Frank Sublett and the Golden Thirteen

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0505240019may24,1,3245690.story?coll=chi-newslocalchicago-hed

 

Cool! Was he a Chaplain?

 

No, the Golden Thirteen were line officers. The first group of black staff corps officers, including two chaplains, were commissioned a few months later.

http://www.afroamhistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa112100a.htm

 

That's even better. The Navy Officer Corps, of which I was a member, is still VERY whilte, unfortunately.

 

Actually the Navy officer corps is pretty diverse .

Navy-wide officer distribution by race (Navy Demographic Report - 2nd Quarter 2005)

Majority Percentage: 83.85%
Minority Percentage: 11.53%
Selected more than
one race code: 4.62%

http://www.npc.navy.mil/CommandSupport/Diversity/EqualOpportunity/NavyDemographics.htm

Not many organizations can come close to rivaling opportunities provided by the Navy, regardless of one’s race, religion, or gender.

 

Glad to see it. My experience was of a very white world.

The conventual wisdom was that Annapolis grads divided; blacks took second lieutenant commissions in the Marine Corps and whites became Navy Ensigns.

My personal observations between 1977 and about 1991, when I ceased to be a drilling reservist, bore this out.

 

Wow. Thanks, Charles. I met this gentleman once. What a privilege.