FORT SILL, Okla. (Oct. 2, 2014) -- An American Soldier of Puerto Rican-Hungarian descent was the guest speaker at the Installation Equal Opportunity Office's National Hispanic Heritage Month lunch Sept. 23, at the Staff Sgt. Juan Garcia Dining Facility.
The lunch was part of Fort Sill's activities to recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans during the monthlong celebration.
Maj. Delia Ihasz, 168th Brigade Support Battalion support operations officer, spoke about notable Hispanics and how they have shaped American culture including the fields of music, cuisine and politics.
Texas' first Latino Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio are both potential presidential candidates in the 2016 election, said Ihasz, who is from Streetsboro, Ohio.
Hispanics have served in the Army since its beginning and have made special contributions to the service, said Ihasz, who enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1995 as a preventive medicine specialist.
"As far back as the Revolutionary War, troops from Spain, Mexico and Caribbean nations along with Hispanic-Americans were instrumental in defeating British forces along the Gulf of Mexico," she said. "Hispanics played a major role in securing victory for the United States during the War of 1812 in nearly every battle."
Their contributions would continue in every campaign including the Civil War to the current fight, where about 53,000 Hispanic-American Soldiers are on active duty, said Ihasz, who was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant after graduating from The Ohio State University ROTC program.
Before and after Ihasz spoke, images of notable Hispanic-Americans flashed upon a monitor as Hispanic music played.
They told the story of retired Master Sgt. Roy Benavidez, a Special Forces Soldier who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam; and astrophysicist Dr. France Córdova, the youngest ever and first woman to hold the position of NASA chief scientist. The presentation also told origins of National Hispanic Heritage Month and how the observance was expanded in 1988.
Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy McLain, Installation Equal Opportunity adviser, said his office will continue to provide these free observances so Soldiers can attend them during their lunch hour at the Garcia DFAC, which is the main eating facility for permanent-duty Soldiers at Fort Sill.
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