[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 108 (Wednesday, September 6, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NAVY MASTER DIVER CARL BRASHEAR REMEMBERED

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                         HON. G. K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 6, 2006

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a great 
American warrior and patriot. Master Chief Carl Brashear passed away on 
July 25, 2006 at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth. His legendary 
accomplishments, however, live on in Navy lore today and for 
generations to come.
  As a 17 year old, Brashear joined the Navy in 1948, shortly after the 
service had been officially desegregated. At age 23, he applied for, 
was accepted to and graduated from the Navy Salvage Diving School. 
Twelve years later, an accident aboard the salvage ship Hoist nearly 
cost Brashear his career and his life. Brashear's left leg was 
amputated below the knee, a crippling debilitation for anyone but worse 
for a man whose dream was to be a master diver in the finest Navy in 
the world. He refused to give up.
  In 1967, Brashear became the first Navy diver to be restored to full 
active duty as an amputee, and his focus returned to the sea. By March 
1968, he was back to work at the NAS Norfolk where he served as the 
lead diver.
  In June 1970, less than 4 years after the accident, Carl Brashear 
made history again. He became the first African-American to be 
certified as a master diver in the United States Navy and the only 
amputee deep-sea diver to ever achieve that status. Brashear would also 
go on to become the first black man to ever become Master Diver of the 
U.S. Navy, a position he held from 1975 to 1977. Brashear retired from 
the Navy in 1979 after 31 years of devoted service.
  ``Carl, a man with such humble beginnings, has touched so many 
people,'' said retired Master Diver J. Lamont King--the fifth black 
American in history to earn the title. ``He represented African-
Americans. He represented people with disabilities. He represented the 
United States Navy. He represented veterans. He was the best of the 
best of what was truly American.'' For many, Carl's courage broke 
barriers and helped changed attitudes, but his legacy is not that of an 
amputee or of an African-American but rather of a seaman who overcame 
disability and racial prejudices to join a long blue line of American 
heroes.
  As the Command Master Chief of NAB Little Creek Hakim Diaz remarked, 
``We pay tribute to a seaman, a Sailor in whose chest beat the most 
valiant heart of all.'' MCBM Brashear's son, Phillip Brashear, an Army 
chief warrant officer 4, said it best, ``He taught people world-wide 
that your race, your gender, your religion, none of that makes any 
difference. You can achieve your goals, you can be held accountable to 
your characteristics as a person, not by the color of your skin.''
  Countless stories of MCBM Brashear's bravery, determination, courage 
and friendship show that he was more than a man with a dream; he was a 
sailor whose skill and dedication make him a hero. Brashear was the 
recipient of multiple awards and commendations including the Navy 
Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, National Defense Service 
Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal and 
the Presidential Unit Citation.
  Nearly 800 people gathered last week to honor MCBM Brashear as he was 
memorialized. To their words I can add only that through the actions of 
Master Chief Carl Brashear, we are a better nation today. Without the 
resolve of sailors like Carl Brashear, a man whose boundless 
determination inspired every walk of life, our country and its people 
could never truly understand dedication and sacrifice.

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