HINESVILLE, Ga. - Major General John M. Murray and Command Sgt. Maj. Edd Watson, the 3rd Infantry Division command team, along with a detail of soldiers from 4-3 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., as well as members of the 3rd Inf. Div. Band, represented the division at the Liberty County Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, held in Hinesville, Ga., Jan. 20, 2014.
"The military presence to me is vitally important because it shows unity, it shows strength, it shows patriotism, and it embodies what Dr. King stood for and that is: we all ought to be as one," said Kenneth Howard, assistant city manager of Hinesville as well as a coordinator for the parade.
"He had a dream, as we have all heard, and that dream for equality and justice for all is an important ethic that Americans believe in, so I'm happy to come out and represent the unit," said 1st Lt. Brandon Briscoe, an engineering officer with 4-3 BSTB. "You see a lot of his ideals reflected in the Army today where there's a strong push for equality."
For many soldiers in the detail, this parade, whose theme was "Unleash the Dream," was their first parade to march in. One such first-timer was Pfc. Jalisa Montgomery, a unit supply specialist with 4-3 BSTB.
"I really enjoyed it," said Montgomery. "It's Martin Luther King Jr., he fought for the rights of everyone, not just black people, everyone, that everybody should be treated equally."
Howard said the event broke several records for participation and was pleased to see the support of the community.
The crowd waved and every once in a while a child would throw up a left-handed salute, demonstrating the respect the onlookers had for the service members.
"They were so hyped it made me smile," added Montgomery.
Howard, an African-American, mentioned several friends from school had gone on to be officers in the military.
"It shows that we are actually living a part of that dream that Dr. King spoke of and that was that we should be judged by the content of our character as opposed to the color of our skin," he added.
Related Links:
The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division DVIDS page.
The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart Facebook page.
The official 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Facebook page.
The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart website.
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