CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Cannon’s Cultural Observance Committee held a luncheon at the Landing Zone honoring the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr., Jan. 14.
The luncheon, which featured a poem reading and Dr. King’s acceptance speech, also included Master Sgt. Anthony Thompson, 27th Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron first sergeant, as the guest speaker.
“Think about President Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, President John F. Kennedy and Dr. King—all great men who fought for freedom, all great men who were assassinated for what they believed in,” said Thompson. “They died so that others could live in freedom. That sounds like an American Airman to me; a warrior and someone that has answered their nations call and one who is willing to defend their country to the point of death to set others free. Those men died to set people free from hate and tyranny and this is what we are willing to do as men and women of the world’s greatest Air Force.”
Having delivered a powerful message, Thompson urged members of Team Cannon to practice the ideals that Dr. King ultimately died for.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and a civil rights activist who had a huge impact on race relations in the United States. Through his activism, he played a pivotal role in the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Before his assassination on April 4, 1968, King published five books, numerous articles and essays, and garnered followers across the globe for his now famous speeches.
King was a man of integrity and someone who believed in a better future for not just the African-American community, but for all races. As one of the most lauded African-American leaders in history, Dr. King’s mission for equality will forever be remembered.
”We are unified as human beings from all walks of life with one mission, with one goal; that is to deliver freedom to this great country we live in as American Airmen,” Thompson concluded.