Marching to remember the lifework of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

By Karl Weisel (USAG Wiesbaden)January 20, 2010

Marching to remember the lifework of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Marching to remember the lifework of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Marching to remember the lifework of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WIESBADEN, Germany - It wasn't snapping canine jaws, billy clubs or high pressure hoses. But the bone-chilling cold in the pre-dawn darkness greeting community members on a commemorative Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march was a small reminder of the hardships encountered by civil rights marchers in the United States half a century ago.

A,A

As people marched through Wiesbaden Army Airfield Jan. 14 they paused at various stations to hear Soldier reflections on the words, actions and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A,A

"I wanted to get the participation of people to come out before the Martin Luther King holiday," said Master Sgt. James Farina, Equal Opportunity officer for the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade. Realizing that it would be a cold morning, Farina said he wanted those taking part to get a small taste of the challenges facing those demanding equal rights in the 1950s and '60s - "to put themselves in the shoes of those who had gone before."

A,A

Farina worked with fellow unit and U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Equal Opportunity and Equal Employment Opportunity staff members to put together the MLK observance.

A,A

Spc. Fred Thompson of the 66th MI Brigade said that while in high school he was awed by the powerful messages and work of the civil rights leader who today is honored with a national holiday. Johnson described how while taking a creative writing course he was inspired by "the things Dr. King fought to achieve."

A,A

Sgt. Cashmere Jefferson of the 1st MI Battalion described the lengthy battle for true equality for all Americans. From the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to a full century later when Dr. King made his "I have a dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the process was "an uphill battle for freedom. ... Dr. King invited all listeners to participate in victory - and within two months of this speech, Congress passed a new civil rights bill into law."

A,A

Military members should especially relate to the moral imperative and personal courage embodied by Dr. King in the fight for freedom.

A,A

"Day to day we don't think twice about working, eating and residing next to one another. We see it as normal," said Jefferson, "that we were and that our children are educated together. But on this day, remember and respect what he and others crusaded for - equality."

A,A

For Spc. Christopher Marion-Odetunde of the 24th MI Battalion, having grown up poor on the south side of Chicago, the progress sparked by King and fellow civil rights workers didn't really make much of an impression.

A,A

"I had heard the speeches, read about him in history books and celebrated his birthday since I was born, but it didn't really mean much to me. I really thought about it, but I honestly couldn't empathize with their feelings ... and didn't feel a connection with their struggle," said Marion-Odetunde. "It was difficult to put myself in the shoes of those who endured brutal beatings and savage insults to simply obtain the right to walk as equals alongside our white brethren."

A,A

But thinking about his 82-year-old grandmother, Melvis Marion, who grew up in rural Alabama and raised her three sisters after her mother died, reminded him of the sacrifices made by his own family members and others in the march to equality.

A,A

"She faced racism and bigotry that no one from my generation or any others that follow me can even begin to fathom," said Marion-Odetunde. "What is more, through the hate, hostility and dehumanization, she met it all with love. She battled the worst situations that a person can endure, that most of us will never endure, with love."

A,A

Remembering his grandmother and her "work and dedication" made him appreciate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, he said. "He is a man who empowered thousands to survive on love for their fellow man and the man who empowered a race to reach greater plateaus than even they thought existed. We as a nation owe him our lives, dreams and well-being, for we would not be where we are today without him. ... Because of Dr. Martin Luther King, 'I have a dream; I have a dream' and now I am able to realize it."

Related Links:

IMCOM on Army.mil

IMCOM on iReport

Herald Union Online