Carl Maxie Brashear (January 19, 1931 – July 25, 2006) was the first African American to become a U.S. Navy Master Diver in the early 1950s. In 2000, Brashear's military service was portrayed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the film Men of Honor. January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Tonieville is a small town in Larue County (also known as LaRue County) in central Kentucky. ... Map Political Statistics Founded 1752 County Independent city Mayor Dr. James W. Holley III Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 120. ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... Good conduct variation Master Chief Petty Officer insignia Master Chief Petty Officer Sleeve Insignia Master Chief Petty Officer is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank (E-9) in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above Senior Chief Petty Officer, and is a non-commissioned officer. ... The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the second highest non-combatant medal awarded by the United States Department of the Navy to members of the U.S. Navy and the United States Marine Corps. ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... The United States Navy Master Diver is the highest warfare qualification obtainable by a member of U.S. Navy diving community. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2000. ... Cuba Gooding, Jr. ... DVD case cover for Men of Honor Men of Honor is a 2000 drama film, directed by George Tillman, Jr. ...

Early life

Brashear was born in Tonieville, Larue County, Kentucky, the child of sharecroppers.^[1] Tonieville is a small town in Larue County (also known as LaRue County) in central Kentucky. ... LaRue County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Sharecropping is a system of farming in which employee farmers work a parcel of land in return for a fraction of the parcels crops. ...

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 US Navy Diving & Salvage School. In WWII there were 3 African-American U.S. Navy divers, however, none reached the status of U.S. Navy Master Diver. Carl Brashear was the first African-American U.S. Navy Master Diver. He was the first amputee diver to ever be certified or recertified as a U.S. Navy diver. The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 Navy was called in to find and recover the bomb; and after 2-1/2 months of searching, the bomb was found.^[2] 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.^[3] 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. ^[2] The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ... On January 17, 1966 a B-52 bomber of the USAF Strategic Air Command collided with a KC-135 tanker during mid-air refuelling over the Mediterranean sea, off the coast of Spain. ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (83rd in leap years). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Torrejon Air Base is a former joint Spanish and United States Air Force base. ... Wiesbaden is a city in central Germany. ... Map Political Statistics Founded 1752 County Independent city Mayor Dr. James W. Holley III Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 120. ... Necrosis (in Greek Νεκρός = Death) is the name given to accidental death of cells and living tissue. ...

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.^[4] 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][5] Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or surgery. ... The United States Navy Master Diver is the highest warfare qualification obtainable by a member of U.S. Navy diving community. ...

Retirement

Brashear retired from the U.S. Navy in 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] Good conduct variation Master Chief Petty Officer insignia Master Chief Petty Officer Sleeve Insignia Master Chief Petty Officer is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank (E-9) in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above Senior Chief Petty Officer, and is a non-commissioned officer. ... -1... Motto: Crescas (Latin for, Thou shalt grow. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... General Schedule (or GS) is the name used to describe a payscale utilized by the majority of white collar personnel in the civil service of the United States Government. ...

Family life

Brashear married three times: Junetta Wilcoxson in 1952; divorced in 1978, Hattie R. Elam in 1980; divorced in 1983, Jeanette A. Brundage in 1985; divorced in 1987. He had four children: Shazanta, DaWayne, Phillip, and Patrick.^[1] Brashear's nephew is Washington Capitals hockey player Donald Brashear. The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Donald Brashear (born January 7, 1972 in Bedford, IN, USA) is an American-Canadian professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the National Hockey Leagues Washington Capitals. ...

Death

Brashear died of respiratory and heart failure at the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia on July 25, 2006. ^[1] Map Political Statistics Founded 1752 County Independent city Mayor Dr. James W. Holley III Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 120. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

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

The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the second highest non-combatant medal awarded by the United States Department of the Navy to members of the U.S. Navy and the United States Marine Corps. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... The Achievement Medal is the lowest of the United States military’s non-combat meritorious service medals. ... The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military decorations of the United States military. ... Bronze and Silver Service Stars A Service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. ... The National Defense Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States military and was the brainchild of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. ... The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States military which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. ... The China Service Medal was a military medal awarded to U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. ... The Korean Service Medal is a decoration of the United States military and was created in November 1950 by order of President Harry Truman. ... The Navy Occupation Service Medal is a decoration of the United States Navy which was issued to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel who participated in the European and Asian occupation forces following the close of the Second World War. ... Please see Presidential Unit Citation for other versions of this award The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941 (the date of the Attack on... The United Nations Service Medal is an international military decoration which was established by the United Nations on December 12, 1950. ... The Korean War Service Medal is a decoration of South Korea which was first authorized in December 1950. ...

See also

United States Navy Portal

• List of African American firsts

Image File history File links United_States_Department_of_the_Navy_Seal. ... United States citizens of African descent, African Americans, make up a demographic minority of a national population composed primarily of those of European-Caucasian ancestry. ...

Footnotes

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... The Naval Historical Center (NHC) is the official history program of the United States Navy. ... Seal The United States Department of the Navy was established by an Act of Congress on April 30, 1798, to provide administrative and technical support, and civilian leadership to the United States Navy and Marine Corps. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ...

References

• Stillwell, Paul. The Reminiscences of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Carl Brashear. Annapolis, MD: United States Institute. 1998.
• Men of Honor — Carl Brashear. 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 biographical 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. "Kentuckian Carl Brashear, first black Navy diver, dies", Louisville Courier-Journal, July 26, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
• Brashear has a Pedigree of Greatness