Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Justin Yarborough | 200121-N-JO245-1110 MANAMA, Bahrain (Jan. 21, 2020) Chief Hospital Corpsman Darnell...... read more read more
By Lt j.g. Carlos de Cordoba
More than 40 Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain personnel marched on Jan. 21 to honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr.
“Even though he [King] was on this earth for only a short 39 years, his impact was long lasting,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Darnell Mason, who inaugurated the march. “His legacy lives on today.”
The march and succeeding ceremony were organized by the NSA Bahrain, Naval Branch Health Clinic Bahrain and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command diversity committee. They invited the entire base to participate in the remembrance events.
“We want to get people in the mindset that Martin Luther King Jr. day is not a day off, it is a national day of service. We want to remember him for the outcome of his protests,” said Mason.
The march attracted a diverse crowd of active duty personnel, both officers and enlisted, as well as civilians. Most were in uniform, but there were some in suits and others sporting fraternity and sorority jackets. A number of chaplains in clerical garb were also present.
“I found the march to be very meaningful. It allowed us to have a glimpse into his [King’s] life and gave us an opportunity to share his experience,” said Capt. John Kalantzis, a Greek Orthodox chaplain at NSA Bahrain.
The march reminded Kalantzis of Archbishop Iakovos, then Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, a close friend and ally of King, who marched hand-in-hand with the civil rights leader in Selma, Alabama.
Kalantzis said King was the epitome of courage and bravery. He lauded how King refused to succumb to the temptation of fighting hatred with hatred, but instead preached peaceful social change.
“There is a statue at the Greek Orthodox seminary of the Patriarch Athenagoras which says, ‘When you look someone in the eye, you can’t deny their humanity,” said Kalantzis. “Dr. King forced society to see him as a human being. He was courageous and loving.”
Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Terrance Lee Kirkland Jr., chapter secretary and director of education of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, wore his fraternity jacket at the march. Kirkland and several of his fraternity brothers said they were proud of the organization’s contribution to the civil rights movement and its support of King.
“Dr. King means equality, which is everything we should all strive to be,” said Kirkland. “I look closely at his words for guidance.”
At the end of the march, Navy veteran Wardell Gillespie Jr. gave a speech at the ceremony that took place at the base galley.
Gillespie, now a senior lessons learned analyst onboard NSA Bahrain, was a child during the civil rights era and recollected his father marching alongside King in 1961. At the ceremony, Gillespie wore a dashiki, a multi-colored traditional West African long shirt, and sang a song from his childhood.
Gillespie said his father wore the dashiki when he marched with King, but also said that the shirt itself represented a symbol of social justice.
“The shirt is a symbol for affirmation, a sign that black is beautiful, and a symbol of full rights in American society,” said Gillespie. “They were worn by protesters to deny disrespect to African-Americans.”
In his speech, Gillespie praised growing diversity in the United States, the progress of American society, King’s memory, and the service members present defending “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
“Those rights have to be defended, that’s why you are here,” Gillespie said. “Let us act to ensure that we all remain one nation.”
Capt. Greg Smith, commanding officer of NSA Bahrain, closed the ceremony with positive remarks about the civil rights leader and his message about equality.
“Dr. King recognized that justice was about ensuring people receive what they are due. And I want to emphasize that every person here is due dignity and respect by virtue of the fact that we are human beings, regardless of race or rank,” said Smith. “And remember as Dr. King said, ‘the time is always right to do what is right.”
| Date Taken: | 01.21.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2020 02:35 |
| Story ID: | 360936 |
| Location: | MANAMA, BH |
| Web Views: | 99 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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