The Last Man Standing
A Montford Point Marine  ·  1942–1949

The Last
Man Standing

Finding peace in a world of chaos — the life and times of Staff Sergeant Primus Lee Kinlaw.

Watch the trailerDocumentary · Coming soon
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In 1942, the Marine Corps opened its ranks to Black men for the first time. Primus Lee Kinlaw was one of them.

This is his story — and theirs
Montford Point Marines standing in formation beneath the American flag
Montford Point · Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
The History

The Montford
Point Marines

The Marine Corps was the last branch of the U.S. military to integrate. After Executive Order 8802 opened the door in 1941, the Corps began accepting African American recruits the following year.

Some 20,000 men trained in segregated conditions at Montford Point between 1942 and 1949, then carried the fight across the Pacific. In 2012, the survivors received the Congressional Gold Medal.

≈20,000
Marines trained
1942–49
At Montford Point
2012
Gold Medal
The Marine

A life measured in service

Primus Lee Kinlaw answered the call as a young man and carried the discipline of the Corps through decades of profound change.

He retired as a Staff Sergeant. In The Last Man Standing, he looks back across a lifetime — the brotherhood forged at Montford Point, the weight of being first, and the long, quiet search for peace in a world of chaos.

"Finding peace in a world of chaos."

Editor's note — drop Primus's personal story here: where he was raised, the year he enlisted, where he served, and a favorite passage from the book.

Coming Soon

The Book & The Film

Montford Point Marines boarding for deployment
Documentary

The Mini Documentary

A short film carrying Primus's testimony — and the legacy of the Montford Point Marines — to a new generation. Trailer coming soon.

The Last Man Standing book cover
Memoir

The Book

The Last Man Standing: Finding peace in a world of chaos — the complete life and times of a Montford Point Marine, in his own words.

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