JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — On Thursday, a Knoxville man accepted one of the country's highest honors on behalf of his late father. Army veteran James Cook Jr. accepted the Congressional Gold Medal for his father, James Cook Sr.
Cook Jr. said he only learned recently that his father was part of the Montford Point Marines. They were among the first Black men to serve in the Marine Corps during World War II. The all-Black unit served their country while they faced racial discrimination back home.
"When we were kids, he raised us like we were military. We had cooking classes, we had sewing classes, we had how-to-make-your-bed classes. You name it, we had it," said Cook Jr.
Former president Barack Obama signed a law awarding all Montford Point Marines a Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. Cook said he wanted to make sure his father received the medal he deserved.
"To find out the man that you adored and loved was more than what you thought he was," Cook Jr. said. "It's going to be an honor in more ways than one."
James Cook Sr. died nearly two decades ago. At the time he was preparing for war, members of his unit were only allowed on the main base of Camp Lejeune if they were escorted by a white Marine.
And like his father, the younger Cook also faced discrimination early in his military career only it happened off base. At one particular dinner, while in uniform, he said a waitress served the white men in his group but skipped him.
"One of the guys says to us, 'Hey, you forgot to take his order. And she said, 'Well we don't serve those people. They won't allow me to serve Blacks.' And we're in uniform," he said.
Cook Jr. said he and his fellow Marines who were all white left the diner and told the base commander. The restaurant was closed around a week later. It was a small sign of progress. A small sign of justice. It made a big impact, just like the medal that has been awarded posthumously to his father.
"Better late than never. That's the only way I can look at it. I mean, he's being recognized. He's not just a tombstone in a graveyard," said Cook Jr.