Service members and civilians gathered together at West Fort Hood to celebrate and observe Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 21.

The U.S. Army Operational Test Command hosted an Hispanic Heritage Month observance as a way to help educate and inform people about the important roles and contributions that people with a Hispanic lineage have had on the United States of America and the rest of the world.

The MECCA Texas Mariachi De Colores and Accordion Band opened the event by demonstrating several different styles of traditional Hispanic dance and traditional Hispanic songs.

Following the music and dancing, guest speaker Minerva Trujillo, a retired educator from the Killeen Independent School District, addressed the importance of remembering one’s culture.

Trujillo recalled to the audience one year during Cinco de Mayo when she was a school teacher – her younger students were running around wearing clothes the colors of the Mexican flag, pumping their fists and saying “Vive la revolution.”

She said she stopped one student and asked him why he was acting like that.

“He responded by telling me today was the day of the revolution,” Trujillo said. “I told him that he needs to go back and read and find out what day it was, because he might be thinking of the wrong day.”

As part of her presentation, Trujillo ran a slide show of pictures of famous Spanish people, such as Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso and Carlos Santana, to show just how influential they have been throughout history.

Col. Joseph Martin, USAOTC commander and event host, said that he felt the observance was very informative. He said he feels it’s important to have the heritage observances, because they provide an opportunity to learn and better understand each other.

“We have to make sure we understand the power of our diversity, and in doing that, we need to understand each other,” Martin said. “We’re diverse to start with, having a civilian work force and military work force and within that there’s so much diversity, as well, with so many different backgrounds.”

Martin said one of the things that he didn’t know, but learned at the observance, was the history of how Spain was formed with the union from Africa and the European cultures.

As the spouse of a military service member, Trujillo said she felt proud to get to come speak to Soldiers and the civilians that work at Fort Hood.

“I have two loves in my life, besides my children and their children,” she said, “and that’s teaching and the military.”