MCB Camp Pendleton

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Return of fair harakens sounds, smells and tases of a world united

18 May 2006 | Lance Cpl. Ben Eberle Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- The United States is known worldwide for its diversity and also for the actions Americans take to recognize and embrace it.

Camp Pendleton is no different. The base, in coordination with numerous equal employment offices throughout the area, hosted a multicultural celebration on the 11 Area Parade Field Thursday.

Mariachi musicians, tropical percussionists, Polynesian dancers, Native American rituals and authentic ethnic cuisine were just some of the many things more than 700 people had the opportunity to see, hear, smell and taste at this year’s event.

“We’re celebrating being American,” said Layla Shields, labor specialist with Marine Corps Community Services Equal Employment Opportunity here. She added that it’s diversity that defines Americans in the first place.

It was the first time the base has had the resources to host an event like this in the past three years, due to rapid deployment schedules throughout the Marine Corps.

“This is great because we’re able to share our culture with the public,” said Renee C. Morero, the coordinator at a Filipino booth and a program analyst on base. “We all work for the base, so this is a way for us all to embrace our diverse American culture.”

In no other place was the diversity of American culture embraced more than at the food stands.

“(No matter what) country you’re in, food is the binding element,” said Shields.

Five separate stands served dishes such as funnel cakes, lumpia, turkey legs, churros, gyro pitas and Jamaican shrimp-on-a-stick.

Organizing the event, however, was not as easy as sampling some of the cultural cuisine.

“It really was a joint effort between Marines and civilians,” said Shields. “This year it was key for everyone to get involved.

“For the Marines that come here, this is important,” added Shields. “They need to know that wherever they are they can always be at home.

Marines and Sailors of all backgrounds call Camp Pendleton home, and the multicultural celebration embraced what every group and nationality pulled from the proverbial melting pot and brought to the table.

“There isn’t any other way that people in the world are going to get along unless they understand each other,” said Leslie E. Hawkins, a physical security specialist at the Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook Detachment, “and we have to get together to understand.”

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Return of fair harakens sounds, smells and tases of a world united

18 May 2006 | Lance Cpl. Ben Eberle Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- The United States is known worldwide for its diversity and also for the actions Americans take to recognize and embrace it.

Camp Pendleton is no different. The base, in coordination with numerous equal employment offices throughout the area, hosted a multicultural celebration on the 11 Area Parade Field Thursday.

Mariachi musicians, tropical percussionists, Polynesian dancers, Native American rituals and authentic ethnic cuisine were just some of the many things more than 700 people had the opportunity to see, hear, smell and taste at this year’s event.

“We’re celebrating being American,” said Layla Shields, labor specialist with Marine Corps Community Services Equal Employment Opportunity here. She added that it’s diversity that defines Americans in the first place.

It was the first time the base has had the resources to host an event like this in the past three years, due to rapid deployment schedules throughout the Marine Corps.

“This is great because we’re able to share our culture with the public,” said Renee C. Morero, the coordinator at a Filipino booth and a program analyst on base. “We all work for the base, so this is a way for us all to embrace our diverse American culture.”

In no other place was the diversity of American culture embraced more than at the food stands.

“(No matter what) country you’re in, food is the binding element,” said Shields.

Five separate stands served dishes such as funnel cakes, lumpia, turkey legs, churros, gyro pitas and Jamaican shrimp-on-a-stick.

Organizing the event, however, was not as easy as sampling some of the cultural cuisine.

“It really was a joint effort between Marines and civilians,” said Shields. “This year it was key for everyone to get involved.

“For the Marines that come here, this is important,” added Shields. “They need to know that wherever they are they can always be at home.

Marines and Sailors of all backgrounds call Camp Pendleton home, and the multicultural celebration embraced what every group and nationality pulled from the proverbial melting pot and brought to the table.

“There isn’t any other way that people in the world are going to get along unless they understand each other,” said Leslie E. Hawkins, a physical security specialist at the Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook Detachment, “and we have to get together to understand.”