Yongsan celebrates Hispanic heritage

By Pvt. Kim Kuan-min (8th U.S. Army Public Affairs)October 22, 2008

Yongsan celebrates Hispanic heritage
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

<strong>YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea</strong> - Emphasizing the meaning of "Our Families, Our Community, and Our Nation", the 8th U.S. Army Special Troops Battalion-Korea hosted the the Yongsan Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Oct. 15 at the Main Post Club.

The ceremony began with a presentation highlighting achievements by Hispanics throughout history. Sgt. 1st Class Vilma Moreno of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Signal Brigade served as the mistress of ceremonies as she danced up to the stage wearing traditional Hispanic clothing to open up the ceremony.

About 100 audience members ethusiastically watched the dance contest, where three couples danced the salsa, meringue and bachata, popular Hispanic dances, for 40 seconds each.

Sgt. 1st Class Wilfredo Santiago, from Headquarters Special Troops Battalion, felt honored to be chosen as the guest speaker for the celebration.

In his speech Santiago said he wanted to bring knowledge to everyone about the Hispanic culture by sharing his own experiences and he wanted to show what the Hispanic culture is all about.

"Be proud of who you are, and make sure you live by the value that you ought to live, and always contribute to what you are doing in the U.S. military," Santiago said as he made his closing remarks.

The festivities didn't end there. Shortly following the guest speaker remarks, the celebration included raffle ticket drawings where officials presented more than $200 dollars in prizes. The festivities commenced with participants having the opportunity to indulge in some popular Hispanic food dishes.

Related Links:

U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan Flickr Site

U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan Official Site