Distinguished Admiral visits the Tri-State

CINCINNATI - Odds are you either have, or will see a lot of the U.S. Navy in town this week. Parachute teams, sailors and a Navy band, all here for Navy week.

And one of the Navy's highest-ranking representatives is also visiting the city. Rear Admiral A.B. Cruz is the deputy commander of the 4th Fleet in Mayport, Fla., chief legal counsel for Scripps Networks Interactive and a child of an immigrant father in Texas who imparted a strong sense of duty.

Admiral Cruz said his father always expressed gratitude for the opportunities he had while living in the United States, and told him if he could serve his country, "Please do so."

Cruz answered his father's request by graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980, and since then, has served in a variety of roles as a Navy diver, and the commanding officer of several special warfare units.

"I feel I am contributing to a good cause," the Admiral said.