Carl Brashear facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carl Brashear
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| Born | January 19, 1931 Tonieville, Kentucky |
| Died | July 25, 2006 (aged 75) Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1948–1979 |
| Rank | Master chief petty officer |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards | Navy and Marine Corps Medal Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal |
Carl Maxie Brashear (born January 19, 1931 – died July 25, 2006) was a brave United States Navy sailor. He became a master diver in 1970, which was a huge achievement. What makes his story even more amazing is that he did this even after losing his left leg in 1966. His incredible life story inspired the movie Men of Honor.
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Early Life
Carl Brashear was born on January 19, 1931, in Tonieville, Kentucky. He was one of 16 children! His parents, McDonald and Gonzella Brashear, were sharecroppers, which means they farmed land and shared the crops with the landowner. In 1935, his family moved to a farm in Sonora, Kentucky. Carl went to Sonora Grade School from 1937 to 1946.
Carl Brashear joined the United States Navy on February 25, 1948. This was just a few months before the military stopped separating people based on their race. In 1954, he graduated from the United States Navy Diving & Salvage School. This made him the first African-American person to attend and finish this special diving school. He became one of the first African-American United States Navy Divers.
While he was at diving school in Bayonne, New Jersey, Carl faced many challenges and unfair treatment because of his race. But he didn't give up! With encouragement from a senior sailor named Harry M. Rutherford, Carl kept going and finished the program. He was 16th out of 17 students in his class.
Becoming a Diver
Carl's first job as a diver was to find about 16,000 rounds of ammunition that had fallen into the sea. Later, when he was stationed in Quonset Point, Rhode Island, he helped salvage (rescue) airplanes, including a famous Blue Angel plane. He also helped recover bodies from the ocean.
In 1957, Carl even met President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was escorting the presidential yacht, the Barbara Anne, to Rhode Island. President Eisenhower gave him a small knife as a thank you. After becoming a chief petty officer in 1959, Carl spent three years in Guam doing many demolition dives.
A Difficult Accident
In January 1966, a serious accident happened off the coast of Palomares, Spain. A special bomb was lost in the ocean after two United States Air Force planes crashed during refueling. Carl Brashear was serving on a ship called the USS Hoist (ARS-40). His ship was sent to find and recover the missing bomb. After two and a half months of searching, the bomb was found. For his brave work in helping to get the bomb back, Carl received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. This is a very high award for heroism that doesn't involve combat.
During the bomb recovery on March 23, 1966, a line used for towing broke. A heavy pipe swung loose and hit Carl's left leg below the knee, badly injuring it. He was taken to hospitals in Spain and Germany, and then to a Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. Because of a serious infection and damage to his leg, doctors had to amputate (remove) his lower left leg.
Never Giving Up
Carl stayed at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth from May 1966 to March 1967. During this time, he recovered and worked hard on his rehabilitation. From March 1967 to March 1968, he trained to return to active duty and diving. It was a long and difficult journey, but Carl never gave up. In April 1968, he became the first diver with an amputated leg to be certified again as a United States Navy diver.
In 1970, he made history again by becoming the first African-American master diver. He continued to serve for nine more years, becoming a master chief boatswain's mate in 1971. Carl Brashear lived by his beliefs: "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."
Carl Brashear retired from the United States Navy on April 1, 1979. He was a master chief petty officer (E-9) and a master diver. After retiring from the Navy, he continued to work for the government as a civilian employee at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. He retired from this job in 1993.
Family Life
Carl Brashear had four children: Shazanta, DaWayne, Phillip, and Patrick. His grand-nephew, Donald Brashear, became a professional ice hockey player.
Carl Brashear passed away on July 25, 2006, at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Virginia. He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia.
Remembering Carl Brashear
After Carl's death, his sons DaWayne and Phillip Brashear started the Carl Brashear Foundation. This foundation honors his memory and continues his legacy.
Awards and Recognition
Carl Brashear received many awards for his service and bravery. Some of his top awards include:
- Navy and Marine Corps Medal
- Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
- Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
- Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service
- Navy Good Conduct Medal (8 awards)
- National Defense Service Medal
- Korean Service Medal
He also earned the Navy Master Diver Badge and the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist insignia.
Lasting Honors
Carl Brashear has been honored in many ways:
- In October 2000, he received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service for his 42 years of service.
- On October 24, 2007, the Newport News Fire Department named a high-speed fireboat after him, called the Carl Brashear.
- A Navy cargo ship, the USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7), was named in his honor and launched in 2008.
- In 2009, a new exhibit called "Dream to Dive: The Life of Master Diver Carl Brashear" opened at Nauticus, a museum in Norfolk, Virginia.
- The Chief Petty Officer Club at Naval Station Little Creek, Virginia, was renamed The Carl Brashear Center in 2009.
- On November 9, 2017, a veterans center in Kentucky was named the "Carl M. Brashear Radcliff Veterans Center."
- On July 25, 2018, a bridge in Kentucky was renamed the "Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Maxie Brashear Memorial Bridge."
- His Navy uniform is on display at the Hardin County History Museum in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
- A watch company, Oris SA, released a special dive watch to remember Carl Brashear.
In Movies
The actor Cuba Gooding Jr. played Carl Brashear in the movie Men of Honor. This film was inspired by Carl's incredible life story.
See Also
In Spanish: Carl Brashear para niños
