Updated at 9:19 a.m., Monday, January 21, 2008
Great-grandson of slave is MLK parade grand marshal
Advertiser Staff
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition-Hawai'i has named Maj. Gen. W. Montague Winfield the grand marshal for the 2008 MLK Parade, which kicked off at 9 a.m. today at Magic Island. The parade will travel along Ala Moana to Kalakaua Avenue and Monsarrat, and end at Kapi'olani Park where the post-parade Unity Rally is scheduled to start around 10 a.m.The great-grandson of a Virginia slave, Winfield is the Commanding General United States Army Cadet Command (USACC) Fort Monroe, Va.
Winfield has served as the first Commanding General of the then newly formed Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command in
Hawai'i, which is responsible for conducting recovery operations in more than 50 countries.
Winfield once commanded America's historic 10th Cavalry,
widely known by its nickname, the "Buffalo Soldiers," a unit originally comprising former slaves, freemen and Black Civil War soldiers.
Winfield is in Honolulu visiting ROTC programs situated throughout the Pacific through Sunday, including the University of Hawai'i Army ROTC program. He also plans to meet with 12 JROTC programs at a function hosted by Punahou School JROTC on Friday.
The event is open to the public and interested persons should contact Bob Takao at 944-5723 for more information.
