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First Filipina and first OFW's son graduate from West Point.
Christy Isis Achanzar is the first Filipina to join the "Long Gray Line". Achanzar native from Davao lass took the Philippine Military Academy entrance exams almost on a whim. She passed and while already in Baguio, tried another test, this time for the USMA. The rest, they say, is history.
The Filipinos and Fil-Ams of USMA Class 2008 pose with their sponsor, at left, Col. Bryan Goda. The graduates are Daniel Asis, Anthony Bulaclac Jr., Kimberly Jung, Christy Achanzar and Mario Feliciano.
The US Military Academy (USMA) Class of 2008 will be memorable for Filipinos and Fil-Ams alike. They will be a tough act to follow in terms of distinction and the honors they’ve reaped in the four years they spent in West Point.
Mario Mokhtarian Feliciano is the first son of a Filipino migrant worker to hurdle West Point. He was born in Iran and grew up in Kuwait where he learned to speak near-perfect English. As a child, he’d cry when told not to play with other children because he hadn't finished his homework yet, but when he did decide to part with his books, liked to play with miniature soldier figures.
The Filipinos and Fil-Ams of USMA Class 2008 pose with their sponsor, at left, Col. Bryan Goda. The graduates are Daniel Asis, Anthony Bulaclac Jr., Kimberly Jung, Christy Achanzar and Mario Feliciano.The US Military Academy (USMA) Class of 2008 will be memorable for Filipinos and Fil-Ams alike. They will be a tough act to follow in terms of distinction and the honors they’ve reaped in the four years they spent in West Point.
Mario Mokhtarian Feliciano is the first son of a Filipino migrant worker to hurdle West Point. He was born in Iran and grew up in Kuwait where he learned to speak near-perfect English. As a child, he’d cry when told not to play with other children because he hadn't finished his homework yet, but when he did decide to part with his books, liked to play with miniature soldier figures.
Mario Feliciano, the first son of an OFW who graduated from the US Military Academy, pulls out a Philippine flag in a show of pride and patriotism on the parade grounds of Michie Stadium in West Point.Christine Limsiaco of Houston, Texas is already the second West Pointer in the family. Her elder sister Marissa, USMA Class 2005, has just finished her first tour with the 1st Cavalry Division, spending 15 months in Iraq. Asked if she had any advice for her sister, Marissa smiled and assured, "She’ll be fine, he’ll be good. We’re going to be together." Christine is deploying to Fort Hood, home of the 1st Cavalry.
Anthony Bulaclac Jr. of Victorville, California joined the Golden Key, an international honor society that recognizes scholastic achievement – members must rank in the top 15 percent of their class. He is going to the Army flight school in Fort Rucker, Alabama. Given a choice, he says, he’d like to fly Apache attack helicopters.
Over 1,200 cadets, including 17 foreign students, started with Class 2008 four years ago. When diplomas were handed out last Saturday, less than a thousand cadets marched up the stage at Michie Stadium.
Established in 1802, West Point is one of the few schools where present-day students study the words and works of some of her alumni – from Civil War Gen. Ulysses Grant to Douglas MacArthur to David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq.
The Philippines has been sending its most talented sons – and most recently, the first woman - to West Point since 1914. It has bred one Philippine president, several Cabinet secretaries, numerous Armed Forces chiefs of staff, multinational executives and even one accused coup plotter.
Feliciano finished 87 in a class of 972 and reached the rank of Regimental Sergeant-Major, the highest rank a foreign student can attain. More interestingly, he was one of the candidates for the post of First Captain, who serves as Corps Commander. He led one of the Corps’ four regiments in the summer of his senior year at West Point.
Achanzar also received an award in electrical engineering.
But Feliciano and Achanzar are the last Filipinos to graduate from West Point, at least for the next four years. When the Philippines still hosted US bases, it was assured of a slot at West Point. Today, the slots are apportioned based on competitive exams administered throughout Southeast Asia. Thus, the number of cadets eventually joining West Point can be a barometer of the comparative quality of cadets entering military academies in the region.
Anthony Bulaclac Jr. of Victorville, California joined the Golden Key, an international honor society that recognizes scholastic achievement – members must rank in the top 15 percent of their class. He is going to the Army flight school in Fort Rucker, Alabama. Given a choice, he says, he’d like to fly Apache attack helicopters.
Over 1,200 cadets, including 17 foreign students, started with Class 2008 four years ago. When diplomas were handed out last Saturday, less than a thousand cadets marched up the stage at Michie Stadium.
Established in 1802, West Point is one of the few schools where present-day students study the words and works of some of her alumni – from Civil War Gen. Ulysses Grant to Douglas MacArthur to David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq.
The Philippines has been sending its most talented sons – and most recently, the first woman - to West Point since 1914. It has bred one Philippine president, several Cabinet secretaries, numerous Armed Forces chiefs of staff, multinational executives and even one accused coup plotter.
Feliciano finished 87 in a class of 972 and reached the rank of Regimental Sergeant-Major, the highest rank a foreign student can attain. More interestingly, he was one of the candidates for the post of First Captain, who serves as Corps Commander. He led one of the Corps’ four regiments in the summer of his senior year at West Point.
Achanzar also received an award in electrical engineering.
But Feliciano and Achanzar are the last Filipinos to graduate from West Point, at least for the next four years. When the Philippines still hosted US bases, it was assured of a slot at West Point. Today, the slots are apportioned based on competitive exams administered throughout Southeast Asia. Thus, the number of cadets eventually joining West Point can be a barometer of the comparative quality of cadets entering military academies in the region.
By RODNEY J. JALECO
source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com
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