MARADMINS : 434/14
R 281817Z AUG 14
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 434/14
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP/MPE//
SUBJ/2014 HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH//
POC//M. J. SHEPPARD/CIV/UNIT: MPE/-/TEL:(703)784-9371/TEL: DSN 278-9371/EMAIL: MARC.SHEPPARD (AT) USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THE NATION OBSERVES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH FROM 15 SEPTEMBER TO 15 OCTOBER TO HONOR THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISPANIC AMERICANS. THIS YEAR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH THEME IS "HISPANICS: A LEGACY OF HISTORY, A PRESENT OF ACTION AND A FUTURE OF SUCCESS." HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH ORIGINALLY BEGAN IN 1968 AS HISPANIC HERITAGE WEEK UNDER PRESIDENT JOHNSON, AND WAS LATER EXPANDED TO A FULL MONTH BY PRESIDENT REAGAN WITH RESPECT TO THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF FIVE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES ON 15 SEPTEMBER - COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, AND NICARAGUA. ALONG WITH THOSE COUNTRIES, MEXICO DECLARED ITS INDEPENDENCE ON 16 SEPTEMBER AND CHILE ON 18 SEPTEMBER.THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY, HISPANIC AMERICANS HAVE DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN THE MARINE CORPS AND CONTINUE TO DO SO TODAY.
2. HEROIC COMBAT SERVICE INCLUDES ACTION DURING THE BOXER REBELLION WORLD WAR I, THE AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN LATIN AMERICA, ALSO KNOWN AS THE BANANA WARS, WORLD WAR II, THE KOREAN WAR, VIETNAM WAR, THE GULF WAR AND MOST RECENTLY THE MILITARY CAMPAIGNS OF AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ.
3. THE FIRST MARINE OF HISPANIC DESCENT TO RECEIVE THE MEDAL OF HONOR WAS PRIVATE FRANCE SILVA DURING THE BOXER REBELLION. ON 19 JUNE 1900, 1ST REGIMENT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE CITY OF TIENTSIN AND FAILED. FOUR DAYS LATER, THE REGIMENT WAS ABLE TO ENTER TIENTSIN AND FORCE THE CHINESE FORCES TO RETREAT TO PEKING. PRIVATE SILVA, WHO WAS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED, AND TWO SAILORS, WERE AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR THEIR DEFENSE OF THE CIVILIAN COMPOUND AT PEKING. THEY DEFENDED THE WALLED CITY FROM JUNE 28 UNTIL THE FALL OF THE CITY ON 17 AUGUST 1900.
4. DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, COMMANDERS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO TAKE TIME TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND CELEBRATE THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISPANIC AMERICANS TO OUR COUNTRY AND CORPS. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
5. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) MR. M.F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//