BOULDER, Colo. - Retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Archie Robinson received the Congressional Gold Medal at the University of Colorado Boulder Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) unit here, Oct. 18.
    The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest award bestowed by the legislative branch of the U. S. government. The bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Montford Point Marines was signed into law by President Barack Obama in November 2011.
    The Montford Point Marines were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on June 27, 2012 by Congress. On June 28 a ceremony was held for more than 400 African-American Marines, many of them Montford Point Marines, at Marine Barracks on 8th and I Streets in Washington, D. C. Each of the Montford Point Marines that completed boot camp at Montford Point, N. C., between 1942-1949 received a bronze replica medal.
    The medal was designed and approved by the Montford Point Marine Association, the Marine Corps and the U.S. Mint. Today all living Montford Point Marines or living family members are eligible to receive the bronze replica of the gold medal.
    Robinson was unable to attend the awards ceremony in Washington D.C.  Instead, the NROTC unit at the University of Colorado Boulder hosted the retired Marine and held an individual award ceremony for him that the entire unit attended.
    “I feel good about [the award], but it’s more for the Marines that prepared the way for me. The Marines who first joined in 1942 deserve more credit than me,” said Robinson.