ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 112340Z SEP 01 ZYB MIN PSN 992977J43
 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
 
TO NAVADMIN
 
UNCLAS //N05354//
NAVADMIN 239/01
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/N1//
 
SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH 2001//
 
RMKS/1.  NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WILL BE OBSERVED FROM 15
SEP TO 15 OCT 01.  THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS "PAVING
THE WAY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS."  THE CONTINUED STRENGTH AND SUCCESS
OF OUR GREAT NATION DEPENDS ON OUR YOUNG GENERATIONS -- THE LEADERS
OF TOMORROW WHO WILL GUIDE THE FUTURE SUCCESSES OF OUR NAVY.
 
2.  THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PROMINENT HISPANIC AMERICANS IN THE PAST
HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR THOSE WHO SERVE TODAY.  THESE PROMINENT
INDIVIDUALS INCLUDE ADMIRAL HORACIO RIVERO, A FORMER VICE CHIEF OF
NAVAL OPERATIONS AND THE FIRST NAVY FOUR STAR ADMIRAL OF HISPANIC
HERITAGE; THE HONORABLE EDWARD HIDALGO, THE FIRST HISPANIC TO SERVE
AS SECRETARY OF THE NAVY (1979-1980); AND SEAMEN PHILIP BAZAAR AND
JOHN ORTEGA, WHO WERE AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR THEIR HEROISM
ONBOARD USS SANTIAGO DE CUBA AND USS SARATOGA, RESPECTIVELY, DURING
THE CIVIL WAR.
 
3.  TODAY, SEVERAL HISPANIC AMERICAN LEADERS CONTINUE THE HERITAGE OF
THE PAST AND ARE NOW PAVING THE WAY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.  THE
HONORABLE WILLIAM A. NAVAS, JR., RECENTLY SWORN IN AS THE ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY (MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS) ON 17 JULY
2001, CONTINUES TO PURSUE EXCELLENCE TODAY AS HE HAS DONE IN THE
PAST.  MR. NAVAS SPENT OVER THIRTY-TWO YEARS IN MILITARY SERVICE
AND RETIRED AS A MAJOR GENERAL IN THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD.  HISPANIC
AMERICANS SUCH AS LT JUAN M. GARCIA, USN, AND RPCS MARTIN NEGRON,
USN, RECIPIENTS OF THE 2001 NATIONAL IMAGE, INC. MERITORIOUS SERVICE
AWARD HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES AS LEADERS IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AS
WELL AS THE NAVY.  HISPANIC AMERICAN FLAG OFFICERS SUCH AS RADM
ALBERTO DIAZ, JR., MC, USN; RADM (SEL) RODRIGO C. MELENDEZ, DC, USN;
RDML JOSE L. BETANCOURT, USN; AND RDML GEORGE E. MAYER, USN, ARE ALL
INFLUENTIAL LEADERS WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS YEAR'S THEME.
 
4.  THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS EXPERIENCING A RAPID CHANGE IN
DEMOGRAPHICS.  THE HISPANIC POPULATION REPRESENTS 12 PERCENT OF
AMERICA TODAY, AND WILL REPRESENT APPROXIMATELY 25 PERCENT OF THE
POPULATION BY THE YEAR 2050.  AS THE FASTEST-GROWING ETHNIC GROUP,
HISPANICS HAVE BECOME THE RECRUITMENT TARGET OF ORGANIZATIONS
NATIONWIDE.  RECENTLY, THE NAVY LAUNCHED "ELNAVY.COM" TO ASSIST AND
REACH OUT TO POTENTIAL RECRUITS AND THEIR FAMILIES.  WE ARE PROUD TO
INCLUDE MORE THAN 40,000 OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE U.S. NAVY
ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE COMPONENTS AS THEY PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS.
 
5.  ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC
HERITAGE MONTH THROUGH PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND
PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS RECOGNIZING THE
DIVERSITY OF AMERICAN HERITAGE.  VISIT WEB SITE
WWW.BUPERS.NAVY.MIL/MENTOR FOR INFO ON CULTURAL HERITAGE MONTHS.
 
6.  POC IS LT SAD CARINO AT (703) 695-2651/DSN 225, E-MAIL
P00J1@BUPERS.NAVY.MIL.
 
7.  RELEASED BY VADM NORB RYAN, JR., N1.//
 
BT