Diego E. Hernandez
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernandez (born c.1930) is a retired United States Navy
officer who was the first Hispanic to be named Vice Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command
(NORAD).
, the Capital of Puerto Rico where he received his primary education. Upon his high school graduation, he was able to attend Illinois Institute of Technology
with a Navy ROTC scholarship. In 1955, he earned a degree in Physics and was commissioned an Ensign
in the United States Navy
upon his graduation. He then underwent flight training and on August 1956, was designated a Naval Aviator
.
. He also served as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Carrier Division 14. At sea, he was the commander of a fighter squadron, a carrier air wing, and a fleet oiler (the USS Truckee).
On June 27, 1980, Captain Diego E. Hernandez relieved outgoing Captain Myers and took command of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVA/CV-67). It was capable of anti-submarine warfare
(ASW), making it an all-purpose carrier.
On September 19, 1980, Libyan Air Force
planes engaged in an unprecedented number of sorties in the vicinity of USS John F. Kennedy’s Battle Group over international waters. F-14’s under E-2
control intercepted two Libyan sections, and six and eighteen sections, respectively, on September 20 and 21.
On August 29, 1981, after a change of command ceremony, Captain D. Bruce Cargill relieved Captain Hernandez as commander of the USS John F. Kennedy.
In 1988, Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernandez as Commander, Third Fleet
, coordinated RIMPAC '88
, a massive naval exercise which included more than 40 ships, approximately 200 aircraft and more than 50,000 sailors
, airmen and Marines
from the United States
, Japan
, Australia
and Canada
. This exercise marked the first inclusion of a battleship, USS Missouri
, as a component in RIMPAC.
In 1987, Hernandez was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Puerto Rican Coalition. In 1988, he was named the distinguished graduate of his class by Illinois Institute of Technology and presented with the institutions Professional Achievement Award. Hernandez, retired from the Navy in 1991, after having served for a total of 36 years.
. He serves as management consultant to private and public companies. In 1997 he was named to the board of directors of the Taylor Energy Company LLC. He is also a member of the Veterans Administration
Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans. Hernandez is also a member of the Companions of the Naval Order, the oldest, exclusively naval, American society.
Badges:
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer who was the first Hispanic to be named Vice Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
(NORAD).
Early years
Hernandez (birth name: Diego Hernandez Sanfeliz) was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, the Capital of Puerto Rico where he received his primary education. Upon his high school graduation, he was able to attend Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
with a Navy ROTC scholarship. In 1955, he earned a degree in Physics and was commissioned an Ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
upon his graduation. He then underwent flight training and on August 1956, was designated a Naval Aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
.
Military career
Hernandez served in carrier-based fighter squadrons at sea in a variety of assignments. He flew two combat tours in Vietnam during the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He also served as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Carrier Division 14. At sea, he was the commander of a fighter squadron, a carrier air wing, and a fleet oiler (the USS Truckee).
On June 27, 1980, Captain Diego E. Hernandez relieved outgoing Captain Myers and took command of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVA/CV-67). It was capable of anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW), making it an all-purpose carrier.
On September 19, 1980, Libyan Air Force
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
planes engaged in an unprecedented number of sorties in the vicinity of USS John F. Kennedy’s Battle Group over international waters. F-14’s under E-2
E-2 Hawkeye
The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is an American all-weather, aircraft carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning aircraft. This twin-turboprop aircraft was designed and developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s by the Grumman Aircraft Company for the United States Navy as a replacement for the...
control intercepted two Libyan sections, and six and eighteen sections, respectively, on September 20 and 21.
On August 29, 1981, after a change of command ceremony, Captain D. Bruce Cargill relieved Captain Hernandez as commander of the USS John F. Kennedy.
United States 3rd Fleet
The Third Fleet is one of seven numbered fleets in the United States Navy. Third Fleet's area of responsibility includes approximately fifty million square miles of the eastern and northern Pacific ocean areas including the Bering Sea, Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and a sector of the Arctic...
, coordinated RIMPAC '88
RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime exercise. Conducted biennially , it is hosted and administered by the United States Navy, with the United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, and Hawaii National Guard forces under the leadership of...
, a massive naval exercise which included more than 40 ships, approximately 200 aircraft and more than 50,000 sailors
Sailors
Sailors is the plural form of Sailor, or mariner.Sailors may also refer to:*Sailors , a 1964 Swedish film*Ken Sailors , American basketball playerSports teams*Erie Sailors, baseball teams in Pennsylvania, USA...
, airmen and Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. This exercise marked the first inclusion of a battleship, USS Missouri
USS Missouri (BB-63)
|USS Missouri is a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri...
, as a component in RIMPAC.
Vice Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command
His last assignment on active duty was as Deputy Commander in Chief U.S. Space Command, dual hatted as Vice Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command.In 1987, Hernandez was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Puerto Rican Coalition. In 1988, he was named the distinguished graduate of his class by Illinois Institute of Technology and presented with the institutions Professional Achievement Award. Hernandez, retired from the Navy in 1991, after having served for a total of 36 years.
Later years
Diego E. Hernandez resides in Miami, FloridaMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. He serves as management consultant to private and public companies. In 1997 he was named to the board of directors of the Taylor Energy Company LLC. He is also a member of the Veterans Administration
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans. Hernandez is also a member of the Companions of the Naval Order, the oldest, exclusively naval, American society.
Awards and decorations
Among Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernandez' decorations and medals were the following:
Navy Distinguished Service MedalNavy Distinguished Service MedalThe Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...
Silver StarSilver StarThe Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
Purple HeartPurple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious Service Medal (United States)The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
with gold star
Air MedalAir MedalThe Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star
National Defense Medal
Vietnam Service MedalVietnam Service MedalThe Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...
Vietnam Campaign MedalVietnam Campaign MedalThe Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military recognition awarded by the Republic of Vietnam, , to any member of the United States, Australian, New Zealand and allied military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.Established in 1966, the decoration is...
Badges:
- Naval Aviator Badge
See also
- Hispanic Admirals in the United States NavyHispanic Admirals in the United States NavyHispanic Admirals in the United States Navy can trace their tradition of naval military service to the Hispanic sailors, who have served in the Navy during every war and conflict since the American Revolution. Prior to the Civil War, the highest rank reached by a Hispanic-American in the U.S. Navy...
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel