolute, and
Negroes continued to be excluded from the main combat units of the
Marine Corps.

[Footnote 4-35: See, for example, Ltr, Mary Findley
Allen, Interracial Cmte of Federation of Churches,
to Mrs. Roosevelt (ca. 9 Mar 43); Memo, SecNav for
Rear Adm Jacobs, 22 Mar 43, P-25; Memo, R. C.
Ki