Posted on 09/18/2008 9:12:38 PM PDT by nuconvert
By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
September 18, 2008
By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
Carl Brashear was a man with unwavering determination to serve as a Navy diver - and to return to the water even after losing a leg.
Thursday in San Diego, the Navy's top officials gathered to honor Brashear at the christening and launch of a supply ship bearing his name. Also in the crowd was Senior Chief Petty Officer John Allen, a diver from Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base. Several years ago, he spent just a few minutes with Brashear, but it made a big impression.
Brashear joined the Navy in 1948 and became the service's first black deep sea diver in 1953. Injured in a salvage operation in 1966, Brashear had his left leg amputated. Undeterred, he became the first diver in Navy history to be restored to full active duty as an amputee.
He later became the first black master diver in the Navy.
Brashear, who retired in 1979, was portrayed in the 2000 movie "Men of Honor" by Cuba Gooding Jr. He lived in Virginia Beach until his death in 2006.
Brashear's namesake ship is 689 feet long, the seventh in the Lewis and Clark class of supply ships built for the Military Sealift Command by General Dynamics. It will carry ammunition and cargo to replenish Navy warships at sea.
Allen, who is black, said Brashear's example, and his words, resonated with the crew.
Brashear visited the salvage ship Grapple in the Red Sea while Allen was aboard.
"It's not a sin to get knocked down; it's a sin to stay down," Brashear told the crew, which was working to recover helicopter wreckage.
Another favorite phrase: "I ain't going to let nobody steal my dream."
Allen said Brashear's message resonates among divers regardless of race.
"This was a man who wanted no favor, no quarter for his color. He just wanted his chance. If you want it, and you're willing to work for it, it's something you can achieve."
Wasn’t the story of this man, the one that inspired the movie that Robert Dinero and Cuba Gooding did??
Yes.
Didn’t read the article before you posted, did you?
yes
The city of Elizabethtown (that's E-Town to us locals) had considered naming a street in his honor, but the city council ended up naming it "Veterans Way" instead.
This is one of those Navy jobs that you wouldn’t ever catch this former Marine doing.
Didn’t read the article before you posted, did you?
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Not the whole thing...but it sure sounded familiar. Did not recall that the story was basically true. Very interesting.
Was he a hard hat diver?
Salute to Carl Brashear!
Diver bump! Good on ya Chief.
Wonderful news.
Brashear has quite a history for our nation. Glad to learn he’s being honored in such a truly special way.
In reading the comments it would appear that many haven’t seen the movie. See it. Soon.
Last winter I spent a few days in the hospital sharing a room with an ex-navy diver who knew and had dived with Brashear. He had nothing but good things to say about him, especially about his toughness.
I figure my roommate knew a good deal about toughness since he had spent 28 years in uniform, finally taking a discharge as an E-9 Chief Boatswain’s mate. On top of that his last name was “Pusey.” Anyone who could spend 28 years in the seagoing navy with a name like that had to be tougher than shoeleather.
BTTT
Arguably Cuba Gooding’s best movie.
Yep!
In that era, we used Mark V diving helmets, SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus), & Jack Brown masks (full face mask with surface supplied air). Another rig used by First Class Divers and Master Divers was similar to the Mark V but it was used in deeper dives and the breathing mixture was helium/oxygen. The reason for the helium mix was on deep dives, nitrogen narcosis could set in at great depths, leaving a diver "drunk" on nitrogen. Helium replaced the nitrogen and mixed with oxygen eliminated the narcosis.
Mark V's were phased out in the early 80's I believe to become collector's items.
His accident occurred around the time I was going through Second Class Diver's School in Subic. I had not heard of him until the movie was produced.
All that being said, CONGRATULATIONS Master Diver Carl Brashear!
Salute.....two
I was going to ping you but I couldn’t remember if you were a H2O diver or a... never mind
How long have you lived in Merced County? I was reading about Gene Winfield from Modesto in The Rodders Journal today.
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