SAN DIEGO — The USS Midway hosted its 9th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon on the ship’s hangar deck on Friday. The event is a celebration of the life and achievements of Reverend King and also an opportunity to acknowledge the community service contributions of San Diegans, who are dedicated to fairness and equity for all.
Dr. Robert Satcher Jr. was the guest speaker for the event. Satcher Jr. is a former NASA astronaut who flew on the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2009 as part of the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station. He is currently an associate professor of orthopedic oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Pastor Miles McPherson received the USS Midway Museum’s Bridge Builder award at the luncheon. McPherson is the founder of San Diego’s Rock Church. The Bridge Builder award was established to recognize individuals and organizations that exemplify the museum’s core values of community service among the various ethnic communities in San Diego.
The Outstanding Community Service award recipients were Daphyne Watson, the executive director of Mental Health America of San Diego, and Dr. Pha Le, the senior physician partner at Vituity, who volunteers with multiple non-profit organizations, including Honor Flight San Diego, Father Joe’s Village and Vituity Cares Foundation.
The museum’s Diversity coordinated the luncheon, Equity and Inclusion Committee dedicated to a legacy of diversity in service to America and to generate greater ethnic community awareness and support.
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