CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The son of the Navy's first Black master diver spoke is speaking about his father's legacy.
Phillip Brashear addressed the crew of USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) on Tuesday morning about his father, Master Diver Carl Brashear.
In 1954, the elder Brashear became the first African American to graduate from the US Navy Diving and Salvage Training School as a Navy diver.
During the recovery of a submerged nuclear weapon, Brashear was badly injured and had to have his left leg amputated. But despite the disability, in 1968 he became the first amputee certified diver, and two years later, he became the first Black US Navy master diver.
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Brashear in the movie "Men of Honor."
Brashear's son has himself served in the Armed Forces, retiring last year as a Chief Warrant Officer after serving 40 years in the Army. Phillip said he shares his father's story to inspire sailors to keep "pushing forward in the face of adversity."