You Ain’t Going To Be No Officer

On November 10, 1945, the 170th anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps, a small ceremony took place at Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In what would later be deemed an historic day for the Marine Corps and the United States, Frederick C. Branch, a twenty-three-year-old World War II veteran with a glowing smile and determined look, became the first African American to earn the title of Commissioned Officer, USMC.

During his ten years as a Marine officer, Branch, the son of an AME Zion minster, commanded white and black troops, served during the Korean War, and attained the rank of Captain. More importantly, he paved the way for thousands of African Americans who would follow in his footsteps and become commissioned officers in the US Armed Services.

On that fateful day in November 1945, 2nd Lieutenant Branch had no idea that the determination, perseverance, and courage he had shown at Officer Candidates School (OCS) would inspire generations of Marine Corps officers - regardless of race or color - to live by the standard Ductus Exemplo, Latin for "Lead by Example.”

From Montford Point to the Pacific

Branch, like thousands of young men during World War II, was drafted into the military, became a Marine, and deployed to the Pacific. Because he was black, however, his military experience was vastly different from that of his white counterparts.

He completed boot camp in 1943 at Montford Point, NC, a segregated facility located in a remote area of Camp Lejeune, where nearly twenty thousand African Americans trained from 1942 to 1949. Despite the physical hardships and racist treatment by members of the all-white staff, Branch thrived in the regimented military environment.

His parents, both strict disciplinarians, had raised their children (seven boys) in a church-oriented, structured household where hard work, good grades, and respectful behavior were required of everyone - no exceptions.

Of the seven Branch children, six served in the military and six attended college. For Frederick, or “Fred” as he was called, his family background had prepared him well for life as a Marine.

By 1944, the “Montford Marine” was a corporal serving in the Pacific theater with the all-black 51st Composite Defense Battalion.

Recruits running the obstacle course at Montford Point, April 1943. (Photo credit: Pat Terry, National Archives and Records Administration)

Breaking the Barrier 

Cpl. Branch, serving his country overseas, was now ready for another challenge. He wanted to be a Marine officer. After applying for OCS in 1944 and being turned down, Branch continued to pursue his dream of leading Marines. It wasn’t easy. In a 1995 interview with Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, Branch said he'd repeatedly heard, “You ain’t going to be no officer.” He refused to listen.

In 1945, his perseverance paid off. He was accepted into a special college program at Purdue University that prepared young men academically for commissioning and was eventually selected for OCS at Quantico, Virginia.

The rest is history.

Branch graduated from OCS and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on November 10, 1945. He had broken the race barrier.

As author Judson L. Jeffries describes the Marine lieutenant's remarkable achievement, “That an African American became a commissioned officer in the most exclusive branch of the US armed forces at a time when Jim Crow was the order of the day is extraordinary.”

Peggy Branch proudly pins 2nd Lt. bars on her husband, Frederick Branch, November 10, 1945. (PC: US Marine Corps)

An Enduring Legacy

Captain Branch left the Marines in 1955, but during his relatively short time in uniform he made a lasting impact on the Corps. He had proved that the qualities of a Marine officer – honor, courage, and commitment – have nothing to do with a person’s race or color and everything to do with a person’s character, physical and mental stamina, and resilience.

In 1997, the US Marine Corps honored Captain Branch by naming the main OCS building at Quantico “Branch Hall.” Since then, the Frederick C. Branch Leadership Scholarship has been established for students attending seventeen historically black colleges and universities.

After being discharged from the Marines, Fred Branch became an educator, spending the next thirty-five years as a chemistry and physics instructor at North Philadelphia’s Murrell Dobbins CTE High School.

He was the kind of teacher the students loved, respected, and when things weren’t done properly, feared. According to one of his principals, “Fred was a Marine through and through . . . everything had to be done right.” In 2006, school officials at Murrell Dobbins paid tribute to Mr. Branch's legacy of service and dedication to his students by naming the fourth floor science wing the "Frederick C. Branch Wing."

For over half a century, Fred Branch lived by the motto Ductus Exemplo. Today, we salute him and his family.

Thank you, Captain Branch! Semper Fi!

Postscript

Frederick Branch died on April 10, 2005 at the age of 82. He was buried near his wife of 55 years, Camilla “Peggy” Branch, at Quantico National Cemetery. The couple never had children.

Today there are over nine hundred African-American officers in the United States Marine Corps.

The author would like to thank  Dr. Judson L. Jeffries for his article, “The Marine Corps’ First Black Officer: The Life and Legacy of Frederick C. Branch.” Jeffries’ excellent piece provided a wealth of information on Branch, and I am indebted to the professor for his painstaking research.