Hispanics in the United States Naval Academy

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Michael Lopez-Alegria

Hispanics in the United States Naval Academy account for the largest minority group in the institution. According to the academy, the Class of 2009 includes 271 (22.2%) minority midshipmen. Out of these 271 midshipmen, 115 are of Hispanic heritage.[1] In 2004, of the total of 736 female midshipmen, 74 (10%) of them were of Hispanic descent.[2]

The United States Navy has implemented a recruitment program directed towards this group, El Navy, whose principal aim is to attract those who speak Spanish.[3]

First Hispanic-American alumni of the Academy

The United States Naval Academy (USNA), founded 1845, is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.[4]

The first Hispanic-American to graduate from the academy was

Commodore Robert F. Lopez, Class of 1879.[5] The first Hispanic to graduate from the academy and to reach the rank of admiral was a Puerto Rican, Rear Admiral Frederick Lois Riefkohl
, Class of 1911.

In 1980, the USNA included Hispanic/Latino as a racial category for demographic purposes. Four women identified themselves as Hispanics in the Class of 1981, and they became the first Hispanic females to graduate from the academy. The four women were Carmel Gilliland, who had the highest class rank; Lilia Ramirez, who retired with the rank of Commander; Ina Marie Gomez; and Trinora Pinto.[6]

Notable Hispanic USNA graduates

Amongst the academy's Hispanic alumni who have distinguished themselves as career officers in the Navy, the Marine Corps or the United States Air Force are the following:

19th century, notable Hispanic USNA graduates

  • Commodore Robert F. Lopez, USN - USNA Class of 1879. Born in Davenport, Iowa. Appointed from Tennessee, 9th Congressional District, Lopez was admitted to the USNA on September 29, 1874.[5] Captain Lopez retired from the Navy in 1911 as a Commodore.[7] During World War I, he was recalled to active duty. Lopez served as Commandant of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard north of San Francisco.[7]

1900-1959, notable Hispanic USNA graduates

1960-present, notable Hispanic USNA graduates

  • Rear Admiral Henry F. Herrera, USN – USNA Class of 1966. Hails from Miami Springs, Florida, he was the commanding officer of two fleet ballistic missile submarines, the President of the Board of Inspection and Survey, the Commander of Submarine Group NINE, and the Director, C41 Systems (J-6), U.S. Strategic Command.[20][21]
  • Rear Admiral Marc Y.E. Pelaez, USN – USNA Class of 1968. He was commanding officer of nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Sunfish, director of submarine technology at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and Chief of the Office of Naval Research.[22]
  • Rear Admiral George "Rico" Mayer, USN – USNA Class of 1975. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, became a naval aviator and assumed his current assignment as Commander, Naval Safety Center, in August 2005. Mayer earned a master's degree from the U.S. Naval War College.[23][24]
  • Brigadier General
    Expeditionary Strike Group Three. This event marked the first time in history that a United States Marine Corps officer took command of a Naval flotilla. His has a Bachelor of Science (Physics) and a Master of Science (Systems Management) degree from the University of Southern California.[25]
  • Rear Admiral
    San Diego, California, His academic background include a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering and two master's degree; Master of Arts in Management & Supervision and Masters of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering. DeLoach is the Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Requirements and Assessments. DeLoach played an instrumental role in implementing a visionary "Memorandum of Understanding" between the Submarine Force Active component and the Reserve component. He helped pioneer many key initiatives that have since been adopted Navy-wide.[26]
  • Captain
  • Rear Admiral
    Irish and Hispanic descent, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering. Brady's academic accomplishments also include a Master of Arts in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School. He attended the Air Force Command and Staff College, and completed Navy Nuclear Power training and Level Three acquisition training. Prior to his current position, Brady was the Commander of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.[28]
  • Commander Lilia L. Ramirez (ret.), USN – USNA Class of 1981. Born in Colombia and raised in Glen Cove, New York, she was one of the first four Hispanic female graduates of the academy. She is currently the Director of the International Programs Office, for the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate.[29]
  • Colonel
    Desert Storm. Colonel Loria was the Naval Test Wing Atlantic's test pilot of the year in 1995. In 1996 he was the runner up for the Society of Experimental Test Pilot's coveted Iven C. Kinchloe Award for the test pilot of the year world-wide. Selected by NASA in April 1996, Loria completed two years of training and evaluation, and qualified for flight assignment as a pilot. From September 2002 through July 2003 he served as the Chief of Flight Test for the Orbital Space Plane Program.[30]
  • Colonel
    Medellín, Colombia; and Rochester Hills, Michigan. In June 1998, Zamka was selected for the astronaut program, and reported for training in August. Zamka served as lead for the shuttle training and procedures division and as supervisor for the astronaut candidate class of 2004. Zamka made his first spaceflight as the pilot of STS-120, This was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station to deliver the U.S. Node 2 Module, while also reconfiguring part of the station to prepare it for future assembly missions. The mission was flown in September 2007 by Space Shuttle Atlantis.[31]

Gallery of Hispanic USNA Alumni

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ "United States Naval Academy - Introduction" (PDF). United States Naval Academy Catalog 2005-2006. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  2. ^ Young, Julia (July 2004). "Not Your Average Undergrad". LATINA Style. 10 (5). Archived from the original on 2008-04-04. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  3. ^ "El Navy". Archived from the original on 2007-05-01. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
  4. ^ "United States Naval Academy". Retrieved 2007-04-30.
  5. ^ a b United States Naval Academy records on Robert F. Lopez.
  6. ^ Capt. Gottschalk, USNA Institutional Research office. Retrieved May 31, 2007
  7. ^ a b [see above]
  8. ^ David H. Lippman. "August 5, 1942 - August 8, 1942". World War II Plus 55. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
  9. ^ "Lieutenant General Pedro A. Del Valle, USMC". History Division. United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2006.
  10. ^ "Hyperwar USMC". Retrieved 2007-04-30.
  11. ^ Richard Worth; David Williams; Richard Leonard; Mark Horan. "Order of Battle: Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942". World War II - Battles of the Pacific. NavWeaps. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  12. ^ *Robert F. Dorr (January 26, 2004). "Damn the Torpedoes! Former VCNO excelled in combat, technical roles". Navy Times. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  13. ^ "The Submarine Forces Diversity Trailblazer - Capt. Marion Frederick Ramirez de Arellano"; Summer 2007 Undersea Warfare magazine; pg.31
  14. ^ "CAPT Marion Frederic Ramírez de Arellano". USNA graduates of Hispanic descent for the Class of 1911, 1915, 1924, 1927, 1931, 1935, 1939, 1943, 1947. Association of Naval Services Officers. February 27, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  15. OCLC 45342848
    .
  16. ^ "First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez, USMC". Who's who in Marine Corps History. Archived from the original on 2007-04-30. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  17. ^ Hispanics in America's Defense By DIANE Publishing, Retrieved March 4, 2007
  18. NASA Advisory Council. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Archived from the original
    on 2009-01-19. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
  19. ^ "Japan, Commander US Naval Forces - Lists of Commanding Officers and Senior Officials of the US Navy". Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. Archived from the original on 2007-12-02. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  20. ^ "History of the Board of Inspection and Survey". Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, United States Navy. Archived from the original on 2005-12-16. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  21. ^ United States Navy press release (September 1993). "Navy Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Contributions". FindArticles.com. Retrieved 2007-04-17.[dead link]
  22. ^ "USNA graduates of Hispanic descent, Class of 1960 - present (Flag Rank)". Association of Naval Service Officers. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  23. ^ "Rear Admiral George E. Mayer, Commander, Naval Safety Center". U.S. Navy Biographies. United States Navy. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
  24. ^ Rudi Williams (October 8, 2005). "Admiral Earns Executive Excellence Award from Hispanic Engineers". DefenseLINK News. U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  25. ^ "Official Biography for Joseph V. Medina". United States Marine Corps. May 31, 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-02-15. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
  26. ^ "Rear Admiral Jay A. DeLoach". U.S. Navy Biographies. United States Navy. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
  27. ^ "NASA Biographical Data-Lopez-Alegria". Astronaut Biographies. NASA. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
  28. ^ Rear Admiral Patrick H. Brady Commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center
  29. ^ Ramirez, Anna Tulia. "Working Woman: Commander Lilia L. Ramirez, U.S. Navy (Retired), Natural Born Leader & Pioneer". Para MI. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
  30. ^ "NASA Biographical Data-Christopher J. "Gus" Loria". Astronaut Biographies. NASA. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
  31. ^ "Eight Hispanic American Space Explorers". NASA Facts. Retrieved 2007-05-07.[permanent dead link]

External links