2 Pinoys among Annapolis grads

June 4, 2008  --  Got something to say?
Print This Post Print This Post

By Jose Katigbak
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland - Two Filipinos, John Berjuega of Catanduanes and
Carl Catalan of Dumaguete, and 14 other foreigners from 10 different
countries graduated from the US Naval Academy.
They were among 1,037 cadets who received their ensign’s bars on May 23
from the prestigious academy at Annapolis, about an hour’s drive from
Washington DC.
Also included in the class of 2008 were a number of Filipino
Americans, including Jerson Garcia Peredo of California and Geraldine
Favor Manalo of Virginia.
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the
graduating seniors that they lived “in a dangerous time in a very
dangerous world” and advised them to follow three rules if they wished
to succeed in their military career: “Learn from your mistakes, have the
courage to stand up for what is right even if that means questioning
authority and be accountable for your actions.”
“Few things are more damaging to our democracy than an officer who
doesn’t have the moral courage to stand up for what is right,” Mullen said.

Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter told the cadets: “You serve at a
time when terrorists make no secrets of their goals. We must remain
strong, and we must fight back.”

Berjuega and Catalan will have to serve a minimum eight years in the
Philippine Navy to help pay off $200,000 invested in each of them by the
government to cover their board, tuition and stipend in four years at
Annapolis.

Juanito Catalan, who works for Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) in
Dumaguete, Oriental Negros, said he is “very, very proud of his son Carl
but at the same time apprehensive because I know that at some point he
will be in harm’s way.”

Among those who traveled to Annapolis to see the newly minted Filipino
ensigns were Capt. Rolando Recomono, naval attaché at the Philippine
Embassy in Washington, and Capt. Zyril Carlos who is himself graduating
next month from the Naval War College in Rhode Island after a 10-month
advanced course on joint operations and strategy formulation.

Berjuega who majored in information technology, and Catalan, whose
expertise is ocean engineering, are the latest in a list of about 50
Filipinos who have graduated from Annapolis.

They said they are excited at the prospect of going back home to serve
in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and are looking forward specially
to “working with our enlisted men who are more respectful of their
officers.”


Posted by News Team | Filed Under US News 

Comments

Got something to say?





Authentic Diecast Model Cars