A decorated army general from the small town of Falkland showed students of all backgrounds just how far they can go if they apply themselves during his keynote address at A.G. Cox Middle School on Friday in honor of Black History Month.

“I was once sitting right where you are,” said Brigadier General James R. Gorham, who became the first black general in the North Carolina National Guard after growing up on a Falkland farm. “I’m so glad to witness what I’m seeing here today because in my day we would not have seen this.”

Not much was taught about the contributions of African-Americans to the country when he was in school, said Gorham, now the director of the joint staff for the North Carolina Joint Force Headquarters.

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