VETERANS AFFAIRS
Kappa Alpha Psi Members Accept World War II Congressional Gold Medal for Montford Point Marine By Nicholas Cole
F or decades, their stories remained untold, buried beneath the weight of history. They were pioneers, men of unwavering resolve, who broke barriers in the most dangerous and uncertain of times. Today, their cour- age is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. On a sun-drenched August day in North Car- olina, a chapter of history long overshadowed by the tumult of war came back into the light as the Cook family—two generations of Kappa men—stood proudly at the 15th Annual Montford Point Marines Day Ceremony to accept the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of their ancestor, Private Joseph Lee Cook (US Marine Corps).
Major Breck D. Cook (Anniston-Piedmont (AL) AL 1977), US Army (Retired), and his son, 41st Guy Levis Grant Awardee, Commander Brett Damian Cook (Theta Eta 1998) USN (Reserve).
Breck DeVon Cook (Annis- ton-Piedmont (AL) AL 1977), US Army (Retired), and current Phoenix (AZ) Alumni Chapter member, and his son, 41st Guy Levis Grant Awardee, Com- mander Brett Damian Cook (Theta Eta 1998) USN (Reserve), and current Fort Worth (TX) Alumni
Chapter member, proudly accepted the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of their father and grandfa- ther, Private Joseph Lee Cook. Joseph Lee Cook was among the first African American Marines to break through racial barriers to serve their country in
World War II. His ser- vice in the South Pacific Theater of War from 1942 to 1943 is emblematic of the sacrifices made by over 20,000 Black Marines trained at Montford Point, the segregated camp estab- lished in 1942. The Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest
A HISTORIC RECOGNITION
On August 23, 2024, during the ceremony held at Camp Montford Point, North Carolina, Brother Major
18 THE JOURNAL ♦ SUMMER 2023
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