Honoring: MSCM Pete Pelagio, USN, Ret.
Honored by CMDCM Glenda Atwood, USN, Ret.
I met Master Chief Pelagio when I was a young Petty Officer Second Class. He was in charge of the galley on base. It was a small base, and he was in charge of about 10+ Sailors from the age of 20-26. A very tough age group to keep out of trouble in HI. He managed all of us well. He kept us busy with work to make sure we volunteered in the community throughout the year. As I think back, it must have been difficult to lead us and to make sure we were all out of trouble at all times.
He made all of us know the value of volunteering at the local school, at the local soup kitchen during the Holidays, the value of working together as a team and respecting each other. As I think back it was one of the best duty stations I served, and I stayed in contact with most of the Sailors I served with at that galley. I also noticed that all of us who served on Pete’s team were very successful. Either we all made Chief, Master Chiefs, or Warrant Officers.
We were a NEY winning team that won back to back to back and he always made sure to remind us that the NEY award was an accomplishment of our hard work. Pete made sure we worked hard and even if I didn’t like what I was doing, he always explained that I would see that situation in the future and if he didn’t train me how to handle it then he was not doing his job. He was right about all of it. We were known in the Island of OUHU and on the bases because of him and his leadership. He made it look easy the way he led us, but once I became a Master Chief, I realized how easy he made it look but how hard it was to keep us all busy. He was a huge influence on my career and I appreciate his leadership and mentoring.