A marker honoring the 75th anniversary of the first African Americans to serve in the modern Navy will be installed in downtown Chapel Hill on Saturday.

The US Navy Band B-1 was attached to the Navy’s PreFlight School, which was on the UNC campus from July 1942 to April 1944, according to a release.

Two of the original members of B-1 – Simeon Holloway of Las Vegas and Calvin Morrow of Greensboro – and members of many of the veterans’ families are expected to attend the installation at the intersection of West Franklin and South Roberson streets at 10 o’clock Saturday morning.

Most of the US Navy B-1 was comprised of young students from area HBCU’s and Durham’s Hillside High School.

Officials said in the release, “Because of North Carolina’s segregationist laws, the bandsmen could not live or be fed on campus. They were housed in a newly constructed community building on Roberson Street that is now the Hargraves Recreation Center.”

A reception honoring B-1 will be held at the Hargraves Center on North Roberson Street following the installation.

Photo via Town of Chapel Hill

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