dfd (Photo courtesy TK)
M y name is Juan Gonzalez, and I am currently a Shipfitter Working Foreman at General Dynamics NASSCO. When I started at NASSCO in 1990, I was a Machine Operator and then a Line Heater Working Foreman. I have worked on probably 30–40 different ships since being here, but this one meant more because of what it represented, honoring civil rights leader César Chávez. My work on the USNS César Chávez (T-AKE 14) was shaping the shell of this 689-foot ship with metal pieces. We use flat pieces of metal and give them shape to build the ship. We use a roll press, then heat and water to make the rest of it. It’s like art. We also remove distortions created by welding. We began working on the ship in October 2010, but I didn’t know the ship was going to be named after César Chávez, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. When I found out about the naming of the ship, I felt very proud of my heritage. I think it was the right thing to do because of what he did for the community, helping our farmworkers in the fields gain better working conditions. When the ship was launched, I saw his family. It was really special to see his widow, Helen Chávez, christen the USNS César Chávez ship on May 5, 2012.
USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14) Sea Trials – July 31, 2021 (Photo courtesy©NASSCO)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 9 – Proudly We Serve
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