Samuel L. Gravely, Jr.
| Samuel Lee Gravely Jr. | |
|---|---|
Samuel Gravely, United States Navy photograph circa 1970.
|
|
| Born |
June 4, 1922 Richmond, Virginia |
| Died | October 22, 2004 (aged 82) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1980 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held |
USS Theodore E. Chandler (DD-717) USS Taussig (DD-746) USS Jouett (CG-29) Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two Third Fleet Defense Communications Agency |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star |
Samuel Lee Gravely Jr. (June 4, 1922 – October 22, 2004) was a United States Navy officer. He was the first African American in the U.S. Navy to serve aboard a fighting ship as an officer, the first to command a Navy ship, the first fleet commander, and the first to become a flag officer, retiring as a vice admiral.
Gravely was born on June 4, 1922 in Richmond, Virginia, the oldest of five children of Mary George Gravely and postal worker Samuel L. Gravely Sr. He attended Virginia Union University but left before graduating to join the Naval Reserve in 1942. He had attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1940 but was turned away due to a supposed heart murmur.
After receiving basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, Gravely entered the V-12 Navy College Training Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Upon graduating from UCLA, he completed Midshipmen's School at Columbia University and was commissioned an ensign on November 14, 1944. His commission came only eight months after the "Golden Thirteen" became the first African-American officers in the U.S. Navy.
Gravely began his seagoing career as the only black officer aboard the submarine chaser USS PC-1264, which was one of two U.S. Navy ships (the other being USS Mason (DE-529)) with a predominantly black enlisted crew. Before June 1, 1942, African Americans could only enlist in the Navy as messmen; PC-1264 and Mason were intended to test the ability of blacks to perform general Navy service. For the remainder of World War II, PC-1264 conducted patrols and escort missions along the east coast of the U.S. and south to the Caribbean.
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