[1] Most Black Marines came from poor, rural communities from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
[citation needed] Most white Marines were recruited from similarly underprivileged and rural communities from Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, and Texas.
[citation needed] On the night of July 20th, 1969, several units of the 2nd Marine Division were celebrating at an NCO Club prior to their deployment to the Sixth Fleet in Spain.
At one point, the club manager called the regimental commander to warn of the increasing tensions but no action was taken.
From then on until 11 p.m., fights broke out around the area which left 15 Marines injured and one, Corporal Edward E. Blankston, a three time wounded Vietnam veteran, dead of massive head injuries.One black marine, a decorated veteran of Vietnam, who was branded a "militant", or troublemaker, on the base, told a newsman that he had grown tired of trying to make it in the Corps and being thwarted by discriminatory practices.