AARP Maryland State President Clarence “Tiger” Davis is being inducted into the 2016 class of the National Montford Point Marine Association (NMPMA) Hall of Fame, in recognition of his outstanding service to the African American Marine veteran’s organization.

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and longtime advocate for America’s veterans from all branches of the military, Davis was instrumental in ensuring the Montford Point Marines received the 2012 Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate their personal sacrifice and service to the country. It is the highest civilian honor the government bestows.

Some 20,000 young African American men received basic training at Montford Point Camp from 1942 to 1949, separate from their white counterparts at Parris Island and Camp Lejeune. They were trained for combat and served in support roles, such as supplying ammunition to the front line and acting as stretcher bearers to remove the wounded and the dead. The association is now raising funds for a $1.8 million monument at the historic site, now known as Camp Johnson after one of the first recruits.

“This is the greatest honor I’ve ever received, because it comes from veterans who were my role models and an inspiration for future generations,” said Davis. “We must always remember and honor the legacy of the first African American marines, who were trained at Montford Point. Their story is not as widely known as that of the Tuskegee Airmen or Buffalo Soldiers, but it is just as significant. These men had to fight just for the right to fight.”

“Tiger has been an enthusiastic and selfless advocate for veterans, as well as Maryland’s 50 plus community and our nearly 900,000 AARP members throughout the state,” said AARP Maryland State Director Hank Greenberg. “For his years of service to the military community and especially his work for African American veterans, it is fitting that his name will be remembered within the distinguished ranks of the NMPMA Hall of Fame.”

Davis served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1983 to 2007, before being named as the state president of AARP Maryland in March of 2012. He is a regional coordinator for the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS), along with being a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Vietnam Veterans of America.

NMPMA is a nonprofit military Veteran’s organization with 36 chapters across the United States. It was founded in 1966 “to promote and preserve the strong bonds of friendship born from shared adversities and to devote ourselves to the furtherance of these accomplishments to ensure more peaceful times.”

For more information about the National Montford Point Marine Association, visit http://www.montfordpointmarines.com. For more information about AARP Maryland, visit aarp.org/md.