97-year-old Marine to lead Philadelphia Veterans Parade as grand marshal
Retired Gunnery Sgt. Roosevelt Farrow, a member of the first all-Black Marine unit in 1947, will ride in the parade on November 8.
By Dominic Foster ·
Roosevelt Farrow, 97, will serve as grand marshal of the Philadelphia Veterans Parade on Sunday, November 8. The retired U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant is one of the original members of the Montford Point Marines, the first all-Black unit in the Marine Corps. Parade coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. on WPVI-TV.
Farrow joined the Marine Corps in 1947 after graduating from high school. He stated that his motivation for enlisting was his youngest son, Darnell, who asked why there were no Black Marines. Farrow was sent to train in Jacksonville, North Carolina, at a facility known as Montford Point. Willis H. Gray Jr., a National Veterans Affairs Officer, noted that Farrow was part of the original group at this segregated camp.
Farrow served for 21 years in the Marine Corps. Over the past decade, Gray has observed Farrow receive multiple honors, including a Hall of Fame Award and a Congressional Award Gold Medal in 2017. The two men met through the National Montford Point Marine Association, Inc. Chapter 1 in Philadelphia, where Gray currently serves as president. Gray said the association's mission is to preserve the legacy of the 20,000 original Montford Point Marines.
Farrow's family learned details about his service only recently. Chelsey Williams, his granddaughter, said the family was unaware of the extent of his contributions until the 2017 award ceremony. She noted that the early recruits had to build their own barracks, a task she described as unfathomable. Rosalind Chivis-Congo, Farrow's daughter, read the inscription on the back of his Congressional Award Gold Medal, which cites his outstanding perseverance and courage in inspiring social change within the Marine Corps.
Farrow married Anna Mae while serving in the corps. Jamie Williams, his grandson-in-law, described Farrow as very humble despite his achievements. Chelsey Williams said Farrow serves as a living example of Black history for the family. Farrow said wearing the uniform gave him a sense of purpose and made him feel like a real person. He stated that the experience had a profound personal impact on his life as a Marine.
