HOW IT’S EARNED
A Congressional Gold Medal is awarded by the United States Congress to a person or group of people “who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient’s field long after the achievement.”
American citizenship is not a requirement.
The Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are the highest civilian awards in the United States.
The first recipient was George Washington in March 1776 when it was issued as the Continnental Congress Gold Medal. Other recipents include: Charles Lindburg, Thomas Edison, Bob Hope, Roberto Clemente and Sir Winston Churchill.
Source: www.senate.gov
The black Marine veterans trained at the segregated Montford Point Camp in North Carolina were honored in June 2012 when they were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal — one of the two highest civilian awards issued in the United States — for their perseverance and courage in the face of the racism they encountered while serving during World War II.
Not all of the 20,000 Marines trained at the camp within Camp LeJeune were honored that day, but since that ceremony veterans who were trained from 1942 to 1949 have been honored. In the spring of 2013, Fairfield resident, formerly of Hamilton, Booker T. Weatherall, 88, was honored at Tori’s Station in Fairfield.
Weatherall served with the 52nd Marine Defense Battalion, though he didn’t leave the service with any great war stories.
Weatherall was a machine gunner, providing ground cover for the pilots of the battalion, but said their ability to fully serve was stymied and stalled because of the view of black service men. He said these Marines wanted to support and defend their country.
“They didn’t send a black guy anywhere where we could get any credit for what we were doing,” Weatherall said.
Weatherall, an Arkansas native, joined the Marines at 18 years old in September 1943 and left as a 22-year-old corporal in May 1946. After the war, he initially worked in northern Ohio for several years before moving to Butler County because he heard there was work available. He eventually landed a job at Armco in Middletown.
According to the House Resolution 2447, which was passed in October 2011, only one congressional gold medal was struck at the U.S. Mint and every recipient will receive a bronze replica of the gold medal, which is a common practice when honoring a group.
The bill was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Florida. In an October 2011 written statement following the passage of H.R. 2447, Brown said, "Certainly it is necessary to honor all of America's war heroes' selfless service and sacrifice, and in particular, those who served at Montford Point, who are about to be officially recognized as a rich legacy of our Marine Corps. They answered our nation's call at a time when our society was deeply divided along racial lines. As such, many of their contributions went unrecognized and many times they were not given the respect and recognition they deserved as Marines, as Americans, and as patriots."
Weatherall said his fellow black Marines were “dominated” by commanding officers, and if you went against the grain there were rough and harsh consequences.
“It was let and don’t let,” he said. “It was you let them do it to you or you don’t let them do it do you, it was up to you to decide of how you wanted to go.”
In an August 2011 statement, several weeks after Brown’s resolution was introduced into Congress, President Barack Obama wrote that the Montford Point Marines were “committed to serve our country with selfless patriotism” and influenced President Harry Truman’s efforts to desegregate the Armed Forces in 1948.
“Embodying the Marine Corps motto of Semper Fidelis, Always Faithful, these heroes paved the way for future generations of warriors, regardless of background, to serve in the finest military the world has ever known.”
And Weatherall said he is thankful he and his fellow Marines were able to do that.
“It did change for the betterment of the guys going in there now and in the future,” he said.
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