In my nonfiction narrative projects, I have been sharing my father’s stories about joining the US Marine Corps in the late 1950’s, during the transition to full racial integration.
I offer this text-image hybrid piece (see link below) as a tribute to my father and his resilience in overcoming the particular, peculiar challenge of USMC bootcamp in 1957.
The initial phase of my “Chutney and Chitlins” project is wrapping up with this piece, and the story continues with how he went on to become one of the first Black US Embassy Marine Security Guards and met my mother at the US Embassy in Rangoon, Burma.
The picture tells a million words, and the text did not seem right on its own.
Thank you, Daddy, for your service. I love you so much.
Audrey T. Williams 