Former U.S. Marine Sgt. William S. Harris, Jr. (second from left), a World War II-era Montford Point Marine and Molokai, Hawaii, native, stands with his wife and Lt. Col. Carolyn Bird (left) and Sgt. Maj. Ansil Lewis (right), the commanding officer and sergeant major of Headquarters Battalion, after receiving the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony held in his honor on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Aug. 27, 2012. Harris served in the Marine Corps from 1943 to 1952. He is among approximately 20,000 African-American men who joined the Marine Corps between 1942 to 1949 and received segregated recruit training at Montford Point, N.C. More than 13,000 of these Marines served overseas during World War II. U.S. House and Senate leaders awarded the medal — the highest civilian honor awarded as the utmost expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions — to the Montford Point Marines in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center, June 27. The Commandant of the Marine Corps held a parade in their honor at Marine Barracks Washington the following day, during which they were presented replica bronze medals. Veterans who were unable to attend were honored during individual ceremonies across the U.S.