MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Jan. 17th is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday. It is a day that has been set aside by our country in recognition of a man’s heroic, iconic and nonviolent stance against the racial, social and economic injustices during the Civil Rights Movement. It is the only holiday that celebrates a private citizen.
And in commemoration of that holiday a tribute for King was held here at the Marine Memorial Chapel Jan 14. King’s name has become synonymous with nonviolence. A shining example of what patience, love and brotherhood can accomplish when tested in the fires of bigotry and ignorance.
King spoke eloquently of a time in America’s history when “…one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Beautiful words, but what does this mean for the Marine Corps? What does it mean for the current generation of Marines? For America?
Just as sure as the seasons change, so do the demographics of a nation. The nation, as King knew it, was a powder keg at the time of his “I Have a Dream” speech. Violence toward minorities was blatant. Those who fought for civil liberties were subjected to some of the vilest cruelties man could place on another man; the snapping, salivating jaws of the police dog ordered to attack his master’s brother; marchers knocked down by water so powerful it cut through flesh down to their bones. Racial turmoil and angst were at an all time high.
“The times have changed in comparison to those days,” said Sgt. Maj. Gerard J. Calvin, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron sergeant major. “Obvious and blatant racism is no longer visible as it was back then.”
Just as it was back then, the Marine Corps was there. Initially, the Corps was reluctant to allow members of color within their ranks until former President Harry Truman made it mandatory that the military be desegregated.
The first African Americans to join the Corps were not trained at Parris Island, a place renowned today for making Marines. Instead, nearly 20 years prior to King’s untimely death, African American Marines received their initial training at Camp Montford Point, N.C. Recruits endured prejudices even after the presidential order. The railroad tracks separated the recruits from the neighboring town of Jacksonville, lending weight to the proverbial phrase “wrong side of the tracks.” Recruits were cautioned not to enter the racially charged town for fear of the recruits’ safety. Neither were recruits allowed to enter Camp Lejeune without a white officer. But the Corps has made great strides since the inception of the first African American Marines.
As the fight for social and racial equality have grown in the years, it could be said that maybe King’s message has been lost on today’s youth.
“Times have changed,” said Calvin. “Progression is being made. It’s not been completely lost. It’s not as strongly emphasized based on the progression that’s being made.“
Retired Sergeant Major Alford L. McMichael became the 14th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps and the first African American appointed to that position in July 1999. Since that time, two more men of color have held that position.
Over the years, the Corps has opened its doors to Marines of every race, gender and creed. Tested in the fires of boot camp, Marines are trained not to see color. The old saying “brothers-in-arms” is drilled into a recruit’s impressionable, young mind. A Marine’s skin color is irrelevant in the midst of combat.
The Marine Corps is often called a family, and family is always important when change happens. A military family is unique. Constant moving and the arduous task of raising children coupled with the more difficult task of balancing these responsibilities while a Marine is deployed will test any family. Through these tests, families are exposed to something King hoped would one day be commonplace.
“Both of my children were born in my time in the Marine Corps,” said Calvin. “They have been accustomed to a diverse environment. Since my daughters were born, we have lived in integrated neighborhoods, various different cultures, overseas. The diversity was different from when I was brought up.”
Prior to joining the Corps, he grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood.
The Corps has helped bridge the gap of racial tension and brotherhood into its newest generation of Marines and also the nation. The need for the Corps to be an expeditionary force in readiness has required that many of our service members be exposed to different cultures and races. An example can be found in the Vietnam War. An entire generation of Marines was exposed to a culture most would not have experienced had they not served.
How has King’s message affected those who were not born when his message was first spoken? And is the message still pertinent?
“I’m appreciative of the fact that we’re recognizing a man who changed a lot of lives and tried to end racism,” said Sgt. Matthew Palermo, a Marine Corps Community Services Marine. King’s message of brotherhood has not fallen on deaf ears, especially within the Corps.
“It doesn’t matter what color you are, creed, gender or sex,” said Palermo. “We’re all Marines. We’re expected to perform at a certain level.”
That, at the end of the day, is what King’s message really emphasized. Not merely colorblindness, but stripping away all limitations that we place on someone. When the hand of brotherhood and friendship is extended, it can change lives.
Lance Cpl. Caden Lister, a Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron radio technician, said he believes King’s message truly did bring us together as a nation. Besides the obvious effects of desegregation, it changed the next generation’s overall mindset on how people are seen.
But there are those who do not wish to see Dr. King’s message of universal equality realized, enemies within and outside of our borders. For some it is born out of a deep-seated hatred that is rooted in a self-supposed, ancient superiority. Others merely acquire a monetary gain from the awfulness of discrimination. But for others, it is born from plain ignorance.
“No matter how good things get, there will always be ignorance,” said Palermo. “I think what we are doing already is as effective as it can be. We have equal opportunity representatives for every command. If you think you’re being treated unfairly because of your skin color, they will listen to you.”
The only true weapon against hatred is knowledge, compassion and understanding. By showing not just the Corps but our nation that though we are indeed a melting pot of religions, races, sexes and creeds, it is those differences that unite us. King knew that. He gave his life for that philosophy so that we may live it out, if not in his lifetime, then in the generations to come. Even after King’s birthday has come and gone, we as a people should remember that he died to unite us not merely as a nation but as a world.