Expeditionary Strike Group THREE Observes European-American Heritage

Photo By Vernishia Vaughn | 150327-N-GP839-011 Mike Martin and his wife, (far right) along with their guests, fix their plate during a pot luck following the commands European-American celebration in the Flag Conference Room. The potluck included various dishes from around the world. The ceremony is the first at ESG-3 and meant to recognize the heritage of European-Americans and included multimedia presentations from different ethnic backgrounds not limited to Portuguese, Italian, Swedish and Irish. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Vernishia R. Vaughn/Released)  

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

03.27.2015

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Vernishia Vaughn 

Expeditionary Strike Group 3

SAN DIEGO - Sailors, Marines, and civilians assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group Three (ESG-3) participated in a European-American observance, March 27.

During the first-ever European-American heritage observation, members of ESG-3 took turns sharing their heritage and unique facts about their families.

The ethnicities represented included Portuguese, Irish, Italian, Swedish and others. Immediately following the celebration, ESG-3 staff enjoyed a potluck where the menu included dishes from all over the world.

Operations Specialist Senior Chief Petty Officer Aiello, who discussed his Italian-American ethnicity, expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to share his culture.

“As a proud Italian-American, I enjoy celebrating others. And to now be celebrated in part of the European-American heritage means a lot,” said Aiello. “Just as our guest speaker Mike Martin said, ‘celebrating who we are isn’t about pride, it’s about celebrating our heritage.’”

Aiello along with Karen Diaz-Pellot, a retired senior chief petty officer, organized the event where Diaz-Pellot served as emcee.

“Our goal during this observance was to encourage one another to look outside the box when planning these cultural events,” said Diaz-Pellot. “Hopefully, and I’m sure RDML Ponds feels the same way, this is the beginning to an annual observance as we cater to our diverse Navy by celebrating everyone.”

The European-American observance provided an opportunity for European-Americans within the command to share their background and experiences. Currently there is no nationally recognized observance for Americans of European decent.

• Date Taken: 03.27.2015
• Date Posted: 03.31.2015 00:23
• Story ID: 158609
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US