Photo by Bill Green Triplets celebrating their 70th birthday are, from left, David T. Lokerson, Donald C. Lokerson and Doris A. Walter. The party was held at Homewood Retirement Center, where Mrs. Walter and her husband live. Purchase this photo

The triplets and members of their extended family gathered Sunday for a birthday celebration at Homewood at Crumland Farms, where Walter lives in a cottage with her husband.

Walter likes to point out that the triplets were born in 1939 on the anniversary of Paul Revere's famous ride into Boston to warn colonists of the approaching British.

The triplets' appearance was an event in itself for their parents, who thought they were having twins. The three were born at National Homeopathic Hospital in Washington, which did not have incubators. Donald Lokerson weighed 2 pounds, while Doris and David Lokerson weighed in at a little over 3 pounds each. The two boys are mirror identical twins. While they look alike, one is right-handed and the other is left-handed.

They were placed under warm lights, but Walter is thankful they weren't in incubators. Incubator technology was still crude, and many were too hot. As a result, many babies placed in incubators at that time were blinded.

The three developed muscular dystrophy, Walter said, but had no obvious symptoms until they were in their 40s. "When I see old movies, I can see that we had the scapula sticking out," she said. She said that is a classic symptom of muscular dystrophy, a genetic disease.

It didn't stop her from playing tennis through college and staying active for much of her life. Her parents probably had muscular dystrophy, too, she said. Her father had very thin legs, which she said is a sign.

Their older sister also has muscular dystrophy. A brother who died of Lou Gehrig's disease had symptoms of muscular dystrophy.

Walter can walk by pushing a wheelchair. A walker doesn't give her as much support. She is helped by regular chiropractic care. David Lokerson uses a wheelchair, and Donald Lokerson uses a cane, she said.

Many types of muscular dystrophy exist, and they each have varying forms, Walter said.

"Two of us have weak shoulders," she said. "I can't open a lot of jars. I can't lay flat on a hard surface."

All three triplets have children; only one, David's daughter, has muscular dystrophy, Walter said. Her three children show no signs of the disorder.

The triplets grew up in Montgomery County, and earned bachelor's degrees at George Washington University. Walter then went on to Iowa State University, where she received a master's degree in education. David Lokerson went to work for NASA, and Donald Lokerson worked at the Goddard Space Center.

Walter was named a Fulbright Scholar after graduate school, and she spent a year in India. She met her husband while in college and married him when she returned from India.

They moved to Pittsburgh and then Frederick . One child still lives in Frederick , one is in California and one is in Albany, N.Y.

Walter taught at the Church of the Brethren and became an elementary school teacher at the Banner School. In 1996, she had a heart transplant because of a heart condition unrelated to her muscular dystrophy.

Walter had breast cancer many years ago, and her heart was damaged when she was being treated for cancer.

She and her husband still travel. They love to continue their learning through Elderhostel trips. Last year, they took the Amtrak train to the West Coast. Amtrak is well-suited for travelers with disabilities, she said.

David Lokerson lives in Richmond, Va., and Rockville, and Donald Lokerson lives in New Carrollton. They traveled to Frederick for the birthday gathering. In all, 18 family members came to the celebration.