1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:11,340 --> 00:00:13,800 Hello . Huh . I'm Colonel Spiro cooper 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:15,967 Rockets , commanding officer of Marine 4 00:00:15,967 --> 00:00:18,133 Corps base Hawaii diversity across our 5 00:00:18,133 --> 00:00:20,560 ranks makes us a stronger military 6 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:22,762 because we're able to maximize 7 00:00:22,762 --> 00:00:25,060 individual strengths to achieve ruggles 8 00:00:26,140 --> 00:00:28,230 being inclusive and celebrating our 9 00:00:28,230 --> 00:00:30,000 differences helps us reach our 10 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,140 potential as we work towards a common 11 00:00:32,140 --> 00:00:35,650 objective as a unified force . Marine 12 00:00:35,650 --> 00:00:37,594 corps base . Hawaii takes pride in 13 00:00:37,594 --> 00:00:39,428 celebrating the diversity of its 14 00:00:39,428 --> 00:00:42,060 marines and what a better way of doing 15 00:00:42,060 --> 00:00:44,171 that than sitting down and getting to 16 00:00:44,171 --> 00:00:46,282 know the very marines that contribute 17 00:00:46,282 --> 00:00:48,393 to the basic success and Good morning 18 00:00:48,393 --> 00:00:50,616 marine . Really excited to be here with 19 00:00:50,616 --> 00:00:52,782 you today um and really learn a little 20 00:00:52,782 --> 00:00:54,560 bit about you and your families 21 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,810 questions I'd love to ask , ask you is 22 00:00:56,820 --> 00:01:00,030 how important was your culture kind of 23 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,500 growing up ? It's extremely important 24 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:04,833 because it gave us a sense of belonging . 25 00:01:04,833 --> 00:01:07,710 My family was always very um 26 00:01:08,540 --> 00:01:11,250 united in a sense where we would have 27 00:01:11,260 --> 00:01:14,860 uh large gatherings of almost like 100 28 00:01:14,860 --> 00:01:18,040 people in the house and almost every 29 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,590 weekend was barbecue was very important 30 00:01:20,590 --> 00:01:22,757 for us to have that culture family was 31 00:01:22,757 --> 00:01:24,868 very , very important and having that 32 00:01:24,868 --> 00:01:28,110 unity and bringing that over to uh Just 33 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,580 as a leader here has been extremely 34 00:01:30,580 --> 00:01:33,030 important . 1st my family showed me 35 00:01:33,030 --> 00:01:36,280 everything I know and because of them I 36 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,740 am the woman today who is kind of that 37 00:01:38,750 --> 00:01:40,861 important person in your life kind of 38 00:01:40,861 --> 00:01:43,028 growing up . That really was that role 39 00:01:43,028 --> 00:01:46,020 model for you both my parents , both of 40 00:01:46,020 --> 00:01:49,860 them did things that I looked up to 41 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,690 and especially my dad , he always 42 00:01:52,690 --> 00:01:56,060 worked hard , which I really admired 43 00:01:56,070 --> 00:01:58,160 about him And then my mom always 44 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,040 fighting doing things for herself , 45 00:02:01,050 --> 00:02:04,660 loving me on and that both of them did 46 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,940 played a lot onto one you today for me 47 00:02:07,940 --> 00:02:09,996 has always been both of my parents . 48 00:02:09,996 --> 00:02:12,107 Both my parents came from Mexico at a 49 00:02:12,107 --> 00:02:14,180 very , very early age . Um actually 50 00:02:14,190 --> 00:02:16,930 first generation american , mexican 51 00:02:16,930 --> 00:02:19,790 american . And it has always been both 52 00:02:19,790 --> 00:02:21,630 my parents . I'm showing me that 53 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:25,290 dedication and that work ethic . So 54 00:02:25,300 --> 00:02:27,540 my brother sir , my brother is actually 55 00:02:27,550 --> 00:02:31,460 the first son to or a family member to 56 00:02:31,460 --> 00:02:33,680 join the marines . And so I look up to 57 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,790 my brother based on kind of your 58 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,100 culture and those kind of bedrocks in 59 00:02:38,100 --> 00:02:40,100 your life . Why did you choose the 60 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:42,211 Marine Corps ? Why was that a calling 61 00:02:42,211 --> 00:02:45,500 for you after me having a son . So that 62 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:47,500 made me want to be better and maybe 63 00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:49,444 wanted to be like my mother . Uh I 64 00:02:49,444 --> 00:02:51,500 wanted to give him everything that I 65 00:02:51,500 --> 00:02:53,389 never had . So I started doing my 66 00:02:53,389 --> 00:02:55,222 research and started looking for 67 00:02:55,222 --> 00:02:57,510 branches and services and uh I learned 68 00:02:57,510 --> 00:02:59,890 about the Marine Corps . I knew I saw 69 00:02:59,890 --> 00:03:02,840 how they conducted themselves the pride 70 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,007 that they had and everything that they 71 00:03:05,007 --> 00:03:07,320 did . So I wanted to be that . So I 72 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,542 went to the Marine Corps recruiting and 73 00:03:09,542 --> 00:03:11,764 I told him I want to join , I want to , 74 00:03:11,764 --> 00:03:13,876 I want to be gone now I want to leave 75 00:03:13,876 --> 00:03:15,876 now . I really saw the pride of the 76 00:03:15,876 --> 00:03:17,542 Marine corps , how they , how 77 00:03:17,542 --> 00:03:19,709 disciplined they were and I wanted , I 78 00:03:19,709 --> 00:03:22,010 wanted to , but this is what have you 79 00:03:22,020 --> 00:03:24,131 brought from your culture , from your 80 00:03:24,131 --> 00:03:26,187 family to make you successful in the 81 00:03:26,187 --> 00:03:28,353 court . So Dominicans are really happy 82 00:03:28,353 --> 00:03:30,980 and they're always laughing . It's um , 83 00:03:30,990 --> 00:03:34,460 they make things so much easier on them 84 00:03:34,460 --> 00:03:36,400 when it comes to um , like their 85 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,910 positivity , they bring it everywhere 86 00:03:38,910 --> 00:03:41,470 they go . And regardless of how hard 87 00:03:41,470 --> 00:03:43,850 things are , they would always pretty 88 00:03:43,850 --> 00:03:46,110 much find a good positive thing out of 89 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,220 anything that happens to them . And 90 00:03:48,220 --> 00:03:51,840 that helps me mold our persona , my 91 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,550 personality because I would always ball 92 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,490 and then with a smile , pretty much get 93 00:03:58,490 --> 00:04:00,768 back into the fight . A lot of parties . 94 00:04:00,768 --> 00:04:02,879 What drove me to where I'm at today . 95 00:04:02,879 --> 00:04:02,720 Um , growing up in the mexican 96 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:04,887 community in mexican culture is , it's 97 00:04:04,887 --> 00:04:07,220 a lot of pride involved . Um , so a lot 98 00:04:07,220 --> 00:04:10,100 of it has allowed me to challenge 99 00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:12,156 myself and to be able to tell myself 100 00:04:12,156 --> 00:04:14,190 that I can do whatever the next big 101 00:04:14,190 --> 00:04:16,301 thing is and push myself to take that 102 00:04:16,301 --> 00:04:18,412 next big challenge . The example that 103 00:04:18,412 --> 00:04:20,650 my parents set was hard work and they 104 00:04:20,650 --> 00:04:22,983 weren't scared of hard work . There was , 105 00:04:22,983 --> 00:04:25,450 they had raised for kids . Um , my 106 00:04:25,450 --> 00:04:27,840 mother had polio . I was born with 107 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:31,160 polio and she worked almost all of , 108 00:04:31,540 --> 00:04:33,762 you know all of her life . You know , I 109 00:04:33,762 --> 00:04:35,818 kind of brought that hard work . The 110 00:04:35,818 --> 00:04:38,710 work ethic along with me and I've never 111 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,664 been scared of it and I think it's 112 00:04:40,664 --> 00:04:42,860 because of the example that they said 113 00:04:42,870 --> 00:04:46,630 Puerto Ricans are fighters were super 114 00:04:46,630 --> 00:04:48,963 dedicated . If you want to do something , 115 00:04:48,963 --> 00:04:51,630 we do it , we move forward . Uh , it 116 00:04:51,630 --> 00:04:53,741 doesn't matter how many times we fall 117 00:04:53,741 --> 00:04:56,120 we we know how to stand up and keep 118 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,342 fighting . And how about this ? I would 119 00:04:58,342 --> 00:05:01,450 agree . Um , pride , dedication and 120 00:05:01,460 --> 00:05:03,400 family to me . Uh , it's what 121 00:05:03,410 --> 00:05:05,690 translates into the Marine Court . I 122 00:05:05,690 --> 00:05:07,890 definitely appreciate you sharing with 123 00:05:07,890 --> 00:05:10,070 us today . It's been great getting to 124 00:05:10,070 --> 00:05:12,237 know both of you a little bit better . 125 00:05:12,237 --> 00:05:14,348 Look forward to doing this a lot more 126 00:05:14,348 --> 00:05:15,350 than your future . Thank you .