Page 20 - San Diego Woman Anna Adams

UNDER THE C OL ORS

Chief of Naval Operations Receives Leonardo Da Vinci

Award from National Italian American Foundation

lived in Bella Napoli as part of our Navy
journey.
There is no doubt that those values and
the love and support of my family laid the
foundation for my success as a naval officer
and as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations.
But, there is also no doubt that this
award and every single success I’ve had is
owed to our amazing team of Navy Sailors
and civilians. People who come from all
across the rich fabric of America. People
with who I’ve had the opportunity to serve
with over the past 39 years.
And as we sit here tonight enjoying
this friendship and this wonderful dinner,
many of our Sailors are deployed. They’re
standing the watch very far from home
and far from their family. In fact, on any
given day, roughly 110 ships and 70,000
Sailors and Marines are deployed operating
around the world and around the clock to
preserve our Nation’s security and prosper-
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, a native of Rochester, N.Y., received ity, to deter any would-be adversary, and to
the Leonardo Da Vinci Award in Military Service from the National Italian American stand ready to fight and win decisively, if
Foundation (NIAF), at the NIAF 49th anniversary called to do so. I could not be more proud
of our Navy-Marine Corps team. And I
hope you’re really proud of all them too.
This award recognizes significant things the right way that you and your fam- They’re standing that watch every day
achievements and societal contributions by ily would find success in this new world. alongside our amazing Allies and partners,
Italian Americans. My grandfather, Rebello Franchetti, a including the very capable Marina Mil-
Franchetti was one of six Italian Amer- seasoned stonecutter, lived those values, as itare – the Italian Navy, and just in case
icans honored this year. did my grandmother, Chiarina Rhea, the you didn’t see it in the news, the Abraham
Her full remarks are below: matriarch of our family. Together, they laid Lincoln Carrier Strike Group just wrapped
“Thank you to NIAF for this incredible a strong foundation for my father, Lawrence up a series of exercises with the Italian
recognition. It is truly an honor to be with Franchetti to be the first person in our fam- Carrier Strike Group, led by ITS Cavour
you this evening to receive the Leonardo Da ily to go to college, become an engineer and in the Indo-Pacific, and I can say with
Vinci Award for Military Service. find his success as a plant manager. confidence that the partnership between
My great grandparents came to Amer- Through the example they set they the United States Navy and the Italian Navy
ica in search of the American dream - life, passed on those same values - values grows stronger every single day. So, thank
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and you’ve heard a lot about tonight, to me. you again to NIAF. Thank you to all of you.
new opportunities for their families. And I passed them on to my own col- I could not be more proud of my Ital-
They arrived with the firm belief and lege freshman, Isabel Maria Franchetti, ian-American heritage or more grateful for
the strongest of convictions, that if you who studied Italian and learned about the values that helped pave my way. Thank
worked hard, learned all you could, and did our Italian heritage firsthand, when we you very much!”

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