being given to men
already in the corps.[10-12] In truth, the black reservists were
rejecting the blandishments of recruiters in overwhelming numbers. By
May 1946 only 522 Negroes, less than a quarter of the small postwar
black complement, had enlisted in the regular service.

[Footnote 10-12: G-1, Div of Plans and Policies,
Operational Diary, Sep 45-Oct 46, 23 Apr 47; Memo,
Dir of Personnel (Div of Recruiting) for Off in
Charge, Northeastern Recruiting Div, 17 Jan 46,
sub: Enlistment of Negro Ex-Marines, MC 706577. See
also _Afro-American_, February 16, 1946.]

The failure to attract recruits was particularly noticeable in the
antiaircraft battalions. To obtain black replacements for these
critically depleted units, the commandant authorized the recruitment
of reservists who had served less than six months, but the measure
failed to produce the necessary manpower. On 28 February 1946 the
commanding general of Camp Lejeune reported that all but seven Negroes
on his antiaircraft artillery roster were being processed for
discharge.[10-13] Since this list included the black noncommissioned
instructors, the commander warned that future training of black (p. 258)
marines would entail the use of officers as instructors. The
precipitous loss of black artillerymen forced Marine headquarters to
assign white specialists as temporary replacements in the heavy
antiaircraft artillery groups at Guam and Saipan, both designated as
black units in the postwar organization.[10-14]

[Footnote 10-13: Msg, CMC to CG, Cp Lejeune, 19 Feb
46, MC 122026; Memo, CG, Cp Lejeune, for CMC, 28
Feb 46, sub: Personnel and Equipment for
Antiaircraft Artillery Training Battalion
(Colored), Availability of, RPS-1059, MC files.]

[Footnote 10-14: Memo, G. C. Thomas for Dir of
Personnel, 6 Mar 48, sub: Replacements for Enlisted
Personnel (Colored) Assignment of, Request for,
A0-3; Msg, CINCPAC/POA PEARL to CNO, 282232Z Apr
46, MC 76735, MC files.]

It was not the fault of the black press if this expression of black
indifference went unnoticed. The failure of black marines to reenlist
was the subject of many newspaper and journal articles. The reason f