Asian-Americans lobby to name US Navy ship for Philippine sailor Telesforo Trinidad
- Supporters say naming a ship for Trinidad would honour the only Asian-American in the US Navy granted the nation’s highest award for valour
- Tens of thousands of Filipinos and Americans of Filipino descent have served in the US Navy since 1901
“I don’t believe it’s a long shot at all; it may be a long timeline, but we’re hoping it’s not,” said retired Navy Captain Ron Ravelo, the campaign’s chairman. “We’re going to be making Navy ships into the foreseeable future, and there’s no reason one of those can’t bear the name of Telesforo Trinidad.”
Trinidad, who died in 1968 at age 77, was so eager to join the US Navy that he stowed away on a lifeboat from his home island of Panay to the main island to enlist, grandson Rene Trinidad said. In 1915, while on patrol on the USS San Diego, he risked his life and suffered burns to rescue two crewmates when boilers exploded, killing nine. He received the medal that year, at a time when the honour could be awarded for valour outside combat.
Rene Trinidad, a property agent in Southern California, recalls his grandfather was a man of few words.
“He let his actions speak for himself, and I suppose that’s why he did what he did,” he said.