Hagel, Fort Belvoir Garrison Commander Lead MLK Remembrance Event

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel honored the legacy and memory of Martin Luther King Jr. today at the Pentagon's annual MLK Day observance. Joining the secretary to give the event's keynote speech was Army Col. Gregory D. Gadson, who lost both legs above the knee and suffered severe arm and hand injuries during his third deployment to Iraq. Gadson now serves as garrison commander of Fort Belvoir, Va. King was an American pastor, activist, humanitarian and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement who was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tenn. In 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986. "The rights that make America free, rights that this department protects and defends, come with heavy responsibilities like taking care of our people, looking out for one another, and lending a hand to those in need. Martin Luther King knew that," Hagel told the audience. King knew that no matter how one serves, the secretary added, service is ultimately about people, and hope for a better life and a better world, and "through all the struggles and sacrifices turning that hope into reality." King "was a man of vision, a man of passion, a man of commitment" who left a powerful legacy, the secretary said. He dedicated his life to a cause larger than his own self-interest, a cause that would spread across our nation and around the globe," Hagel said of the late civil rights leader. Then Hagel addressed Gadson. What … your life has represented, what you continue to do for this country is pretty special. … Your sacrifices, I think we all agree, define the power of the human spirit and we are especially honored to have you here today, on this day, as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day."

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Retrieved on 1/21/14

Written by By Cheryl Pellerin, American Forces Press Service

http://www.army.mil/article/118434/Hagel__Fort_Belvoir_Garrison_Commander_Lead_MLK_Remembrance_Event/