Abel Gonzalez, a Great Mills native and 2015 graduate of Great Mills High School, has spent the past six years in the U.S. Navy, most recently serving as a culinary specialist aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie, according to a Navy public affairs release.
The USS Lake Erie was decommissioned Sept. 25 at Naval Base San Diego after 33 years of service, closing out a career that included deployments across the Pacific, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Caribbean. The ship had returned home in June from an 11-month deployment supporting counter-trafficking operations in the Caribbean.
Gonzalez said his upbringing in Great Mills shaped how he approached the challenges of Navy life.
“I grew up in a single-father household,” Gonzalez said. “Going through the hardships, adversity and overcoming those obstacles prepared me for the challenges of the Navy.”
He joined the Navy six years ago, following a family tradition of military service.
“I joined because I wanted to test my life skills out,” Gonzalez said. “My dad was in the Marine Corps, so the military was in my blood, and he inspired me to join.”
As a culinary specialist, Gonzalez was part of a crew of more than 300 sailors who kept the guided-missile cruiser mission-ready, according to Navy officials. The ship, equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, was capable of operating independently or as part of a larger strike group.
Among his career highlights, Gonzalez said, was an assignment to the U.S. Naval Academy.
“I am most proud of getting orders to serve at the Naval Academy,” Gonzalez said. “For a CS, that is a really good assignment I never thought I would get.”
Gonzalez said his Navy service carries on a family legacy that spans generations.
“Serving in the Navy means a lot to me,” Gonzalez said. “My family has gone from generation to generation serving in the military. It means I can serve my country and do what I have to do to enable people to continue to live out the American dream.”
He credited his father and several fellow sailors for helping him along the way.
“I want to thank my father, Abel, for guiding me along the way to be able to live on my own,” Gonzalez said. “He taught me discipline and how to raise a family the right way. I also want to thank CS2 Espinosa, CS1 Robinson, Chief Morales, CS1 Esco, CS1 Van and CS1 Banez for bringing me a long way and helping me out through the bad and the good. They always have my back, in and out of work.”
The Navy is marking its 250th anniversary this year as part of the nation’s broader semiquincentennial celebration. More information on the Navy’s anniversary observance is available at navy.mil/navy-250.
