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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 29, 2023
A TALE OF TWO ENGINES
By USS Bataan (LHD 5) Public Affairs
An engine is commonly known as the centerpiece of many machines… just as integral its surrounding components as the heart is to the human body.
For Engineman 2nd Class Amado Mena, assigned to the Engineering Department onboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), engines are not only literally in his job title, but also are a part of life both in and out of uniform.
By day, Mena is one of several Sailors in the Bataan’s Engine Shop who are responsible for maintaining the ship’s diesel engines, low pressure air compressors, high pressure air compressors and fire pumps.
“I picked Engineman because it’s something I’ve related to throughout my life. Even before the military I was wrenching on engines or working on something,” explained the Killeen, Texas native. “When I saw the engineman rating, I picked it and I can honestly say I haven’t regretted it since.”
By night, Mena takes pride in maintaining a much different engine… this one belonging to a baby blue 1963 Chevrolet Impala which according to Mena, has become somewhat of a family heirloom.
“The car has been in the family for over 20 years now, and we’ve just been putting love, parts, time and money into it,” said Mena “I remember working on the car with [my father] and he would tell me that this car was mine, and that he would eventually upgrade and the car would be passed down to me. I eventually saved enough money to get it sent out to me here in Virginia Beach.”
For Mena, the influence for both his interest in cars and his decision to join the military came from his father, who is a retired U.S. Army Warrant Officer and also a member of a car club. He explained that the car originally began as a pet project of his father’s in the early 2000s, and is what led to his love for low-riding culture.
“When I was a kid, my dad told me to come outside. When I did, I saw that on the trailer of his truck was the 1963 Impala. He told me he had a lot of plans for it, and for the next five or six years he was constantly working on it and I was always there kind of like the ‘flashlight kid’,” he explained. “All of his [car club] buddies would be over at the house all week and then we would go to car meets on the weekends. I was basically always around the car culture.”
To date, the father-son team have refurbished more than half of the car’s parts to include the engine block, transmission, tires, brakes, and even the chrome trim.
“To me it’s really relaxing, my mind goes blank and I’m only worried about what I’m doing right now. It’s just about the car when I’m with it. Sometimes I’ll get home from work at 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. and get straight to wrenching on my car. It’s what I love to do,” he said. “It’s been something that I never want to get rid of. Hopefully one day I can pass [the car] down to any kids I have, and just keep it in the family.”
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| Date Taken: | 01.29.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2023 03:02 |
| Story ID: | 456366 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A TALE OF TWO ENGINES, by PO2 Matthew Brown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
