Staff photo by DARWIN WEIGEL Elmer Mackall, 87, of Prince Frederick received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by congress, Tuesday at Gray Ray Post 220 of the American Legion in Prince Frederick. Mackall was among the first black Americans to join the Marines and train at Montford Point in North Carolina in preparation for WWII duty for the Guadalcanal Campaign in the South Pacific. Behind him from left is U.S. Marine Lt. Col. David Johnson, his son Ronald Mackall and Azizi Wesmiller of Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski's (D-Md.) office who worked to get Mackall recognized.