MANILA, Philippines -- He may have been born and raised in the United States, but Filipino-American US Navy Commander Leopoldo Albea Jr. considers himself more of a Filipino.
Albea, whose parents are originally from Polangui, Albay, is the captain of the USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG – 108), the US Navy’s latest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer.
The USS Wayne E. Meyer, along with its sister warship the USS Chafee, arrived last weekend for port and goodwill visit. Both ships are scheduled to leave today and continue with their Asia-Pacific tour.
Albea gave News5 an exclusive tour of his ship and noted he brought to his command the lessons and Filipino values imparted to him by his parents, such as discipline, hard work, gratefulness and the importance of family.
Albea assumed command of the USS Wayne E. Meyer in March 2011. It was a dream come true for any naval officer and is also a source of pride for his father, who served in the US Navy for 28 years His parents met in California when they emigrated to the US in the 60s and settled in Oxnard.
His father, Leopoldo Sr., joined the US Navy as a steward and worked his way up through the ranks, retiring in 1992 with the rank of Command Master Chief – the highest rank an enlisted person can reach. “That meant he was the commanding officer’s right hand man with respective issues such as the crews’ quality of life and service,” Albea recounted.
source: interaksyon.com
