Remigio “Ray” Cabacar walked 32 miles to join the Navy

In the early 1940s, a young man from the Philippines made a decision that would define the next eight decades of his life. Inspired by a country that had promised its Filipino allies the same rights and recognition as American soldiers, Cabacar walked 32 miles to reach a U.S. Navy recruitment station. He was determined to answer the call.

Cabacar’s 25-year Navy career placed him at the center of some of the most consequential moments of the 20th century.

During the Korean War, he served aboard the USS Thompson (DMS-38), a destroyer minesweeper assigned to patrol the harbors of Inchon and Pusan, two of the most strategically critical waterways of the conflict. The USS Thompson’s mission was dangerous but essential, as it involved clearing mines to protect the troops and supply lines that sustained the war effort.

In 1954, Cabacar was aboard the USS Belle Grove, stationed approximately 32 miles from ground zero at Bikini Atoll. There, he watched the United States test the hydrogen bomb. It was a moment that encapsulated both the power and the fragility of the world he had pledged to defend.

Throughout his career, Cabacar served on several Navy Ships and on the command staff of numerous admirals, bringing to each assignment the same quiet resolve that carried him those first 32 miles in the Philippines.

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Source: VA News
Website: news.va.gov