A father’s hard work, resilience fill his daughter with pride

A recent move to Leeward Oahu has evoked nostalgic memories from my childhood: Frozen ice cakes in paper cups made by our next-door neighbor in Ewa Beach and sprints to the curbside in rubber slippers to buy treats from the ice cream truck.

These sweet memories of an idyllic childhood were made possible by my father, Carlos Bernardo.

While stationed at Barbers Point during his early years in the U.S. Navy, my father served as a culinary specialist. I recall generous servings of vanilla soft serve in the mess hall that he gave to my brother, sister and me.

Thanks to my dad, many summers and spring breaks of my youth were spent at a beach cottage at White Plains Beach where we consumed rib-eye steaks at family barbecues and went bodyboarding in the surf.

The ocean has always been a key source of happiness for my dad and a steady presence in his life.

Born in Navotas, Philippines, a coastal city in Manila that contains one of the largest fishing ports in Southeast Asia, he helped support his family financially as the oldest of five children by catching fish nightly from the time he was 12 years old through his high school years.

With a flashlight and school notebooks in tow, he did his homework aboard the fishing boat while en route to spots in Manila Bay with seven other crew members. They caught tuna, mullet, crab and shrimp from midnight until the predawn hours.

He graduated from the National Teachers College (high school) in 1960 and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Feati University.

With an innate grit and adventurous spirit, he joined the U.S. Navy under an agreement between the U.S. and Philippines that enabled the United States to recruit Filipinos into the Armed Forces.

Out of 250 hopefuls in his recruitment class, my dad was one of eight men who passed a three-part test. Soon after, they flew to California to undergo boot-camp training in San Diego.

As his daughter, I admire his unyielding bravery to forge ahead.

From serving in the Vietnam War aboard the USS Coral Sea to his last deployment to Kuwait aboard the USS Okinawa during the Persian Gulf War, he has exemplified true resilience throughout his military career.

He quickly adapted to multiple reassignments on submarines and aircraft carriers.

Over the years our family bounced from Georgia to Washington and California and back to Hawaii, as the Navy promoted my father to chief petty officer, chief warrant officer and finally, lieutenant commander.

In my youth, I remember the guards greeting my father with a firm salute as we pulled up to the security gate at Pearl Harbor. That act of respect for my dad, who served nearly 30 years in the Navy, fills me with pride to this day.

His unwavering loyalty to the U.S. and his family is as boundless as the ocean.

Ever the protector and supporter, he continues to lead by example with integrity and character.

This Father’s Day, I thank my dad for his steady presence in my life, the most priceless gift a daughter could ever ask for.