JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The annual Montford Point Marine Medal Ceremony is scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28, at the Montford Point Marine Memorial in Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
The ceremony will honor the legacy of the Original Montford Point Marines, the first Black Americans to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. Replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal will be awarded posthumously to honorees’ families, while surviving Original Montford Point Marines are also expected to attend.
Jacksonville Mayor Sammy Phillips will deliver welcoming remarks, joined by Onslow County Board of Commissioners Chair Tim Foster and Lt. Gen. Robert Fulford, commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Brig. Gen. Andre M. Ingram, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations East, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. Ronald Johnson, a retired Marine master gunnery sergeant and president of the National Montford Point Marine Association, is also scheduled to speak.