Son of Legendary Diver Speaks at CNRMA

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (AW) Tim Comerford, Commander, Navy Region Mid Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The son of Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear, the first African-American to qualify and serve as a master diver in the Navy, spoke at Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic's African-American/Black History Month celebration, March 3

Army Warrant Officer Phillip Brashear related his father's legacy and his own determination as an African-American.

"First of all, I'd like to say I feel honored to be here," Brashear said. "I'm a helicopter pilot, and I've spent time in Iraq. During my time in Iraq, I (had) been shot at a lot. So for me to be here before you, 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds – being a big target for insurgents to get – I just want to thank God and the military I am here today."

He said the honor of being able to assume his occupation was due to innovators of the past.

"I wouldn't even be flying Blackhawk helicopters if it weren't for a special group that we always should recognize – the Tuskegee Airmen," said Brashear. "I fly a multi-million dollar aircraft because they taught America, and the world, that it doesn't matter what color of skin you are. If you have the mental capacity – you can do anything you want in life."

The Tuskegee Airmen were African-American pilots who fought in World War II. Formerly, they were called the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States armed forces. Brashear said the Tuskegee Airmen may have made him a pilot, but the person who made him a man, was his father.

"I wouldn't be a man if it weren't for Carl Brashear," Brashear said. "It is true, my father was introduced into the Navy as a cook, or steward, because back in those days that is all a black man could do. He was introduced to diving when he saw a diver bring up a wrecked sea plane, and he was just so amazed at what a gentleman was doing, he wanted to do that.

"It was a pretty hard goal even to get to the school, but he achieved that goal," Brashear said.

In 1966, while serving aboard the USS Hoist, Brashear was severely injured while diving in search of a nuclear bomb dropped from an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress following a collision with a KC-135 Stratotanker during in-flight refueling off the coast of Palomares, Spain. The incident resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee.

Following two years of recovery and rehabilitation, the determined Brashear achieved recertification as a diver, eventually becoming the first African-American master diver in 1970. He retired from the Navy in 1979 as a master chief petty officer.

Brashear said that his father was exceptional even when he was his own worst enemy.

"Later, toward the end of his career, he developed alcoholism," said Brashear. "And people ask me, 'Why do you bring up alcoholism? Your father was a great man.' Well, he did develop alcoholism, but you know what? He went to the school and he defeated it."

He said his father defies even the borders of Black History Month.

"To put my dad in the category of Black History Month is kind of like putting him in a small cage," said Brashear. "My father overcame being black, being poor, being undereducated, being handicapped, and eventually fought a drug and alcohol problem that he won. So there are whole bunch of months my father is eligible to be part of."

Phillip Brashear had his own goals, but when he joined the Navy, his finding what he wanted to do was similar to his father's experience.

"I was so impressed when I saw those enlisted guys getting off the helicopters and those pilots," said Brashear. "I knew that's what I wanted to do. Believe me, my life was not easy just because my father was Carl Brashear."

Brashear spoke about the time when he had to take a swim test to become an aircrewman, and could not get around part of it.

"I failed that test three times," he said. "The fourth time I took that test, they called my dad to come to the pool and see me. I passed the test and became an aircrewman. That test reminded me of what my dad went through; he never took no for an answer and always kept trying to do what he wanted to do. In our household you couldn't say the words 'I can't' – it was either, 'I will' or 'I'll try.'"

After he qualified as an aircrewman, he realized he wanted more and became one the U.S. Army's flying warrant officers.

"If he hadn't passed down the ethic of never giving up, I wouldn't be where I am today," said Brashear. "It is something to be the son of Carl Brashear because for the rest of my life there is nothing I can give up on. I will always have to achieve to make something out of myself, because that is what he did."

Brashear said events like African-American History Month are very significant.

"History has gaps, and I want to fill in the gaps," said Brashear. "Service members need to be told the history (so they will) learn to never to give up. We will have a whole lot more admirals, generals, doctors, lawyers and every other job that they might want. The sky is the limit."

Carl Brashear was featured in the 2000 Hollywood movie "Men of Honor".

This Day in Naval History - March 08

From the Navy News Service

1854 - Commodore Matthew Perry opens treaty negotiations with Japan.

1862 - Ironclad ram CSS Virginia destroys USS Cumberland and USS Congress.

1945 - Phyllis Daley, assigned to the Navy Nurse Corps, becomes the first African-American ensign.

1958 - Battleship USS Wisconsin (BB 64) is decommissioned, leaving the Navy without an active battleship for the first time since 1895.

1965 - The 7th Fleet lands the first major Marine Corps units in South Vietnam at Danang.

ONR Reflects on African-American Contributions

From Office of Naval Research Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- The Office of Naval Research celebrated African-American History Month with a speaking event at its Arlington, Va., headquarters, Feb. 22.

Rear Adm. Julius Caesar, Joint Concept Development and Experimentation vice director, U.S. Joint Forces Command, gave the keynote address, using the theme of "African-Americans and the Civil War" as the context for the lecture.

Caesar said that African-Americans are an influential American history and people as a whole have a pride for who they are, bringing them together as a group but also allowing them to be individuals.

"People have a natural sense of pride for where they come from," he said. "That sense of identity affirms the groups we are from and affirms you as an individual."

The audience learned the history of African-Americans' involvement in the Civil War, and how influential figures, such as Frederick Douglass, Civil War spy John Scobell and ship's pilot Robert Smalls, were important in defining American culture throughout history.

While stressing the inequalities that African-American troops encountered during the Civil War, Caesar also described how they played a decisive role in its outcome. More than 186,000 African-Americans served in 'negro' regiments and comprised nearly 10 percent of the Union Army. However, the casualty rate of the entire African-American troop contingent throughout the Civil War was more than 30 percent, which was 35 percent higher than their white counterparts.

"African-Americans were also paid 35 percent less than the white troops," he added. "And there were only 16 blacks who received the Medal of Honor during the Civil War."

This reality was portrayed in "The Negro's Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and Acted During the War for the Union," a book Caesar cited during his speech, drawing anecdotal examples of both the oppression of African-American troops and their loyalty to the country.

"What it comes down to is that people want their freedom. African-Americans helped fight for, and build, this country. With that said, their contributions should never be overlooked," he said.

Caesar followed his discussion with a question and answer session where he addressed diversity in the Navy as well as his own personal motivations for pursuing a naval career.

There are currently more than 89,000 African-Americans serving in the Navy, comprising 18 percent of Navy enlisted personnel and 8 percent of naval officers. African-American History Month was founded by the writer, editor and historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926, to address and memorialize the significant achievements of African-Americans throughout history.

The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

For more news from Office of Naval Research, visit www.navy.mil/local/onr/.

This article was sponsored by Military Leadership.

African American History Month: Master Chief Vincent Patton

Post written by Vincent W. Patton III, Ed.D., Eighth Master Chief Petty of the Coast Guard (Ret.)

Posted by: LTJG Stephanie Young

Each year, the President of the United States designates February as African American History Month – a national celebration of both the accomplishments of and long struggle for equality for black Americans. In recognition of African American History Month 2011, the Compass has asked Coast Guard men and women about the valuable role mentoring plays in promoting both diversity and mission success in the Coast Guard.

This week’s post comes to us from the Eighth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (Ret.), Vincent W. Patton III, who discusses the role mentorship and pursuit of education played in his success both as a Coast Guardsman and as the first black Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard.

Over the course of my Coast Guard career I had several mentors, first starting with my encounter with Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate Hollis Stephens, who later became the Third Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard. Master Chief Stephens and I were stationed at then Coast Guard Group Detroit in the early 70s when I was a radioman third class.

It was Master Chief Stephens who actually pushed me on to earning my college degree on active duty. In my prior assignment aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Dallas, I had been taking correspondence courses and College Level Examination Program exams, amassing 63 semester hours of credit during my two and a half years on Dallas. After having a reporting aboard brief with him, as he was the unit’s senior enlisted advisor at the time, he found out about my college credits, and encouraged me to continue on.

At first I had no intention of working on a degree, as I only took the courses and worked on the CLEP exams on Dallas because I was bored. During that era, the Coast Guard was involved with ocean station missions, which kept us away from home port for 45-60 day patrols. Other than standing my radioman watch and the normal routine shipboard drills, I joined in with a number of other crewmembers taking CLEP exams and college correspondence courses through a program known at the time as the Armed Forces Institute.

I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do with the college credits, other than perhaps look to using them when I got out of the Coast Guard. I also had the notion that if I chose to stay in the Coast Guard and make it a career, I wanted to become the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard someday. While many people felt I was reaching for an unattainable goal, with many of my fellow shipmates often laughing at me whenever I told them, Master Chief Stephens was the first person who took me seriously. At one time, I can recall several people telling me that I could never become Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard because of my race. In any event, most of the people with whom I shared my goal with, either didn’t believe me, or tried to convince me that this was not a practical or attainable goal.

It was Master Chief Stephens taking a personal interest in me, devoting the time to not only sit down and talk with me, and talk about my future in the Coast Guard but also what kinds of things that I could do in mapping out my future assignments. Through his encouragement and with the sincerity of believing in me, I listened to his sage advice, and the rest as they say is history! After all, I was listening to a guy who he himself became Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard – so I was ‘sold’ on his thoughts, ideas and philosophy. Master Chief Stephens’ personal leadership served as a foundation for me to emulate throughout my career, where I learned firsthand the value of mentoring. Taking the time with people to truly listen to them and understand what their needs are helped in formulating my personal core values of “People, Passion and Performance.”

Today, even in retirement, I find myself mentoring people in the Coast Guard, as well as talking with young people about the opportunities that the Coast Guard offers. Over the past eight years since my retirement, I have written more than two dozen letters of recommendation for Officer Candidate School, and the Coast Guard Academy on behalf of the young people I have encountered, as well as those who I have served and worked with during my Coast Guard career.

Mentoring never ends if you care about people, and about the success of our service! Semper Paratus!

African-Americans Have Legacy of Military Service, Sacrifice

American Forces Press Service

Feb. 12, 2008 - Since the birth of America, African Americans have been fighting and dying alongside their countrymen as the United States has struggled for freedom and peace at home and abroad. African American soldiers have fought in every war the United States has participated in, including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the current war on terror.

African Americans, both free and slaves, participated in all the conflicts in the early days of America. About 5,000 African-American soldiers fought for the U.S. in the American Revolutionary War. African Americans distinguished themselves in the Boston Massacre in 1770, the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, and throughout the Revolution.

In the Civil War, 180,000 African Americans made up 163 units of the Union Army, and many more served in the Union Navy. African-Americans were used mostly for labor by the Confederate forces, although in 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis signed a bill authorizing the enlistment of slaves.

African American soldiers proved themselves early in the war, such as in 1863, when the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers, commanded by Gen. James G. Blunt, ran into a strong Confederate force in what is now Oklahoma. After a two-hour bloody engagement, the Confederate soldiers retreated. The 1st Kansas, which had held the center of the Union line, advanced to within fifty paces of the Confederate line and exchanged fire for some 20 minutes until the Confederates broke and ran.

After the battle, Blunt wrote, "I never saw such fighting as was done by the negro regiment. ... The question that negroes will fight is settled; besides they make better solders in every respect than any troops I have ever had under my command."

Fifteen African American soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in the Civil War, and another seven African American sailors were honored for their heroism.

In 1866, federal legislation was passed that allowed African Americans to enlist in the regular Army, and by 1869, the Army had four all-African-American units: the 9th and 10th Cavalry and 24th and 25th Infantry regiments. The two infantry regiments were established by consolidating four infantry regiments that had been formed earlier.

It was these African American units that fought in the Indian Wars of 1867-1891, the Spanish-American War in 1898, the Philippines Insurrection from 1899 to 1901, and Gen. John Pershing's punitive expedition into Mexico in 1916. These units were dubbed "Buffalo Soldiers" by the Indians they fought against. It is thought that this nickname was given out of respect for the African-Americans' fierce fighting ability and naturally curly hair. The term "Buffalo Soldiers" became a generic term for all African American soldiers for many years.

The first African American general officer in the U.S. Army was Benjamin O. Davis, of Washington, D.C. Davis entered the military on July 13, 1898, during the Spanish-American War, as a temporary first lieutenant of the 8th United States Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered out on March 6, 1899, and on June 18, 1899, he enlisted as a private in Troop 1, 9th Cavalry, of the regular Army. He then served as corporal and squadron sergeant major, and on Feb. 2, 1901, he was commissioned a second lieutenant of cavalry in the regular Army.

Davis reached the rank of brigadier general on Oct. 25, 1940. He retired on July 31, 1941, and was recalled to active duty with the rank of brigadier general the following day. During his career, Davis served with the 9th and 10th Cavalry; was a professor of military science and tactics at Wilberforce University, Ohio, and Tuskegee, Ala.; served as a brigade commander in 2nd Cavalry Division; and served as an assistant to the inspector general in Washington, D.C.

Davis' son, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., was the fourth African-American graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and the nation's second African-American general officer.

Although the U.S. armed forces remained segregated throughout World War I, many African Americans volunteered and fought with U.S. forces. By the end of the war, more than 350,000 African-Americans had served in the conflict, 1,400 of whom were commissioned officers.

Many African American units were relegated to support roles during World War I, but several units did distinguish themselves in combat. One of the most famous units was the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the "Harlem Hellfighters," which was on the front lines for six months. One hundred seventy-one members of the 396th were awarded the Legion of Merit medal. Cpl. Freddie Stowers, of 371st Infantry Regiment, was posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor in 1991, making him the only African-American to be so honored for actions in World War I. Stowers led an assault on German trenches in France and continued to lead his men even after being wounded twice.

In World War II, more than 2.5 million African-Americans registered for service, but only 1 million actually served. African American servicemembers served in Casablanca, Italy, the Aleutians, Northern Ireland, Liberia, New Guinea, the China-Burma-India theater, Guam, Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Saipan, Okinawa, Peleliu, Australia, France, and England.

It was during World War II that the famed Tuskegee Airmen served. Actually the 332nd Fighter Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military pilots. The 332nd's most notable mission was escorting bombing raids into Austria, Hungary, Poland and Germany. The pilots flew more than 15,000 sorties and were awarded several Silver Stars, 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, eight Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze Stars, and 744 Air Medals.

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, integrating the armed forces and eliminating racial discrimination in federal employment. Segregation in the military officially ended in 1954, when the last all-African-American unit was abolished.

The Korean War and Vietnam War both saw many great accomplishments by African-American servicemembers. In the Korean War, Jesse L. Brown, the first African-American U.S. Navy aviator, was killed when his plane was shot down during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. The Navy honored Brown by naming an escort ship after him -- the USS Jesse L. Brown.

During the Vietnam War, African Americans continued to join the military in large numbers. Overall, 20 African-Americans were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in that conflict, including the first living African American to receive the Medal of Honor since the Mexican-American War, the first African-American Marine to receive the medal, and the first African-American commissioned officer to receive the medal.

African American enlistment into the U.S. military jumped with the advent of the all-volunteer force in 1973. African-Americans made up about 17 percent of the military's enlisted force when the draft ended in 1973. By the early 1980s, African-Americans made up nearly 24 percent of the enlisted force. When the United States and its allies pushed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait in 1991, the most senior officer in the U.S. military was an African-American, Army Gen. Colin L. Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell later served as secretary of state in President George W. Bush's administration.

Today, African Americans continue to serve the nation as members of the military during the war on terror. February is African-American History Month, which celebrates the contributions African Americans have made in the U.S. over the years.

(Information for this article was taken from several military, government and civilian sources.)