Honor for Marine came just in time

Honor for Marine came just in time
October 2, 2012
By RUSTY DENNE

BACK IN JUNE, I got a handwritten note from Lawrence “Reggie” Lucas. He asked whether I might be interested in mentioning that he’d be getting some recognition for a long-ago stint in the Montford Point Marines.

He said his daughter, Cheryl Hepburn, and son-in-law, Marty, would be driving him to Washington to receive a Congressional Gold Medal for his service in the Marine Corps’ first all-black unit.

The medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor; George Washington was among the recipients.

I dropped by Lucas’ home in Spotsylvania County for an interview a few days later. After greeting me in the driveway, he welcomed me inside and told his story of the black men who received little recognition during World War II and for long afterward.

At 88, he was articulate, with a vivid memory and a wicked sense of humor that had me wishing our two-hour visit had been longer.
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