Photo By Staff Sgt. Chelsea Weaver | U.S. Army Col. Ronnie Taylor, Chief of Staff South Carolina Army National Guard,...... read more read more
Subscribe
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – The South Carolina National Guard celebrated Hispanic Heritage month with a ceremony and luncheon in the Adjutant Generals building, Columbia, South Carolina Oct. 5, 2017.
U.S. Army Col. Ronnie Taylor, chief of staff for the South Carolina National Guard, welcomed all the presenters and guests. He said, “The South Carolina National Guard enjoys honoring its Soldiers and Airmen and recognizing that it is through our diversity that we are a stronger, more capable organization.”
A highlight of the ceremony was when U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Luis Feliciano, a Soldier in the 678th Air Defense Artillery Battalion in Eastover, S.C., was recognized for his heroism during his full-time job with the Cayce Department of Public Safety. On Feb. 4, 2017 he saved a woman from her burning house.
“I had already left work, it was my 25th wedding anniversary and I was planning to have dinner with my wife. As I was driving I saw the burning house so I immediately stopped. A lady came outside but went back in and did not quickly come back so I did what I thought I had to do,” said Feliciano. “I had fire fighter gear in my car so I put it on and went inside. She stated she did not want to leave her kids, however, her kids were not inside. When we got back outside, the house was fully involved.”
Taylor presented Feliciano with the second highest award a Soldier can earn, the Medal of Valor.
“I’m humbled,” said Feliciano. “I was not expecting any award. I'm speechless, I was just doing my job.”
“Soldiers like him are the backbone of our military,” said Taylor. “His service to his community, state and nation is an example for us all.”
The guest speaker for the ceremony was Maria Martin. Martin is the Director of Programs for PASOs, a community-based organization that helps the Latin community. She is a voice for the betterment of Hispanic/Latino indigent populations.
The ceremony ended with a performance by the band Palmetto Latin 5. They played a variety of jazz with a Latin Flare.
“Our Soldiers and Airmen take great pride in knowing they work in a strong, culturally diverse organization,” said Taylor. “We focus on being a team, not individuals. We work together for common goals. And we strive to reach beyond our organization, sharing knowledge, learning from others and helping in times of need.”
“This month, we have sent 150 Soldiers and equipment to Puerto Rico to help after Hurricane Maria,” continued Taylor. “We have a continuing State Partnership with Colombia and a new partnership with Brazil that we are very excited about.”
| Date Taken: | 10.05.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.10.2017 15:16 |
| Story ID: | 251130 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 112 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, South Carolina National Guard Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, by 1LT Tracci Dorgan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT