Mississippi veteran posthumously awarded congressional medal

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — The family of a World War II veteran from Mississippi who was among the first Black men to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps received the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of his service. U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly presented the medal to relatives of Embra Jackson Sr. during a Saturday ceremony at a Tupelo church. The medal is one of the nation’s highest civilian awards. Kelly called Jackson a “true hero.” The congressman’s office says Jackson enlisted in 1943. He served in a segregated military unit. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported Jackson was honorably discharged in 1946, became a teacher and died in 1983.