MARADMINS : 208/05
R 040730Z MAY 05
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 208/05
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/2005 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH//
POC/R.L. TAYLOR/CAPT/CMC (MPE)/-/TEL:COM 703-784-9372/-//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. MAY IS DESIGNATED AS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN
HERITAGE MONTH. THE 2005 THEME IS "LIBERTY AND FREEDOM FOR ALL".
THIS RECOGNITION WAS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED AS PACIFIC/ASIAN HERITAGE
WEEK BY CONGRESSMEN FRANK HORTON AND NORMAN MINETA IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES IN JUL 1977. ON 23 OCT 1992, THE 102ND CONGRESS
UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED PUBLIC LAW 102-450, DESIGNATING MAY AS ASIAN
PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.
2. THIS MONTH WE CELEBRATE WITH THE APPROXIMATELY TWO-DOZEN DISTINCT
ETHNIC GROUPS THAT COMPRISE THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
WHILE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE NATIONALITIES AND
ETHNICITIES THAT COMPRISE THIS DIVERSE CULTURE, THE COMMONALITY OF
THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATION CANNOT BE OVEREMPHASIZED. ASIAN
PACIFIC AMERICANS HAVE MADE COUNTLESS CONTRIBUTIONS IN MANY ASPECTS
OF AMERICAN LIFE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE ARTS AND
SCIENCES, GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, SPORTS, BUSINESS AND THE MILITARY
SERVICE.
3. THROUGHOUT OUR NATION'S HISTORY ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS HAVE MADE
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH MILITARY SERVICE. IN THE CIVIL
WAR, WORLD WAR I, WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM, THE GULF WAR AND THE
CURRENT GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM, ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS SERVED AND
SACRIFICED FOR OUR NATION'S LIBERTY AND FREEDOM. WITHIN THE MARINE
CORPS, ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS OF ASIAN PACIFIC
HERITAGE IS BRIGADIER GENERAL VINCENTE BLAZ, USMC (RET). BRIGADIER
GENERAL BLAZ WAS BORN IN GUAM AND WAS PRESENT DURING THE WORLD WAR II
JAPANESE OCCUPATION. THIRTY YEARS LATER, AS THE COMMANDING OFFICER
OF THE 9TH MARINE REGIMENT, HE WOULD LEAD ONE OF THE UNITS THAT WAS
INSTRUMENTAL IN THE LIBERATION OF HIS HOMELAND. FOLLOWING HIS
RETIREMENT FROM THE MARINE CORPS, BRIGADIER GENERAL BLAZ RETURNED TO
HIS NATIVE GUAM, TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GUAM, AND IN 1984, WAS
ELECTED TO THE U.S. CONGRESS WHERE HE SERVED FOR FOUR TERMS UNTIL
1993. THIS LEGACY OF SERVICE TO COUNTRY AND CORPS LIVES ON IN
TODAY'S GENERATION OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS. TODAY IN THE MARINE
CORPS, ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS CONTINUE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT
IMPACT IN THE GLOBAL STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM. CURRENTLY THERE
ARE OVER 6000 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN MARINES WHO PROUDLY SERVE
ON ACTIVE DUTY AND IN THE RESERVES, AND WHO CONTINUE TO EMBRACE THE
CORE VALUES OF HONOR, COURAGE, AND COMMITMENT.
4. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ASIAN
PACIFIC AMERICANS, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER
ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN
OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH ON BASE AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.//