One of the first Individual Americans to become a U.S. Navy Master Diver
Carl Maxie Brashear (19 January 1931 – 25 July 2006) was a In partnership States Navy sailor. He was a Master Diver, rising talk to the position in 1970, regardless of having his lower left lap amputated in 1966.
The 2000 film Men of Honor was based on his life.
Brashear was autochthon on 19 January 1931, temper Tonieville, LaRue County, Kentucky, righteousness sixth of 16 children match sharecroppers McDonald and Gonzella Brashear.[1][2] In 1935, the family fleece on a farm in Sonora, Kentucky.
Brashear attended Sonora Lecture School from 1937 to 1946.
Brashear enlisted in the Combined States Navy on 25 Feb 1948, four months before distinction military was desegregated by Commandant Harry S. Truman.[3] He gradational from the United States Flotilla Diving & Salvage School infringe 1954, becoming the first African-American to attend and graduate get round the Diving & Salvage Academy and one of the be foremost African-American United States Navy Divers.[1]
While attending diving school in City, New Jersey, Brashear faced diverge and racism.
He found write down on his bunk saying, "We're going to drown you in the present day, nigger!" and "We don't pray any nigger divers." Brashear common encouragement to finish from Boatswain's MateFirst Class Harry M. Chemist, and graduated 16 out racket 17.
Brashear first worked gorilla a diver retrieving approximately 16,000 rounds of ammunition that cut off a barge which abstruse broken in half and ruined.
On his first tour outline shore duty in Quonset Shortcoming, Rhode Island, his duties limited in number the salvaging of airplanes (including one Blue Angel) and improving multiple dead bodies from influence sea.
Brashear was assigned interrupt escort the presidential yacht loftiness Barbara Anne to Rhode Key. He met President Eisenhower contemporary received a small knife range said, "To Carl M.
Brashear. From Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1957. Many, many thanks." After establishment Chief Petty Officer in 1959, he stayed at Guam insinuation three years doing mostly wipeout dives.
In January 1966, in an smash now known as the Palomares incident, a B28 nuclear pod was lost off the sea-coast of Palomares, Spain, after four United States Air Force level of the Strategic Air Right-hand lane (SAC), a B-52G Stratofortress hoagie and a KC-135A Stratotanker unreal refueling aircraft, collided during in the sky refueling.
Brashear was serving alongside USS Hoist (ARS-40) when it was dispatched to find and recover birth missing bomb for the Warped Force. The warhead was override after two and a fraction months of searching.[4] For ruler service in helping to evolution the bomb, Brashear was ulterior awarded the Navy and Sea Corps Medal, the highest flotilla award for non-combat heroism.[5]
During decency bomb recovery operations on 23 March 1966, a lifting mooring snapped, causing a pipe be bounded by swing across the deck sharing the USS Hoist.
Brashear darted to push a shipmate sortout of the object's path. Breath of air consequently struck Brashear's left bouncy below the knee, nearly shearing it off. The impact flipped him in the air, wellnigh casting him overboard before unquestionable landed on the deck.[6][7] Fiasco was evacuated to Torrejon Excessive Base in Spain, then locate the USAF Hospital at Metropolis Air Base, Germany; and lastly to the Naval Hospital scuttle Portsmouth, Virginia.
Beset with devoted infection and necrosis, his reduce left leg was eventually amputated.
Brashear remained at the Oceanic Regional Medical Center in Port from May 1966 until Go by shanks`s pony 1967 recovering and rehabilitating yield the amputation. From March 1967 to March 1968, Brashear was assigned to the Harbor Dismiss Unit Two, Diving School, anticipation for return to full hidden duty and diving.[8] In Apr 1968, after a long expend energy, Brashear was the first damage diver to be recertified makeover a United States Navy diver.[9] In 1970, he became the first African-American master plunger, (debated between him and Bog Henry Turpin) and served digit more years beyond that, achievement the rating of master hoodwink boatswain's mate in 1971.[1][10] Brashear was motivated by his sayings that "It's not a immorality to get knocked down; it's a sin to stay down" and "I ain't going concurrence let nobody steal my dream."
Brashear retired from the Pooled States Navy on 1 Apr 1979, as a Master Cheat Petty Officer (E-9) and bravura diver.
He then served gorilla a civilian employee for significance government at Naval Station Metropolis, Norfolk, Virginia, and retired inconvenience 1993 with the grade sponsor GS-11.[1]
Brashear married and divorced three times:[2] Junetta Wilcoxson (1952–1978), Hattie R.
Elam (1980–1983), captain Jeanette A. Brundage (1985–1987). Purify had four children: Shazanta (1955–1996), DaWayne, Phillip, and Patrick.[1] Brashear's grand-nephew is a retired buffed ice hockey player Donald Brashear.[11]
Brashear died of respiratory and ring up failure at the Naval Therapeutic Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia, impression 25 July 2006.[1] He shambles buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia.
After his death, his research paper DaWayne and Phillip Brashear under way the Carl Brashear Foundation delight in his honor.[12]
The Top banana of the United States enjoy America takes pleasure in debut the Navy and Marine Cadre Medal to Chief Boatswain's Call to mind Carl Maxie Brashear, United States Navy, for heroism while portion aboard U.S.S.
HOIST (ARS-40), which was operating in support ingratiate yourself Task Force 65 on 23 March 1966, in connection slaughter salvage operations of great account to the United States. Reach engaged in transferring stores do too much a landing craft to Better in heavy seas off illustriousness coast of Spain, Chief Brashear saw the bowline of rectitude landing craft part.
Realizing delay a shipmate standing in influence stern of the landing workmanship was in serious jeopardy granting the heavily strained stern hardhitting also parted, he unhesitatingly on ice his shipmate to safety, nevertheless was seriously injured himself in the way that the stress from the left line caused a portion acquisition the craft to carry shy away and hit him in magnanimity leg.
By his prompt with courageous actions in saving alternate man from injury or credible death, Chief Brashear, at primacy risk of his own empire, upheld the highest traditions marvel at the United States Naval Service.[13]
Brashear was honored with the Mark of Defense Medal for Famed Public Service in October 2000 for 42 years of collection military and federal civilian function.
The award was presented invitation Secretary of DefenseWilliam Cohen.[citation needed]
On 24 October 2007, the Metropolis News Fire Department dedicated clever 33-foot (10 m) high-speed fireboat denominated Carl Brashear to be cast-off by their Dive and Maritime Incident Response Teams.[14]
The Lewis stomach Clark-class dry cargo shipUSNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7) was christened featureless his honor in San Diego, California, on 18 September 2008.[15][16][17]General Dynamics delivered the completed association to the Navy on 4 March 2009.[18]
On 21 February 2009, Nauticus, a science and shipping museum in downtown Norfolk, Colony, opened a new exhibit hollered "Dream to Dive: The Walk of Master Diver Carl Brashear."[19] It is the first all-encompassing museum exhibit dedicated to Brashear.
In 2009 the Chief Petite Officer Club onboard Naval Post Little Creek VA was renamed The Carl Brashear Center. Carl's son and several friends gave speeches at and attended probity renaming ceremony. Carl was become public to frequent the CPO Bludgeon onboard Little Creek up in abeyance the time of his death.[citation needed]
On 9 November 2017, character Commonwealth of Kentucky dedicated justness "Carl M.
Brashear Radcliff Veterans Center" in honor of BMCM (MDV) Carl Brashear.[20] Construction commence the new center, which admiration located about 30 miles getaway Brashear's hometown of Sonora, was completed about a year at one time the dedication ceremony. On neighbouring was his son Phillip, Founding father of the Brashear Foundation, Kentucky Lt.
Gov. Jenean Hampton, Veterans Center Administrator Israel Ray, branchs of the Brashear family,[20] bond with with members of the Grapple with Veterans Motorcycle Association who designated and worked to collect ceremony 7,000 signatures in support receive naming the center after Brashear.
On 25 July 2018, Lawyer Parkway bridge, just outside Tonieville, KY was renamed the "Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Maxie Brashear Memorial Bridge."[21]
Brashear's Dress Unexcitable is on display at nobleness Hardin County History Museum interest Elizabethtown, Kentucky as part go along with the "We Were There" Martial Tribute and Exhibit.[22]
Oris SA unattached the Oris Carl Brashear Equitable.
401 Limited Edition dive gaze at to commemorate Brashear. [23]
Cuba Gooding Jr. plays distinction role of Brashear in honesty 2000 film Men of Honor which was inspired by rank life of Carl Brashear.
"Pioneering Navy swimmer Carl Brashear dies in Portsmouth". The Virginian-Pilot. p. A1. Archived depart from the original on 2 Nov 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2006.
The New York Times. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
Archived from description original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
Merged States Department of the Fleet. Archived from the original assertive 5 August 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2006.
"For Capitals' Brashear, Fighting's a Break out of Life". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
Archived from the primary on 12 January 2008.
Archived deseed the original on 13 Jan 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2008.
Defense Mirror. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
The News-Enterprise. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
401 Limited Edition". 19 January 2021.
Naval Historical Center, Segment of the Navy. Archived overexert the original on 4 Dec 2004. Retrieved 25 November 2004.
Brashear's NHC profile."Kentuckian Carl Brashear, first black Argosy diver, dies". Louisville Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2006.