USCG Seeking History on Hispanic Coast Guard Men & Women.  Read below!

UNCLAS //N05750//
ALCOAST 337/11
COMDTNOTE 5750

SUBJ: PROJECT HERNANDEZ - RESCUING U.S. COAST GUARD HISPANIC HISTORY

1.  PROJECT HERNANDEZ IS A DECK-PLATE LEVEL HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION EFFORT TO FIND AND PRESERVE INFORMATION, DOCUMENTS, AND ARTIFACTS RELATED TO THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COAST GUARD MEMBERS OF HISPANIC HERITAGE. BEGUN IN 2008 AS A GENERAL HISPANIC HERITAGE RESEARCH INITIATIVE, THE PROJECT HAS YIELDED A GREAT DEAL OF INTERESTING INFORMATION AND MANY NOTEWORTHY STORIES. MORE WORK STILL REMAINS, HOWEVER, AND I AM ASKING FOR YOUR HELP.

2.  THROUGHOUT HISTORY MANY MINORITY GROUPS HAVE FACED SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN THE COURSE OF SERVING OUR NATION. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES AS AN ORGANIZATION, AND AS A SOCIETY, MANY, HEROIC AND IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY RECOGNIZED, DOCUMENTED, OR ACKNOWLEDGED. SUCH OMISSIONS LEAVE GAPS THAT WEAKEN THE FABRIC OF OUR SERVICES HERITAGE. PROJECT HERNANDEZ SEEKS TO FILL SOME OF THOSE GAPS BY SEARCHING FOR UNDISCOVERED STORIES OF HISPANIC COAST GUARD MEMBERS AND RESCUING THEM FROM THE FOG OF TIME.

3.  PROJECT HERNANDEZ IS NAMED FOR FIREMAN HERIBERTO HERNANDEZ AND HIS BROTHER HECTOR. FN HERNANDEZ WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART AND BRONZE STAR AFTER BEING MORTALLY WOUNDED BY ENEMY FIRE ON DEC 8, 1968, WHILE SERVING ABOARD THE USCGC POINT CYPRESS SMALL BOAT ON A RIVER RECONNAISSANCE MISSION IN VIETNAM. HERNANDEZ OFTEN VOLUNTEERED FOR DANGEROUS MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION MARKET TIME, AND ONE SHIPMATE DESCRIBED HIM AS THE TOUGHEST AND MOST FEARLESS PERSON HE HAD EVER MET. AN ACCOUNT OF FN HERNANDEZS HEROIC ACTIONS ARE POSTED ON THE USCG COMPASS BLOG REGARDING THE COAST GUARDS PLAN TO NAME A SENTINEL-CLASS FAST RESPONSE CUTTER AFTER HIM, INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND USING THIS LINK: HTTP://COASTGUARD.DODLIVE.MIL/ TAG HERNANDEZ. HECTOR HERNANDEZ JOINED THE COAST GUARD IN THE WAKE OF HIS BROTHERS DEATH AND SERVED ABOARD THE USCGC CHAUTAUQUA DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.  THE SACRIFICE AND HONORABLE SERVICE OF THESE TWO MEN, ONE WHO LOST HIS LIFE AND ANOTHER WHO WAS INSPIRED BY HIS FALLEN BROTHER, ARE NOW HIGHLIGHTED TO INSPIRE US TO FULFILL OUR ROLES IN THE COAST GUARD AND CREATE TOMORROWS HISTORY.

4.  I ASK ANY MEMBER OF THE COAST GUARD FAMILY - ACTIVE DUTY, RESERVE, CIVILIAN, RETIRED, VETERAN, AND AUXILIARY, OR THEIR DEPENDENTS, SURVIVORS, SHIPMATES OR FRIENDS - WHO HAVE INFORMATION, DOCUMENTS, STORIES, PHOTOS, FILMS OR VIDEO, RELATED TO HEROIC OR SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS OF HISPANIC COAST GUARD MEMBERS TO CONTACT PROJECT HERNANDEZ, C/O USCG ATLANTIC AREA HISTORIAN. IN KEEPING WITH THE DECK-PLATE ORIGINS OF THE PROJECT, PLEASE PASS THE WORD ABOUT PROJECT HERNANDEZ TO ANY VETERANS GROUPS, RETIREE COUNCILS, ETC., WHOSE MEMBERS MAY HAVE INFORMATION TO SHARE. I URGE YOU TO PUSH THIS INFORMATION OUT SO GROUPS OR ORGANIZATIONS CAN INCLUDE OUR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IN OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS THEY MAY BE PLANNING FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, SEPT 15-OCT 15. TO ASSIST IN THIS ENDEAVOR, PLEASE USE OUR CALL-TO-ACTION VIDEO AT THE FOLLOWING LINK:

HTTP://CGVI.USCG.MIL/ WITH THE SEARCH TERM FN HERNANDEZ. YOU CAN ALSO VIEW IT ON YOUTUBE AT: HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/ TAG PROJECT HERNANDEZ.

5.  MEMBERS OF OUR ORGANIZATION FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS ARE IMPORTANT TO THE FABRIC OF OUR COAST GUARD. I PERSONALLY APPRECIATE THE CULTURE OF ACCEPTANCE, EQUALITY, AND RESPECT THAT MEMBERS OF THE COAST GUARD EXTEND TO ONE ANOTHER AS SHIPMATES AND COLLEAGUES. THESE ARE, AFTER ALL, OUR CORE VALUES.

6.  POINTS OF CONTACT:

A. DR. WILLIAM H. THIESEN: ATLANTIC AREA HISTORIAN, PHONE: 757-398-6643, E-MAIL: WILLIAM.H.THIESEN (AT) USCG.MIL, OR

B.  RADM JOSEPH "PEPE" CASTILLO, ELEVENTH DISTRICT COMMANDER, PHONE: 510-437-3968, EMAIL JOSEPH.R.CASTILLO (AT) USCG.MIL.

7.  VADM J. P. CURRIER, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR MISSION SUPPORT, SENDS.
8.  INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.