Edward E. Ross: The Story of a Montford Point Marine

In December 2021, an historical treasure was found. Edward E. Ross, a Buffalo native, who had died in 1981, had left his diary, untouched and unread until this time. No one knew about the diary of his World War II experiences. His family knew he had served in the United States Marine Corps and was in the Pacific theater – nothing more. What they didn’t know was that he was in a unique class of United States service members, The Montford Point Marines.

Paulette Ross and her granddaughter, Maia Bankhead, transcribed the diary and learned that he arrived in New River, NC on March 30, 1943. New River was the Marine Corps basic training camp for Black recruits. Black recruits, called the Montford Point Marines, were in place from 1942-1949, before the U.S. military officially desegregated in 1948. The Montford Point Marines were ultimately comprised of over 20,000 Black men who were trained in segregated military units. Montford Point is now called Camp Johnson.

Mr. Ross’ experiences included serving on the USS Japara and the USS Crescent City; The Crescent City being a Naval ship that went into the South Pacific, into the Soloman Islands (including the Russell Islands and Guadalcanal) and known for heavy fighting. He was a machine gunner, even though his actual job was to load and unload ships – many Black Marines were classified for this position, even though they entered combat. Mr. Ross was well-known for being a marksman, though he never rose above the rank of Private. During his service, he wrote of handling the M-1 calibers, Tommy guns, and the .40 caliber. He wrote of being with the 2nd Raiders Battalion where he learned to fight in the jungles of the South Pacific. His unit entered Bougainville on December 10, 1943, where he experienced some of the most intense fighting. He wrote of starvation and living for days in foxholes with no food.

He, a young Black man from humble beginnings in Buffalo, became a machine gunner in the bomber raiders and experienced flight “at least six times.” He wrote of the excitement of being on the plane for the first time, and pride in using his marksmanship skills to help his country.

On October 11, 1945, he wrote of returning to the United States and going to the Navy Hospital, as he had been very ill for over a month. He was on the USS Thurston for his return home. Upon his return home, it was found he’d contracted malaria. His journey home took him from the Russell Islands to Guadalcanal, then to New Hebrides to New Caledonia, and finally home to the United States. The journey home took approximately two weeks from New Caledonia to the United States.

Throughout his journeys, he joked about other military branches, exclaiming how the Marines were the best. He also spoke of missing his mother and sister, and perhaps most poignantly, how he wasn’t sure that he would share anything that happened to him with anyone outside of his mother. Despite his experiences, some riddled with racial animus, he still enlisted as a Reservist, and had pride in his military service until his last breath.

Upon his return home, Mr. Ross went on to work at Chevrolet until his death and raised a family. A family that never knew of the heroism, and horrors he experienced as a result of war.