ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 132006Z AUG 02 ZYB MIN PSN 672166J28
 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
 
TO NAVADMIN
 
UNCLAS //N05000//
NAVADMIN 244/02
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/N1//
 
SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH 2002//
 
RMKS/1.  NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WILL BE OBSERVED FROM 15
SEP TO 15 OCT 02.  THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS "HISPANIC
AMERICANS:  STRENGTH IN UNITY, FAITH, AND DIVERSITY."
 
2.  HISPANIC AMERICANS HAVE ENJOYED A RICH MILITARY HERITAGE IN
DEFENSE OF THIS NATION AND HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO
OUR NATION'S HISTORY.  HISPANIC AMERICANS HAVE A PROUD HERITAGE THAT
ALL MILITARY LEADERS OF THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY CAN EMULATE.  "HERO
STREET, USA," FORMERLY NAMED SECOND STREET, LOCATED IN SILVIS,
ILLINOIS, EARNED ITS NAME BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE EIGHT YOUNG
HISPANIC AMERICAN MEN OF MEXICAN DESCENT MADE WHEN THEY GAVE THEIR
LIVES IN WORLD WAR II AND THE KOREAN WAR.  THE PATRIOTISM THESE MEN
DISPLAYED HAS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.  HERO STREET, USA, HAS
SENT MORE THAN 110 MEN AND WOMEN TO SERVE IN THE ARMED FORCES; MORE
THAN ANY OTHER AMERICAN STREET OF COMPARABLE SIZE.  THE STREET IS
ONLY A BLOCK AND A HALF IN LENGTH.
 
3.  RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY WERE RECOGNIZED
IN MAY 02, WHEN LCDR ANGEL R. RIVERA, USN, AND AVCM(AW) ROBERT
MIRELES, USN, WERE AWARDED THE PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL IMAGE,
INCORPORATED MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND THE U.S. NAVY.  VALUING
THE DIVERSITY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL AND FOSTERING AN ATMOSPHERE OF
INCLUSION IS CRUCIAL TO THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THE U.S. NAVY.
 
4.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS OBSERVANCE IS TO INCREASE OUR AWARENESS AND
UNDERSTANDING OF HISPANIC AMERICANS AND HONOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO
OUR SOCIETY.  ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO CELEBRATE
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS,
PUBLICATIONS, AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
THAT RECOGNIZE THE DIVERSITY OF OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE.  VISIT WEB
SITE WWW.PERSNET.NAVY.MIL/PERS00H/OBSERVANCES.HTML FOR INFORMATION ON
CULTURAL OBSERVANCE MONTHS.  POC IS LCDR DEBORAH BROWN AT
(901) 874-4283/DSN 882 OR E-MAIL:  P00H1@PERSNET.NAVY.MIL.
 
5.  RELEASED BY VADM NORB RYAN, JR., N1.//
 
BT