Born for the Seas and Honor: Examining the Modest Life of the Spanish Navy Officer, Casto Mendez Nunez

The history of Spain is full of great stories about the brave sailors and won sea battles. One of the important players in these tales comes in the form of Casto Mendez Nunez.

Casto Mendez Nunez was born in 1824 in Vigo, Galicia. He grew up in a small city near the Atlantic Ocean. His childhood took place during the decade in which Spain lost many of its colonies as the navy was not able to defend them.

Casto passed his midshipman exams at age 16 and began his practice as a sailor on board the brig “Nervion”. He was passionate with the sea and at this stage of life he felt better on the ship than on land.

His first trips provided him the opportunity to prove his worth as a sailor and as a solider. During one of the battles he took part in, he fought for the freedom of refugees who traveled by a small transport ship. It was on its way to Argentina, which was ruled by the dictatorship of Juan Manuel de Rosas. During this fight, Casto said his first significant words known in history: “The first who dares to put his hand on a Spanish sword will fall down pierced”. The enemies left with empty hands and Mendez Nunez became a hero for the first time.