Gilbert Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gilbert Johnson
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| Nickname(s) | Hashmark |
| Born | October 30, 1905 Mount Hebron, Alabama, US |
| Died | August 5, 1972 (aged 66) Jacksonville, North Carolina, US |
| Place of burial |
Arlington National Cemetery
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| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |
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| Years of service | 1923–1929, 1933–1959 |
| Rank | Sergeant major |
| Battles/wars | |
Sergeant Major Gilbert "Hashmark" Johnson (born October 30, 1905 – died August 5, 1972) was a very important person in the history of the United States Marine Corps. He was one of the first African Americans to join the Marines. He also became one of the first African American drill instructors in the Marine Corps. People called him "Hashmark" because he had more service stripes on his uniform than rank stripes. He retired in 1959 after serving for 32 years in the U.S. military. Seventeen of those years were spent as a Marine.
Gilbert Johnson's Early Life
Gilbert Johnson was born on October 30, 1905. His family lived on a farm in a small town called Mount Hebron, in Alabama. When he was 17, in 1922, he went to Stillman College. He wanted to become a minister. However, he left college the next year. In 1923, he decided to join the U.S. Army.
Gilbert Johnson's Military Service
Johnson joined the 25th Infantry Regiment in 1923. He served two times, each for three years. In October 1929, he finished his time in the Army. He left as a corporal.
After four years of being a regular citizen, he decided to join the U.S. Navy. In 1933, he joined the Naval Reserve. At that time, the only job black people could have in the Navy was in the Stewards Branch. This branch included jobs like cooking or cleaning. He served in the Navy for almost 10 years. In May 1941, he joined the regular Navy. Johnson was serving on the USS Wyoming when the bombing of Pearl Harbor happened.
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made an important rule called Executive Order 8802. This rule said that the Marine Corps had to accept black people. It also stopped military companies from treating people unfairly because of their race. That same year, Johnson asked to move from the U.S. Navy to the United States Marine Corps. At first, he and other African Americans served in separate groups. He spent the last 17 years of his 32-year military career in the Marine Corps.
He got his nickname "Hashmark" during his first Marine Corps training. This training happened at a place called Montford Point. He wore three service stripes, also called hashmarks, on his uniform sleeve. These stripes showed that he had served in the Army and Navy before.
In 1943, Johnson was one of the first black men to become a Marine drill instructor. Drill instructors are leaders who train new Marines. In May 1943, at Montford Point, he took over from another drill instructor, First Sergeant Robert W. Colwell.
During World War II, Johnson was part of the 52d Defense Battalion on Guam. Black Marines were not usually sent on combat patrols. But Johnson asked for them to be included. Once his request was approved, he personally led 25 combat patrols.
Edgar Huff was another important black sergeant major who served during World War II. He was Gilbert Johnson's brother-in-law. They were married to twin sisters.
Honors and Legacy
Gilbert Johnson passed away from a heart attack. Two years later, in his honor, a facility at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was renamed Camp Gilbert H. Johnson. This was the first military base to be named after an African American person.
See also
- List of African-American firsts
- Frederick C. Branch, the first African American officer in the Marine Corps
