„I Have a Dream…”

Col. Keith P. Boone, the Commander of the Heavy Airlift Wing delivered a short speech at the nations’ flag staff display of the Air Base, in which he noted that Martin Luther King Jr. had devoted his whole life to the fight for freedom and equality.

The colonel said that, as the commander of a multinational unit like this, which comprises members of so many nations, he considers it very important to make sure that the various national holidays are always celebrated together.

As he said, “This is a distinctive holiday − one which symbolizes our nation’s commitment to peace through justice… Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an occasion for joy and to celebrate his life and his work…" The Chaplain noted that he has always admired King’s character, who knew what it is that truly matters in our lives.

Martin Luther King Jr., a pastor of the Baptist Church, a strong worker for civil rights and a political activist was a leading figure of the Afro-American civil rights movement. His aims were to achieve equal justice under law for white and black people and to stop the racial segregation of American blacks.

In his speeches, interviews and actions, he always advocated non-violence, and applied the techniques of civil disobedience to attain his goals. On August 28, 1963 during the March on Washington he delivered the address “I have a dream…", which brought enormous publicity for the civil rights movement, and made King one of history’s greatest orators. In the United States of America, every year the third Monday of January is a federal holiday devoted to the memory of the civil rights leader, known as Martin Luther King Day.