Members of the Montford Point Marines are gathering in Washington D.C. this week to receive their long-anticipated Congressional Gold Medal.

"It's been a long time coming," said Norman Preston, 90, an original Montford Point Marine. "I'm proud of us; we were the pioneers of the Marine Corps and we are really being honored and respected ... We couldn't ask for anything better."

The Montford Point Marines were the first blacks to join the Corps after they were finally allowed to serve. The Marines trained at the segregated Montford Point, aboard what is now Camp Johnson in Jacksonville. Many were barred from entering establishments, forced to work and train harder than their white counterparts and faced discrimination and prejudice from fellow troops and outsiders.

"They treated us like a bunch of dogs," said Paul Hagan, 84, as he prepared to board a plane Tuesday to D.C. to receive his award. "But they're doing a good job now because they're finally recognizing us ... I really think we rate (the Congressional Gold Medal)."

Overall 19,168 black men trained at Montford Point from 1942 to 1949. Of those, only about 400 remain, all of whom received invitations to the two-day ceremony, which will begin today, June 27.

To read the complete article, see:Montford Point Marines awarded Congressional Gold Medal(www.jdnews.com/articles/montford-105481-gold-point.html)

Gar added this text from Wikipedia:

To read the complete article, see:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Gilbert_H._Johnson