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Corporal LeRoy Willie Cason

A young African American man in a military uniform.
  • Unit: 7th Service Regiment, 37th Marine Depot Company
  • Date of Birth: January 2, 1922
  • Entered the Military: August 11, 1943
  • Date of Death: April 23, 2023
  • Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
  • Place of Death: District Heights, Maryland
  • Award(s): Congressional Gold Medal, Rifle Sharpshooter, USMC Basic Qualification Badge, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal
  • Cemetery: Section 17, Row 578, Site 16. Albert G. Horton Jr. Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Suffolk, Virginia
Contributed by Sydney Hodge, Noel Mateo-Caraballo, and Chase Medlin
Mentored by Mr. Wesley Young
Camden County High School
2025/2026

Early Life

LeRoy Willie “Shorty” Cason was born on January 2, 1922, in Norfolk, Virginia, to Edward Cason and Anne Howard. He was one of seven siblings. He attended grammar school in Norfolk, Virginia, and then went to live with his family in New York City. It is during his time in New York City that Leroy attended and graduated from Queens Vocational High School in 1942. 

While at Queens Vocational School, LeRoy participated in high school baseball and football and took courses in electricity and wiring. His military enlistment documents note that he was the class president in 1942. 

According to the 1940 Census, Cason lived with his cousin, William Fisher, William’s wife, Hester, and Hester’s son, Frank. William worked as a handyman, and Frank worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps.

By 1943, Cason returned to Norfolk, Virginia, and found work as an electrician helper at the Norfolk Navy Yard prior to serving in the Marine Corps.

In 1940, Cason is living in Queens, New York, with his cousin, William Fisher, William’s wife, Hester, and Hester’s son, Frank. National Archives and Records Administration.
LeRoy Cason’s World War II draft registration card, June 24, 1943. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.

Homefront

During World War II, Norfolk was primarily known as a shipbuilding center, producing ships for the United States Navy. Due to the high demand for labor to build ships for our military effort in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres of World War II, Norfolk experienced a significant population increase prior to and during the war. 

Many of these individuals were employed by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company or the Norfolk Navy Yard. During World War II, these two locations employed a combined 63,000 workers. The Norfolk Navy Yard built thirty major ships. In addition, the yard built twenty landing ship tanks (LSTs), designed to carry tanks ashore. More than 6,000 ships were also repaired or overhauled here during the war. 

Like many patriotic Americans, Norfolk had Victory Gardens and rationed supplies. Norfolk was home to the Smith Street United Service Organization (USO) Club, a club for servicemembers of color. Like the military during World War II, the USO clubs were segregated. 

The American Red Cross comforted sailors and civilians at Naval Base Norfolk by serving coffee and donuts. As a result, these female volunteers became known by the nickname “Donut Dollies.” Additionally, at Naval Station Norfolk, many women served in the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program in support roles to free up men for active duty. The Norfolk Community also created a War Fund for the military.

Historical map showing Norfolk, Virginia, c.1900. Encyclopedia Britannica.
A group of workers arrives at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for work. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (92288400).
The battleship Alabama was built at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The crew prepared to launch the ship on February 15, 1942. World War II Database.
Troops sit down at a service club and enjoy sodas with junior hostesses wearing both civilian clothes and USO uniforms. Mariners Museum (P0003/01#F-11158).

Military Experience

Before 1941, the U.S. Marine Corps did not allow African American recruits. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 8802, signed on June 25, 1941, required that the Department of Defense not discriminate on the basis of “race, creed, color, or national origin.” The Marine Corps built a segregated training facility on the edge of Camp Lejeune (an area known as Montford Point), North Carolina, to train Black recruits.

LeRoy “Shorty” Cason enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on August 11, 1943, at the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Richmond, Virginia, and reported to Montford Point for basic training on August 23, 1943. After basic training, he received training in telephone and wiring, and later as a non-commissioned officer in the military police. He was promoted to private first class on January 22, 1944, and remained stationed at Montford Point for additional training. On August 26, he was promoted to corporal.

On August 11, 1944, while on leave, Cason married Celestine Bond in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their daughter, Cynthia, was born in November. 

By November 1944, Cason was assigned to the 37th Marine Depot Company, 7th Service Regiment. Marine Corps Depot Companies were designed to supply logistics support to infantry divisions. In the Pacific, these units often served under combat conditions. His unit transferred to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California, and prepared for deployment. 

On December 3, 1944, Cason boarded USS Burleigh and sailed to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, arriving on December 22, 1944. On January 17, 1945, Cason was transferred to USS Butte, which set sail for Saipan, arriving on February 2, 1945. His unit served on Sapain for a few weeks. On March 8, he sailed to Okinawa, arriving on April 1 and disembarking on April 12.

On Okinawa, the 37th Marine Depot Company supported the 2nd Marines. U.S. Marines took three months to secure Okinawa, facing intense fighting, rain, mud, and stretched supply lines. The island was declared to be secured on June 22, 1945, and the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August. 

On September 12, 1945, Cason and his unit were assigned to USS Sheridan to sail to northern China, arriving in late September. Marines there guarded railroads and trucks and supported the transfer of Japanese soldiers who had been captured by the Chinese back to Japan. Cason remained on duty there until January 7, 1946. Reassigned to the 5th Marine Depot Company, Cason departed Tientsin, China, aboard USS Bolivar, and arrived in San Diego, California, on January 29, 1946. On February 21, 1946, Cason returned by train to Monfort Point. On March 8, 1946, Cason was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps.

Cason was listed as one of ten African American men inducted into the U.S. Marine Corps. The Richmond News Leader, August 17, 1943.
LeRoy Cason and Celestine Bond married in Philadelphia shortly before he deployed to the Pacific, August 11, 1944. Official Military Personnel File, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.
An infantry platoon of Montford Point Marines returns to camp, April 1945. National Archives and Records Administration (NAID: 218517616).
Two Montford Point Marines operating a switchboard at Montford Point Camp, Camp Lejeune. National Archives and Records Administration (NAID: 218517624).
Cason sailed aboard USS Butte from Hawaii to Saipan in January and February 1945. Naval History and Heritage Command (19-N-75310).
Members of the 12th Marine Ammunition Company pose at a monument during the Battle of Okinawa. More than 2,000 African American Marines served on Okinawa. The Right to Fight: African American Marines in World War II (USMC 117624).

Veteran Experience

LeRoy Cason was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps on March 8, 1946, at Montford Point Camp in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He returned to Norfolk, Virginia, with his wife, Celestine. They were married for 72 years and had two daughters, Cynthia and Harreyette.  

Cason pursued a career in the United States Postal Service and worked there for 30 years. He became a founding member of the Montford Point Marine Association and helped to organize the Tidewater Chapter 14, where he served as chapter president. He was an active member and trustee of the First Baptist Church on Bute Street. 

In 2012, the Montford Point Marines were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Cason lived long enough to receive his medal.

His wife, Celestine, passed away in 2017. Cason eventually moved to Baltimore, Maryland, to be closer to family. In Baltimore, he became a member of the District of Columbia Chapter 6 of the Montford Point Marines Association and of the New Vision Fellowship Church. He was also an avid bowler.

Cason’s report of separation, detailing his military service. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.
The 1950 U.S. Census showing the Cason family (Celestine is listed as Virginia C.) living in Norfolk, Virginia. National Archives and Records Administration.
The first part of a newspaper article announcing the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to the Montford Point Marines. The Baltimore Sun, June 11, 2012.
LeRoy Willie Cason, shown with his Congressional Gold Medal in 2012. Defense Visual Information Distribution Services.

Commemoration

Leaving a legacy of duty and service while breaking the color barrier, LeRoy Cason passed away on April 20, 2020. He is buried at Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk, Virginia.

Students visiting LeRoy Cason’s grave at Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk, Virginia, March 13, 2026. Courtesy of Wesley Young.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“10 Negroes Volunteer For Marine Corps.” The Richmond News Leader [Richmond, Virginia], August 17, 1943. Newspapers.com (760529921). 

Battleship Alabama being prepared for launching, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. Photograph. February 15, 1942. World War II Database. https://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=18092. 

Executive Order 8802. June 25, 1941. National Archives and Records Administration (NAID: 300005). https://catalog.archives.gov/id/300005.

LeRoy Willie Cason, Official Military Personnel File, United States Marine Corps. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

LeRoy Willie Cason. Pennsylvania, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1852-1968. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com. 

LeRoy Willie Cason. Virginia, Richmond, Virginia Births 1912-1923. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com.

LeRoy Willie Cason. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Montford Point Marine Portraits [Leroy W. Cason]. Photograph. June 28, 2012. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. https://www.dvidshub.net/image/636845/montford-point-marine-portraits.

New York. Queens County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com.

Norfolk War History Commission, World War II, Records, 1941-1946. Sergeant Memorial Collection. Norfolk Public Library. https://smcarchives.libraryhost.com/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=734&q=&rootcontentid=91713#id91713.

“Pioneering black Marines to be Honored.” The Baltimore Sun [Baltimore, Maryland], June 11, 2012. Newspapers.com (263452706). 

USS Burliegh. Photograph. c.1946. Navy History and Heritage Command (NH 78166). https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-78000/NH-78166.html.

USS Butte (APA-68). Photograph. December 3, 1944. Naval History and Heritage Command (19-N-75310). https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/19-N-75000/19-N-75310.html. 

Virginia. Norfolk. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com

Secondary Sources

“Building Towards Victory: The World War II Population Boom of  Norfolk.” The UncommonWealth: Voices from the Library of Virginia Blog. Updated November 6, 2024. Accessed March 30, 2026. https://uncommonwealth.lva.virginia.gov/blog/2024/11/06/building-towards-victory-the-wwii-population-boom-of-norfolk/.https://uncommonwealth.lva.virginia.gov/blog/2024/11/06/building-towards-victory-the-wwii-population-boom-of-norfolk/.

“Celestine V. Cason.” Find a Grave. Updated June 11, 2017. Accessed March 30, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180248136/celestine_v-cason. 

Fleming, Hannah, and Laurie King. “Hampton Roads during WWII: the WACs.” The Mariners’ Museum and Park. Updated November 24, 2020. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.marinersmuseum.org/2020/11/hampton-roads-during-wwii-the-wacs/.

King, Laurie. “Hampton Roads During WWII: USO Clubs.” The Mariners’ Museum and Park. Updated February 22, 2021. Accessed March 30, 2026. https://www.marinersmuseum.org/2021/02/hampton-roads-during-wwii-uso-clubs/. 

“LeRoy W. Cason.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed March 30, 2026. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/LEROYWCASON/99ba2e.

“LeRoy Willie ‘Shorty’ Cason.” Find a Grave. Updated May 11, 2020. Accessed October 23, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209983028/leroy_willie-cason. 

“LeRoy Willie Cason.” Together We Served. Accessed January 10, 2026. https://marines.togetherweserved.com/usmc/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=500137. 

Nalty, Bernard C. The Right to Fight: African-American Marines in World War II. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, 1995. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/003075750. 

“Naval Station Norfolk.” United States Navy. Last Modified August 13, 2018. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/organization-and-administration/installations/naval-station-norfolk.html.

“Norfolk.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/place/Norfolk-Virginia#/media/1/418127/13004.

“Norfolk Naval Shipyard.” The Historical Marker Database. Accessed March 30, 2026. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=76830.

“Norfolk Navy Yard.” World War II Database. Accessed March 17, 2026. https://ww2db.com/facility/Norfolk_Navy_Yard/. 

“Propaganda Posters.” Hampton Roads Naval Museum. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://wejunket.com/junkets/Norfolk/Hampton_Roads_Naval_Museum/Propaganda_Posters/. 

“Red Cross Women and Donuts in World War II.” The UncommonWealth: Voices from the Library of Virginia Blog. Updated January 3, 2024. Accessed March 30, 2026. https://uncommonwealth.lva.virginia.gov/blog/2024/01/03/red-cross-donuts/.

Robbins, Marcus. “Our Yard History: 10 Norfolk Navy Yard landing ships went to Normandy.” The Flagship. Updated August 2, 2023. Accessed March 30, 2026. https://www.militarynews.com/norfolk-navy-flagship/news/top_stories/our-yard-history-10-norfolk-navy-yard-landing-ships-went-to-normandy/article_a4c5bdfc-315f-11ee-838f-bf1f7d78b4e7.html.

“Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service: The WAVES Program in World War II.” Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Updated September 14, 2020. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/waves-program-color-world-war-2.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.