Galway Review 8 - April 2020

Katacha Díaz vii
Grandfather’s Legacy
“The future rests with whether we have taught our young
men and women the importance of being noble, the
power of the noble deed. If we have taught them well,
they will understand the importance of honesty and
integrity, two qualities that will define their legacy in life.”
— William H. McRaven, retired US Navy admiral
Reading Admiral McRaven’s words gave me a deja-vu
moment. I was immediately transported back to my
childhood days at my paternal grandparents’ house in
Miraflores, Peru. The family had gathered at Sunday
luncheon to celebrate our grandparents’ return home
from Paris. Papapa had served four years as the
Peruvian Ambassador to France.
My grandfather was well acquainted with France. After
graduating first in his class at the Peruvian Naval
Academy in 1906, he was awarded a scholarship to
continue his studies at the École Navale, French Naval
Academy, in Brest, France. In 1913 he was invited by
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