Students of Springfield history may know the name Joseph Budd as the first African American in the city’s police department to achieve the rank of sergeant, lieutenant and captain.
Less well known was Budd’s service in the U.S. military. He served during World War II in a racially segregated unit called the Montford Point Marines. Cpl. Budd was among 20,000 Black men who served in the unit, now known today as the “Forgotten Warriors” due to their long-delayed recognition of their service.
This weekend, that will change. Budd, who died in 1986, will be posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress, at a ceremony in Springfield…