Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) honored

September 29, 2025 admin 0 Comments

Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) honored Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month with a ceremonial cake cutting and special lunch, May 15.

Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated in May to educate Sailors about the many different cultures, traditions and histories of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

Lincoln’s guest speakers included Senior Chief Personnel Specialist Richard Manuel, Master Chief Machinist’s Mate Romeo Encarnacion, and Lt. j.g. Jihyeok Lim.

Manuel presented a slide show that covered the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders’ participation in the U.S. Navy.

After Manuel’s presentation, Encarnacion, originally from the Philippines, gave a brief history of the hardships he faced growing up as well as the culture shock of coming to America.

“The language barrier was a difficult obstacle at first,” said Encarnacion. “Through the Navy, I have turned my desire to live the American dream into a reality.”

Lim was born in Korea, and came to the United States at a young age. His father was in the Navy, and it inspired him to follow the same path.

“I’m grateful for the progress that Asian Americans have made in the military,” Lim said. “I personally strive to maintain that legacy of excellence in my own career.”

Capt. Karl O. Thomas, Lincoln’s commanding officer, addressed Lincoln Sailors before the cake was cut, acknowledging the efforts of Asian-Pacific Americans throughout naval history.

“Celebrating Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month supports the diversity we have throughout our country,” said Thomas. “The Lincoln crew is proud to share their various cultures and learn about the cultures of their fellow shipmates.”

Afterward, Lincoln’s galley served a lunch of General Tso’s chicken, fried rice, lumpia, fried cabbage and slices of the ceremonial cake.

Lincoln is currently undergoing a refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Lincoln is the fifth ship of the Nimitz-class to undergo a RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone. Once RCOH is complete, Lincoln will be one of the most modern and technologically advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet and will continue to be a vital part of our national defense.