MAXTON – An honor was bestowed on a Maxton man who is considered the oldest member of the Lumbee tribe and one of the last surviving veterans of World War II.
A modest group of dignitaries and family gathered on Friday in front of the 102-year-old Evert Locklear, who received a proclamation on behalf of the North Carolina Lumbee tribe and was immobilized and presented the Lumbee Warriors Association patch by his two years of service in the United States Navy during World War II and at the Battle of Hayes Pond.
“I just can’t believe it,” said Locklear on Friday, when he received the honor tokens. “I’m just surprised at what happened. It is wonderful.”
The proclamation signed by Tribal President Harvey Godwin Jr. and Lumbee Tribal Council President Ricky Burnett describes Locklear as “an esteemed centenary who served his people and country with distinction and dignity and continues to bless those who are fortunate. to witness your legacy. “
The framed patch contained the Lumbee Warriors seal, which consists of seven feathers representing the wars from World War I to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and an arrow, representing the Battle of Hayes Pond against the Ku Klux Klan, said David Locklear, Lumbee Warriors Association treasurer.
“We wanted to present this to him on his birthday, on his 102nd birthday, because he supported us and paved the way for all of this, so he deserves it and we are very honored to be able to present it,” said Locklear, who also served in the U.S. Navy. as head chief.
Robeson County Commissioner John Cummings said it was important for him to attend Friday’s ceremony. He also served the country in the U.S. Army, and his father was a veteran of World War II, serving four years.
“This is not my district here, but I am here to honor it as a military veteran too,” said Cummings. “This generation is one of the last. The things they’ve been through, you just can’t give them enough honor. “
Mayor Burnett described the experience of meeting Locklear on Friday as “an honor” for having served as a sailor in the United States Navy.
“He paved the way,” said Burnett. “He went to fight a battle. He left his family so that we could stay with our family. We can be free because of someone like that, who paved the way for us to have this every day. He needs to be honored. “
It is the honor that Locklear gives back to God that impresses Burnett most.
“He gives all the honor to the Lord because he says that without him he would never have survived. He’s so sincere that it made me shiver when he was talking, ”said Burnett.
A native of the Prospect community, Evert was born in 1918 at the end of the First World War. He was drafted into the United States Navy during World War II. He left his wife and three children behind and spent the last two years of the war aboard a transport ship that served across the Pacific Ocean.
James Locklear, editor of Native Visions, reflected that during that time it was not easy for minorities to enter the United States Navy because of the segregated school system and disproportionate educational opportunities.
“Most of the minorities that were drafted here ended up in the Army. They had to take a test to enter the Navy, ”said Locklear.
“He has a lot of knowledge,” added Burnett.
In early January 1944, Locklear was at the Great Lakes Training Center in Chicago, training to become an auto repair specialist. He later trained at Camp Hair near Williamsburg, Virginia, before embarking for Shoemaker, California, to embark on the USS Kay Perchwell. His first taste of war came when his transport ship docked in Hawaii and he saw the damage that Japanese pilots inflicted on Pearl Harbor during a surprise attack on December 7, 1941.
He also took a first-hand look at the devastation months after the strenuous battles at Iwo Jima and Okinawa during the final months of the war. His automotive repair unit provided support for frontline personnel.
Two years after recruiting, Locklear returned home to Robeson County and finished his studies to earn his high school diploma. He worked as a car body repairer until he was 97 years old.
“I did bodywork on cars, trucks. I just loved it. I started doing bodywork on trucks and cars in ’47, and I did everything in my life, ”said Locklear.
Today, Locklear spends his days with his wife, Helen, working in the garden of his home on White Oak Road in Maxton.
“I take him and we just get out of the truck, walk and check everything,” said Helen.
Panuel Locklear, one of Evert’s 10 children, visits his father every Sunday after church and marvels at the many years his father has received.
“You can’t explain it,” said Panuel. “It is difficult to explain because of his age and the way he is and how he moves and speaks. He always has a conversation. He can always talk to you about anything. “
Proclaiming the goodness of God for his longevity is what Evert talks about most.
“It is a blessing from God to be 100 years old. I just love it, I love it, I love it, yes, I do, ”he said on Friday. “I simply appreciate it as much as possible. I can’t believe that God is so good to me because he loves me. “