Carl Brashear
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| Carl Brashear | |
|---|---|
| January 19, 1931 – July 25, 2006 (aged 75) | |
| Place of birth | Tonieville, Kentucky |
| Place of death | Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1948-1979 |
| Rank | Master Chief Petty Officer |
| Awards | Navy and Marine Corps Medal |
Carl Maxie Brashear (January 19, 1931 – July 25, 2006) was the first African American to become a U.S. Navy Master Diver in 1970. In 2000, Brashear's military service was portrayed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the film Men of Honor.
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[edit] Biography
Brashear was born in Tonieville, Larue County, Kentucky, the child of sharecroppers, McDonald and Gonzella Brashear.[1][2] He attended Sonora Grade School, Sonora, Kentucky from 1937 to 1946.
[edit] U.S. Navy career
Brashear enlisted in the U.S. Navy on February 25, 1948, shortly after the Navy had desegregated. He graduated from diving school in 1954, becoming a U.S. Navy Diver.[1] He was not the first African-American U.S. Navy diver; he was, however, the first to attend and graduate from U.S. Navy Diving & Salvage School. In World War II there were 3 African-American U.S. Navy divers; however, none reached the status of U.S. Navy Master Diver.[citation needed] Master Chief Brashear was the first African-American U.S. Navy Master Diver. He was also the first amputee diver to be certified or recertified as a U.S. Navy diver.
[edit] Leg amputation and recovery
In January 1966, a hydrogen bomb was lost off the coast of Palomares, Spain after two U.S. Air Force planes collided during a refueling attempt, the Palomares hydrogen bombs incident. The Navy was called in to find and recover the bomb; and after 2-1/2 months of searching, the bomb was found.[3] On March 23, 1966, during recovery operations, a line used for towing broke loose, causing a pipe to strike Brashear's left leg below the knee, nearly shearing it off.[4] He was evacuated to Torrejon Air Base in Spain, then to Wiesbaden, Germany; and finally to the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. After persistent infections and necrosis, and facing years of recovery, Brashear convinced his doctors to amputate the lower portion of his leg.[3]
Brashear remained at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Portsmouth from May 1966 until March 1967 recovering and rehabilitating from the amputations. From March 1967 to March 1968, Senior Chief Brashear was assigned to the Harbor Clearance Unit Two, Diving School, preparing for return to full active duty and diving.[5] In April 1968, after a long struggle, he became the first amputee to be certified as a diver. In 1970, he became the first African-American U.S. Navy Master Diver, and served 10 more years beyond that, eventually achieving the rank of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate in 1971.[1][6] Brashear was motivated by his beliefs that "It's not a sin to get knocked down; it's a sin to stay down" and "I ain't going to let nobody steal my dream". Brashear never asked for special favors, he just wanted his chance.[7]
[edit] Retirement
Brashear retired from the U.S. Navy on April 1, 1979 as a Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9) and Master Diver. He then served as a civilian employee for the government at Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia and retired in 1993 with the grade of GS-11.[1]
[edit] Personal life
Brashear married and divorced three times:[2] Junetta Wilcoxson (1952-1978), Hattie R. Elam (1980-1983), and Jeanette A. Brundage (1985-1987). He had four children: Shazanta, DaWayne, Phillip, and Patrick.[1] Brashear's nephew is Washington Capitals LW Donald Brashear.
Cuba Gooding, Jr. played the role of Brashear in Men of Honor, a movie inspired by the true story of Brashear.
Brashear died of respiratory and heart failure at the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia on July 25, 2006. [1]
[edit] Carl Brashear Foundation
After his death, his sons DaWayne and Phillip Brashear started the Carl Brashear Foundation in his honor.
[edit] Decorations and medals
- Navy and Marine Corps Medal
- Navy Commendation Medal
- Navy Achievement Medal
- Navy Good Conduct Medal (w/1 silver and 2 bronze service stars)
- National Defense Service Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- China Service Medal
- Korean Service Medal
- Navy Occupation Service Medal
- Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
- United Nations Service Medal
- Korean War Service Medal
[edit] Honors
In October 2000, Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear, was honored with (center), an Outstanding Public Service Award 42 years of combined military and federal civilian service, presented by Secretary of Defense, William Cohen.
On October 24, 2007, the Newport News, Virginia Fire Department dedicated a 30-foot (9.1 m) high-speed fireboat named Carl Brashear to be used by their Dive and Marine Incident Response Teams.
The planned Lewis and Clark class dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7) was christened in September 2008 in San Diego, California on September 18, 2008 in his honor.[7][8][9]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e f "Pioneering Navy diver Carl Brashear dies in Portsmouth", The Virginian-Pilot (July 26, 2006), p. A1. Retrieved on 2006-07-26. Archived from the original on 2007-11-02.
- ^ a b U.S. Navy profile, NHC, 2001.
- ^ a b "Oral History of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Carl M. Brashear, USN (Ret.)". U.S. Naval Institute (17 November 1989). Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ Reel Faces.
- ^ "Transcript of Service". U.S. Navy profile. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ Forster, Dave (2006-07-30). "Navy pioneer's life, career led by determination", The Virginian-Pilot, pp. A1, A10. Retrieved on 2006-07-30.
- ^ a b Wiltrout, Kate (2008-09-19). "Navy Ship Named For Diving Pioneer", The Virginian Pilot, pp. Hampton Roads 1-2. Retrieved on 2008-09-19.
- ^ "Navy Secretary Names Two New Auxiliary Dry Cargo Ships". Press release. Department of Defense. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
- ^ "Navy to christen ship today honoring diver Carl Brashear". Hampton Roads.com (2008-09-15). Retrieved on 2008-09-19.
[edit] References
- Stillwell, Paul. The Reminiscences of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Carl Brashear. Annapolis, MD: United States Institute. 1998.
- "Carl Brashear — Men of Honor". Reel Faces. Retrieved on 2006-06-22. Facts & fiction — real life versus the movie.
- "Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Carl Maxie Brashear, USN (Ret.)". Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. Retrieved on 2004-11-25. Brashear's NHC profile.
- "Inspiration for 'Men of Honor' dies, Carl Brashear was first black U.S. Navy diver", CNN (July 25, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
- Michael Felberbaum (July 26, 2006). "Kentuckian Carl Brashear, first black Navy diver, dies", Louisville Courier-Journal. Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
- Brashear has a Pedigree of Greatness
- Firehouse.com "Unit Bio -- Fireboat-1 Carl Brashear"
- Hampton Roads TV, October 24, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Pringle, Capt. Shuan (February 21, 2001). "Direction, Discipline, Determination: The Story of Carl Brashear". Air Force Space Command, United States Air Force. Retrieved on 2008-08-17.
