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Vice
Admiral Gravely is honored annually in San Pedro, California, aboard Battleship Iowa, at the Gravely Celebration Experience. Each year the organization honors trailblazers exemplifying VADM Gravely's leadership and service with the Leadership & Service Award. An essay competition for U.S.
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In 1946, Gravely was released from active duty, remaining in the Naval
Reserve. He married schoolteacher Alma Bernice Clark later that year; the couple went on to raise three children, Robert, David, and Tracey. He returned to his hometown of Richmond and re-enrolled at Virginia Union University,
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as it performed plane guard duty and gunfire support off the coast of
Vietnam in 1966, making him the first African American to lead a ship into combat. In 1967 he became the first African American to reach the rank of
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Many of
Gravely's later career achievements represented "firsts" for African Americans. From 15 February 1961 to 21 October 1961, he served as the first African-American officer to command a U.S. Navy ship, the
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In
Richmond, the street on which Gravely grew up was renamed "Admiral Gravely Boulevard" in 1977. Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Elementary School in Haymarket, Virginia was named after him in 2008. The destroyer
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had briefly commanded a Navy ship in the
American Civil War, although he was a civilian, not a Navy officer). He also commanded the radar picket destroyer escort
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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
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History high school students that explores VADM Gravely's motto — “Education, Motivation, Perseverance” — is affiliated with the annual event.
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as a communications officer. He transferred from the
Reserve to the regular Navy in 1955 and began to specialize in naval communications.
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were intended to test the ability of
African Americans to perform general Navy service. For the remainder of World War II,
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321:) with a predominantly black enlisted crew. Before June 1, 1942, African Americans could only enlist in the Navy as
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in 1942. He had attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1940 but was turned away due to a supposed heart murmur.
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conducted patrols and escort missions along the east coast of the U.S. and south to the
Caribbean.
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At the time of his promotion to rear admiral, he was in command of the guided missile frigate
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graduating in 1948 with a degree in history and then working as a railway postal clerk.
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Gravely began his seagoing career as the only black officer aboard the submarine chaser
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Gravely was recalled to active duty in 1949 and worked as a recruiter in
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on
December 14, 1944. His commission came only eight months after the "
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688:"Navy Announces Death of Retired Vice Adm. Samuel L. Gravely Jr"
298:" became the first African-American officers in the U.S. Navy.
567:"Samuel L. Gravely Jr., 82, First Black Admiral in Navy, Dies"
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VADM Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., USN, Retirement Ceremony (1980)
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Following his military retirement, Gravely settled in rural
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based in Hawaii, then transferred to Virginia to direct the
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Capt. Samuel Gravely, U.S. Navy photograph circa 1970.
618:. New York: Infobase Publishing. pp. 123–125.
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811:21st-century African-American military personnel
522:, commissioned in 2010, was named in his honor.
756:United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War
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806:United States Navy personnel of the Korean War
498:After suffering a stroke, Gravely died at the
746:African-American United States Navy personnel
658:(6). Annapolis: United States Naval Institute
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751:United States Navy personnel of World War II
694:. U.S. Navy. 24 October 2004. Archived from
683:at The National Visionary Leadership Project
681:Samuel Gravely's oral history video excerpts
481:Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
388:from January 1962 to June 1963. During the
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447:Gravely's military decorations include the
776:Military personnel from Richmond, Virginia
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282:. Upon graduating from UCLA, he completed
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231:(June 4, 1922 – October 22, 2004) was a
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263:but left before graduating to join the
761:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
436:. From 1976 to 1978, he commanded the
541:Military history of African Americans
280:University of California, Los Angeles
255:Gravely was born on June 4, 1922, in
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826:African Americans in the Vietnam War
565:Bayot, Jennifer (October 26, 2004).
352:. During that time he served on the
821:African Americans in the Korean War
276:V-12 Navy College Training Program
270:After receiving basic training at
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816:African Americans in World War II
781:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
644:Stillwell, Paul (December 2010).
615:African Americans in the Military
405:, and in 1971 the first to reach
791:Virginia Union University alumni
786:United States Navy vice admirals
434:Director of Naval Communications
274:, Illinois, Gravely entered the
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796:People from Haymarket, Virginia
536:List of African-American firsts
27:United States Navy Vice Admiral
444:until his retirement in 1980.
1:
801:United States Navy reservists
500:National Naval Medical Center
442:Defense Communications Agency
189:Defense Communications Agency
363:Vietnam War and later career
508:Arlington National Cemetery
392:he commanded the destroyer
302:World War II and Korean War
182:Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two
91:Arlington National Cemetery
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766:Columbia University alumni
477:United Nations Korea Medal
465:World War II Victory Medal
463:. He was also awarded the
432:. He was later named the
646:"A Destroyerman's legacy"
457:Meritorious Service Medal
430:Cruiser-Destroyer Group 2
272:Naval Station Great Lakes
261:Virginia Union University
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771:Naval War College alumni
612:Catherine, Reef (2010).
290:and was commissioned an
102:United States of America
461:Navy Commendation Medal
251:Early life and training
651:Naval History Magazine
487:Later years and legacy
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237:first African American
229:Samuel Lee Gravely Jr.
34:Samuel Lee Gravely Jr.
18:Samuel L. Gravely, Jr.
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128:Years of service
469:Korean Service Medal
428:. Gravely commanded
372:Theodore E. Chandler
235:officer. He was the
152:Theodore E. Chandler
493:Haymarket, Virginia
288:Columbia University
284:Midshipmen's School
504:Bethesda, Maryland
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257:Richmond, Virginia
233:United States Navy
122:United States Navy
79:Bethesda, Maryland
62:Richmond, Virginia
453:Bronze Star Medal
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16:(Redirected from
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710:ANC Explorer
700:. Retrieved
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692:NNS041024-01
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660:. Retrieved
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574:. Retrieved
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245:vice admiral
241:flag officer
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198:World War II
194:Battles/wars
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140:Vice Admiral
74:(2004-10-22)
59:June 4, 1922
741:2004 deaths
736:1922 births
576:February 5,
438:Third Fleet
390:Vietnam War
221:Bronze Star
206:Vietnam War
186:Third Fleet
730:Categories
702:2013-02-08
547:References
479:, and the
350:Korean War
202:Korean War
98:Allegiance
55:1922-06-04
516:USS
471:with two
422:USS
394:USS
382:USS
370:USS
315:USS
308:USS
174:USS
166:USS
158:USS
150:USS
131:1942–1980
530:See also
146:Commands
108:Service/
721:YouTube
518:Gravely
403:captain
396:Taussig
384:Falgout
335:PC-1264
327:PC-1264
323:messmen
310:PC-1264
278:at the
168:Taussig
160:Falgout
622:
475:, the
467:, the
424:Jouett
292:ensign
212:Awards
176:Jouett
119:
110:branch
331:Mason
317:Mason
664:2012
620:ISBN
578:2021
459:and
356:Iowa
354:USS
329:and
136:Rank
81:, US
69:Died
64:, US
49:Born
719:on
502:in
286:at
218:(2)
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690:.
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