dfd (Photo courtesy TK)
Our Stories
M y name is David Aguilar, and I was a Burner at General Working on this ship meant a lot to me. The first job I had at NASSCO was in hose repair, later I moved to maintenance, and then worked as a burner on more than 30 ships. I was doing plates on the USNS César Chávez (T-AKE 14), a cargo ammunition ship. We took big sheets of metal and burned bevels and chamfers on them. We worked on 100% of the ship plates. Dynamics NASSCO. I was blessed to work there for 47 years. At first, we didn’t know it was being named after the late civil rights leader César Chávez. But when we found out, it was a big deal, especially as a Latino. Once I realized that I was working on pieces of metal for the César Chávez ship, it made me reflect on what the man had done for so many farm workers and their families, improving their living and working conditions. I went to school with many people who were farm workers, and their families were passing away from all the pesticides. For César Chávez to bring it all out in the open was really personal for me. I feel proud to have worked on the USNS César Chávez, especially when his family came for the christening in 2012. César Chávez truly united everybody, and this ship carries that legacy.
Not to Be Forgotten USNS César Chávez By David Aguilar & Juan Gonzalez General Dynamics NASSCO Team Members
USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14) Christening, May 5, 2012 NASSCO Shipyard, San Diego, CA (Photo courtesy©NASSCO)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 9 – Proudly We Serve
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