Major Gen.
Mayor General William A. Navas, Jr. (born in 1942 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico) is the first Puerto Rican to be named Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
Defense Superior Service Medal
Navas was born into a family with a long military tradition. His grandfather, Col. Antonio M. Navas served in both World Wars. His father Capt. William A. Navas, Sr. served in World War II and had a sucessful career in civil engineering upon his retirement from the military. Navas, Jr. received his primary and secondary education in his hometown. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico.
He joined the ROTC program in the Mayaguez campus of the University and in 1965, graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering. Instead of joining his family's construction business upon graduation, as expected, he went on to join the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant. During the next five years, Navas was stationed in West Germany and served a tour in the Vietnam War.
By 1970, Navas was married with two children and stationed in Puerto Rico. He resigned his Army commission and went to work for the family business. He did however, continue to serve in the Puerto Rican Army Guard. Navas enrolled in the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut and earned a Master's Degree in Science in Management Engineering.
He quickly rose in rank and in 1980, he stopped working in the family business in order to assume greater responsibilities with the military. By 1995, he was a Mayor General and was appointed Director of the Army National Guard in Washington, D.C..
He retired from the military in 1998 and became the Chairman of the American Veteran's Committee for Puerto Rico Self-Determination, an orginization which he co-founded.
On June 6, 2001 Navas was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) and was sworn in on July 17, 2001. He acts on matters pertaining to manpower and personnel policy within the Department of the Navy.
Among the military decorations awarded to Navas are the following: Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal (Army), Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (twice), Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (twice), Air Medal and the Army Commendation Medal (three times).
In 2001, William A. Navas, Jr. was honored with the Achievement Award by Hispanic magazine.
See also
Last updated: 06-09-2005 03:24:22
