‘Remember, Celebrate, Act! A Day On, Not a Day Off’ Team Dover honors Civil Rights icon

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James Wilkinson
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DEL., --  Team Dover paid tribute to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a commemoration ceremony Wednesday at Chapel 1.

The Military Equal Opportunity, Equal Employment Opportunity and Chapel Staff offices hosted the event in honor of the late American Civil Rights leader.

The theme for this year's celebration was, "Remember, Celebrate, Act! A Day On, Not a Day Off."

"What does Martin Luther King Day mean to you?" asked Maj. Robert Gomez, 436th Maintenance Squadron commander and guest speaker for the event. "For many of us, it means a three-day weekend. But do you know who Doctor King really was and what he stood for? Doctor King was a healer that helped mend American culture for the better and his legacy should not and cannot be forgotten. Don't think of Martin Luther King Day as just another holiday. Look at it as an opportunity to lend your service to others."

Staff Sgt. Bryant Warren, Military Equal Opportunity coordinator for the commemoration, has already been lending his service to others.

"Being the NCOIC of Military Equal Opportunity, I believe in Doctor King's dream and strive for his dream because your character defines who you are; not your race, color, religion, national origin, or sex," said Sergeant Warren. "We all deserve to be treated as equals and afforded the same opportunities to excel. He impacted my life in a manner that made me want to be a part of Equal Opportunity and strive to make his dream - our dream - a reality."

The event concluded with an awards presentation to recognize another Dover member who lends her service on a daily basis. Col. Sam Cox, 436th AW commander, presented Patricia Edwards, Dover AFB Airman and Family Readiness flight, with the Maj. Gen. Archer L. Durham Award, an annual award for individual leadership, teamwork and community service to increase awareness of various cultures.

"If Doctor King was here today, he would smile, he would shake your hand and he'd give you a big hug because he's proud of you for what you've done," said Col. Sam Cox who praised Mrs. Edwards for 35 years of continuous contributions that improved the Dover AFB community. "(Doctor King's) dream is right here today in this building; we have people of different races all mixed together. If you go onto the flightline, it doesn't matter whether you're white or black. We all come together to do a job. When we talk about having a mixed aircrew to go fly, we're talking about whether it's people from the 3rd or the 9th (Airlift Squadrons) flying together."

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Ronald Harvell, 436th Airlift Wing chaplain, also conducted a Litany of Commemoration, a composition of words from Doctor King, which the chaplain and the audience members recited. Following the litany was a slideshow of Doctor King's, depicting both his life's hardships and achievements.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born Jan. 15, 1929, and was assassinated at the age of 39 on April 4, 1968.

Doctor King was a Baptist minister and a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, and his accomplishments earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964