Photo By Rob Strain | Brigadier Gen. Vincent Brooks, the 1st Cavalry Division's deputy commanding general...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Robert Strain
1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Hundreds of Soldiers came to the Ministry Center Jan. 15 for the 1st Cavalry Division's observance ceremony of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.
King, a civil rights leader who fought for equality of all people, regardless of race, advocated using non-violent means to further his cause. He was arrested nearly 20 times and awarded five honorary degrees. King also became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
He was assassinated in 1968 outside his motel room in Memphis, Tenn.
The observance of his birthday was hosted by the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade's 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, and included a video of King's "I have a dream" speech given in 1963.
"Today, while we are ensuring that our freedoms and our way of life remain protected, it is important to take time out and reflect upon the reasons for which we fight," said Lt. Col. Christopher Walach, the commander of the 1-227th.
The observance of King's birthday provides that opportunity to pause and reflect on not only a great leader, but also the men and women who are doing their duty to protect those freedoms, Walach, a native of Las Vegas, said.
"The celebration has always been listed as a day on, not a day off. The meaning of that, of course, is that there is yet work to be done," said Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, the division's deputy commanding general – support, and the ceremony's guest speaker.
Although King was against using violence to solve problems, he believed that injustice anywhere would prevent justice everywhere, said Brooks.
"I happen to believe that Dr. King would applaud each of us for standing up against injustice, even if he didn't agree with the method," Brooks said during his speech.
For Spc. Brendon McGee, an aviation operations specialist with the 1-227th, it's a day of remembrance of the struggle for equality of all people, regardless of race, creed or color.
"It's still a continuous struggle – just because we have those civil rights in the United States, there's other people across the world that are not enjoying those freedoms," said McGee, a Memphis native.
"While much has been done and much gained, much has yet to be done and much is left ungained," Brooks said. "The challenge for each and every one of us, as individuals and as a collective body, the challenge is for us to carry it on, carry on that dream and make it a reality in our time."
| Date Taken: | 01.15.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 01.17.2007 08:51 |
| Story ID: | 8823 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 90 |
| Downloads: | 24 |
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