Legacies can be powerful and lasting. Whether he knew it at the time, Victorino R. Mercado began such a legacy of service when he enlisted in the Navy in 1953.

Taking his example to heart, Victorino's son and grandson both attended the United States Naval Academy, one becoming a tested and proven surface warfare officer and the other a combat-ready naval flight officer. Each owes the foundation of their success to the hard work of his predecessor.

A first generation American citizen from the Philippines, Victorino came from humble beginnings to complete a 24-year-long naval career that would become a family tradition.

"At first, my family had second thoughts about me enlisting in the Navy," said Victorino, who retired as a master chief storekeeper in 1977. "They knew I'd be away from home for a while and they had no way of knowing when I'd be back home."

Following the Korean War, it was not uncommon to see young men from Pacific island nations seek enlistment into the Navy, Victorino said. Unfortunately, opportunities for these minority Sailors were not always equal to those afforded to Sailors of other backgrounds.

"In the beginning, most young men of Filipino descent were made to enlist as stewardsmen," said Victorino. "They weren't given a lot of choice for their rate."

Victorino was an exception to this rule. Initially rated as a stewardsman, he was able to cross-rate to storekeeper immediately following basic training. His hard work paid off and he quickly advanced within the rating.

"When I was enlisted, I always felt as though I'd be perfectly happy making it to first class petty officer. But once I switched uniforms from dungarees to khaki, made senior chief and then put one more star above the anchor, I couldn't ask for anything more," Victorino said.

While stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, Victorino saw the birth of his son, Rear Adm. Victorino 'Vic' Mercado.

"I was born at Portsmouth Naval Hospital," said Vic. "It's amazing how it comes full circle. When I was growing up, I remember accompanying my dad aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Conyngham (DDG 17); walking past the goat locker and blue missiles along the rail, and thinking it would be so great to join the Navy - maybe even be a chief some day."

Victorino taught his son that a good education is the key to success. When the time came, Vic decided to pursue a commissioning rather than enlist like his father.

"I was really proud of his decision," said Victorino. "There were times when he was in high school where I sat down and helped him with his application to the Naval Academy. I didn't pressure him to enlist, or twist his arm to join the Navy."

After Vic's Academy graduation in 1983, Victorino began following his son's journey in the Navy closely. Vic's career as a surface warfare officer took him aboard numerous platforms, from destroyers to cruisers and, eventually, command of the guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) which completed an accelerated deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and later as commander, Destroyer Squadron 21 with additional duties as the sea combatant commander for the John C. Stennis Battle Group. His years of hard work led to his selection as commander, Carrier Strike Group 8 in 2014.

Vic recently earned his second star when he was promoted to rear admiral upper half. When Victorino was asked if he thought his son was ready for the responsibility, he said "Vic has been ready for a very long time."

As two-star admiral, Vic is the highest-ranking line officer of Filipino decent in the Navy, a position he does not take lightly.

"The responsibility really sinks in throughout your career," said Vic. "When you first join the Navy and you join a wardroom, you're working hard to take care of Sailors and get qualified and you just don't think about the weight of the responsibility. When young Filipino Sailors began to come up and say how proud they are of me and to be in the Navy, it began to hit me. It's in those moments you realize that you have an additional responsibility to a large community of people."

Sailors today succeed and advance based on their hard work, not their race," said Vic. "We owe those who came before a gratitude for dealing with the adversity. In a sense, my father's generation paved the way for the rest of us."

Vic said it doesn't matter what race you are, a ship has to have a diverse group of Sailors working together. He added that Sailors from all backgrounds succeed when the priority is hard work. Vic said there is an exciting recent trend of more young Filipinos joining the Navy than in past years.

"When my classmates and I were at the Naval Academy, there were, maybe, a handful or two of midshipmen from the Philippines," said Vic. "I went back there earlier this year and spent time with the Filipino-American club and many from the Naval Academy Filipino community. It was a great experience and I learned that within the Brigade of Midshipmen, there are almost 80 Filipino-American men and women who are training to be naval officers. It's wonderful to see."

Recently among these young, motivated midshipmen of Filipino descent was Vic's own son Lt. j.g. Daniel Mercado, USNA class of 2011.

"Of course there's a natural tendency to look up and say, 'wow I want to be like dad,'" said Vic. "I didn't want to put a lot of pressure on my son. He made his own decision to attend the Naval Academy as a flight officer. Now he's deployed flying combat missions in the Arabian Gulf."

Daniel, a naval flight officer assigned to the 'Sun Kings' of Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 116, is currently deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

"I joined the Navy to be part of Naval aviation," said Daniel. "I felt comfortable joining the Navy, knowing that my father and grandfather did it before me. I count on their past experiences to help me in my career and I ask them both for advice whenever I have questions. My grandfather loves the Navy. His stories from back in the day help me better understand what the role of master chief petty officer means in the Navy today. It's an awesome perspective."

The Mercados have made good use of their unique perspectives gained throughout their careers which span generations, warfare specialties and geography. Vic said he wants to continue passing on the lessons learned from those experiences.

"I am indebted to, and stand on the shoulders of, a generation of Filipino Sailors who enlisted in the '50s," said Vic. "Through their example, I found my own opportunity. Now, it's my turn to reach out to the current generation. The future is looking very bright."

For more news from USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), visit www.navy.mil/.