Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Adolfo Cámpora Gastelú was born in Montevideo on February 27 1932. Unfortunately, he died at the age of 26, due to a surgical mishap on November 7 1958. He was getting prepared for sailing round the world on a yacht, which was later named after him.

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Cámpora parents, Adolfo Cámpora and Elida Gastelú, of Italian and Basque Spanish origin respectively, were born in the province of Salto.

He attended one of the best schools in Montevideo and successfully passed all the courses. During his childhood, he was an assiduous reader of adventure books and travel tales by the great navigators. His spirit already embraced his love for adventures and the sea.

Since he was admitted as an officer candidate, he proved to have strong character, strict sense of justice and remarkable perseverance in all areas, even at sports where he excelled.

As long as he was at the Navy School, during five years, he was a good student, succeeded in all subjects and passed the exams required, every year. In sports, his capacity for struggling against odds and steady persistence account for the triumphs he conquered for his school versus other institutions. He was the best crawl swimmer of his team.

He was brave and daring even since childhood. There is an anecdote that took place when he was 9 years old. He was playing with friends and his 5-year-old brother, Mario, on an open plot of land near his place. Their playing made some straw bushes catch fire, so all the children ran away to a safe place. However, when Cámpora realized his younger brother was not among them, he returned and entered the burning straw bushes to rescue him. Mario was harmless but Cámpora had some burns.

In 1953, he graduated from the Navy School as Ensign, and began to work for the Hydrographic Service. Later, he worked for the hydrographic vessel "Capitán Miranda" and in 1955 he moved to the destroyer "DE 2 Artigas". In the same year he traveled to the USA in order to take specialization courses during several months.

When he returned to Uruguay he was transferred to "La Paloma" naval base in the province of Rocha until mid 1957 when he moved to provide services at the corvette " ROU Maldonado". In 1956 he is one among a group of young officers who start cherishing the idea of sailing round the world on a yacht.

This idea summoned them periodically to study the feasibility of the project. The officers enthusiasm increased as the feasibility study moved on. The leverage of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Adolfo Cámpora's personality became increasingly noticeable. Even more so, among his pals who made the trip after his death.,

During the time the four of them shared life on the boat, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Cámpora's personality traits were again easily remarkable: eagerness, joy and the capacity to communicate all he knew to everyone around. All kinds of precautions were taken so that the projected trip would have a happy end.

Among the precautions taken, besides a First Aid course given by a Navy doctor, there was an impressively comprehensive first aid kit with all the necessary equipment to cope with emergencies, accidents or health breakdowns. Moreover, bearing in mind that some scheduled course were long, and that it would be impossible to count on a doctor, all the members of the crew decided to have the appendix removed.

Unfortunately and sadly, it was when Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Adolfo Cámpora was being operated on that he passed away. As from that moment, the old "Achernar" yacht was called "Alférez Cámpora" in his honor. He had given his life in the pursue of an ideal and from eternity, he took part in the magnificent heroic deed.