Carl Brashear: Man of Honor

What comes to mind when you think of a hero? Someone who does something well or someone who would do anything for those they love? What about someone who overcomes unimaginable obstacles to accomplish his or her goals?

Despite his humble beginnings on a small farm in Kentucky, Carl Brashear became the only amputee deep-sea diver to reach Master Diver status and the only black man to ever hold the position in the US Navy.

In 1948, at age 17, Brashear enlisted in the Navy. After boot camp he, like other black Navy men, was a cook and cleaned for the officers. After two years he became a seaman. He said the first time he saw a dive, he knew it was for him.

Unfortunately, Brashear had only completed up to the seventh grade, in a one room, segregated schoolhouse. He knew with the education he had he could not advance in the military. So Brashear decided to get his GED, which he received in 1960.

For a year and a half, Brashear was continually denied for diving school. Through persistence and the knowledge he could do it, he was finally admitted. The physical, psychological and mental pressure was daunting but Brashear knew this was where he wanted to be.

He developed a thick skin to deal with the racism and the sabotaged diving projects. He graduated Salvage Diver and began working for Master Diver. Brashear enrolled to be a Master Diver but the course was too academically challenging so he had to drop out. In 1963, he enrolled for the second time. Of the original 30 to enroll, 17 graduated, and he was third in his class.

In March of 1966, Brashear was in an accident aboard a ship. The doctors did surgeries until August, but were unsuccessful. After consulting Brashear, they decided the best thing to do was cut off the leg.

Although he had been released from the Navy with honors, Brashear knew he was not done.

After being fit for the prosthetic leg, Brashear began his training. He knew the doctors would not approve, so he decided to sneak out. When his leg would give him problems and bleed, he would soak it in hot salt water.

To prove he was capable to deep-sea dive, the Navy officials set demands far higher than those required. He had to do countless deep knee bends, climb up and down a vertical latter, and hold weights over his head without giving any slack on his prosthetic leg.

He walked up and down stairs with weights on his shoulders to prove his equilibrium was not off balance. He led the sailors in calisthenics, and ran two miles every morning and afternoon. He had some sort of training every day of the week.

Brashear went to Washington DC to prove he could dive in any circumstances. He was restored to active duty and full diving ability by Admiral Young, who said, "If you do it, I will go anywhere to reinstate you."

When the movie, "Men of Honor" was filmed, Brashear was involved from start to finish. He was on the set 95 percent of the time. He said the courtroom scene in the movie was almost identical to his situation. Brashear had been invited to the White House to watch the movie with Bill and Hilary Clinton.

Brashear commented, "I have made it from an outhouse to the White House."

He loved the Navy when he joined, every minute he was there, and loves it even now he has retired. He would do it all again if it were possible.

"I don't feel I'm a hero. I feel I did what I had to do. Heroes are policemen and school teachers."

Despite the major motion picture put out by Twentieth Century Fox, Carl Brashear remains a humble man whose philosophy is, "love yourself, develop a positive attitude, set a goal and work towards it with all your might." He credits this as the key to his success.