Los Oquendo, una estirpe de almirantes

It is truly exceptional, in any profession, that a family tradition is maintained for more than three centuries, and that the level reached remains high: this is the case of a dynasty of sailors, Basques and Spaniards, who for several generations and the century XVI to XVIII they reached admirals of the Navy. Don Miguel de Oquendo y Segura, founder of such a dynasty, did not begin his historical journey from a privileged position, which then determined the destiny of any person, but from the very modest condition of cabin boy and caulker. A repair operator on board ships, he reached the highest command on his own merits, combining it with successful business activities that ranged from overseas trade to the design and construction of large warships and trade ships: the galleons. Which earned him the highest regard from the throne. His son, D. Antonio de Oquendo y Zandátegui, surpassed even his father in her naval commands, with courage and determination rarely equaled. Almost all of them in difficult fighting conditions, many of them imposed by a poor political leadership. Both, father and son, paid with their lives for mistakes that were not theirs with total dedication, marking a decisive difference with others more recognized and valued by history. His heirs and successors did not have such glorious lives, but they also had outstanding careers, from their own navigation to organizational and administrative work, apart from business. "The Oquendo, a lineage of admirals" aims to publicize and draw attention to a time and characters that have not normally had the recognition and appreciation they deserve, which is a common ailment among Spaniards to ignore or not properly value our history, the facts and characters of it. And this, surprisingly, in a country where its greatest achievements were at sea and by sea.