Ready when the call to fight terrorism came upon the United States after 9/11, Hispanic Americans enlisted and served as officers in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps abroad in the Middle East.

Dedicated individuals such as then Hospitalman Apprentice Luis E. Fonseca, Jr., received the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism while serving with the U.S. Marines during the battle of An Nasiriyah, Iraq in March 2003.

In 2006, Joe Campa became the first Hispanic Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. The following year, Commander Yvette Davids became the first Hispanic female to command a surface combatant.

Early in 2010, Lieutenant Commander Kathryn Berndt, MC, USN, helped with the Navy's humanitarian mission to Haiti after the earthquake. Rounding out this talent is Rear Admiral Albert Garcia III, CEC, USN, leading with brilliance in the Civil Engineering Corps.

Return to the Hispanic American photograph organization page Hispanic Americans in the U.S. Navy.

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Photo #: NH 106959-KN (Color) Hospitalman Luis E. Fonseca, Jr., USN Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Mr. Gordon R. England, presents the Navy Cross to Hospitalman Fonseca Jr., during a ceremony held by the Flag Pole at the U.S. Naval Hospital at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, August 2004. Under fire and without concern for his own safety, he saved the lives of several sounded Marines while serving with Amphibious Assault Vehicle Platoon, Company C, First Battalion, Second Marines, Task Force Tarawa, Second Marine Expeditionary Force during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Currently, Fonseca is now a Hospital Corpsman Second Class. Photographer: Lance Corporal Nathan L. Barnes, USMC. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 109KB; 640 x 925
Photo #: NH 106960-KN (Color) Rear Admiral Albert Garcia III, CEC, USN Poses with staff to celebrate the Seabees birthday on 5 March 2008. At this time, Rear Admiral Garcia III was the Deputy Chief of First Naval Construction Division. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 136KB; 900 x 615
Photo #: NH 106961-KN (Color) Commander Miguel A. Cubano, MC, USN and Commander Eliseo E. Bautista, MC, USN Commanders Cubano and Bautista operate on a patient at U.S. Naval Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida. In 2003, Commander Cubano was named by the Puerto Rico Medical Society as "Physician of the Year". Photographer: Loren Barnes. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 105KB; 900 x 700
Photo #: NH 106962-KN (Color) Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Joe Campa, USN Master Chief Petty Officer of Navy Campa speaks to a group of sailors with Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughhead, USN, in the background. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Online Image: 85KB; 900 x 645
Photo #: NH 106963-KN (Color) Information Systems Technician First Class Yasenia Yasay, USN Information Systems Technican First Class Yasay is being pinned a First Class by Rear Admiral John Miller, Commander, Carrier Strike Group Eleven and Chief Information Systems Technician Jason Sabater. Yasay received the meritorious promotion through the command advancement program while serving on board USS Nimitz (CVN-68), March 2009. Photographer: MC3 Patrick Heil, USN. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 129KB; 900 x 665
Photo #: NH 106964-KN (Color) Commander Yvette Davids, USN Commander Davids commanded USS Curts (FFG-38). She is pictured with unidentified Royal Malaysian Navy officers, 2009. Davids was the first Hispanic American female officer to command a surface warship in 2007. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 71KB; 900 x 620
Photo #: NH 106968-KN (Color) Culinary Specialist First Class Mauricio Sanchez, USN Culinary Specialist Sanchez, from San Antonio, California hugs his sons after the mine countermeasure ship USS Warrior (MCM 10) arrives at its new homeport in San Diego. Warrior transited from Ingleside, Texas in accordance with the Defense Base Relocation and Closure Commission, April 2009. Photographer: MC1 Krishna Jackson, USN. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 125KB; 900 x 655
Photo #: NH 106965-KN (Color) USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Operating Ward Surgeons prepare a twelve-year old Haitian girl with a severe head injury for surgery on board USS Carl Vinson. Successful, they removed a piece of concrete from the child's brain caused by the Haiti Earthquake on 12 January 2010. During this time USS Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW-17) conducted humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage near Port-au-Prince. Surgeons are: (left to right): Commander Jerry Berman, MC, USN; Dr. Henri R. Ford, Los Angles Pediatric Hospital Surgeon-in-Chief; (originally from Haiti); Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN medical correspondent; and Lieutenant Commander Kathryn Berndt, MC, USN Photographer: MC2 Michael C. Barton, USN. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Online Image: 127KB; 595 x 925

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To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.