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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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310:) 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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677:"Navy Announces Death of Retired Vice Adm. Samuel L. Gravely Jr"
287:" became the first African-American officers in the U.S. Navy.
556:"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.
607:. New York: Infobase Publishing. pp. 123–125.
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800:21st-century African-American military personnel
511:, commissioned in 2010, was named in his honor.
745:United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War
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795:United States Navy personnel of the Korean War
487:After suffering a stroke, Gravely died at the
735:African-American United States Navy personnel
647:(6). Annapolis: United States Naval Institute
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740:United States Navy personnel of World War II
683:. U.S. Navy. 24 October 2004. Archived from
672:at The National Visionary Leadership Project
670:Samuel Gravely's oral history video excerpts
470:Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
377:from January 1962 to June 1963. During the
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436:Gravely's military decorations include the
765:Military personnel from Richmond, Virginia
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271:. Upon graduating from UCLA, he completed
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220:(June 4, 1922 – October 22, 2004) was a
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252:but left before graduating to join the
750:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
425:. From 1976 to 1978, he commanded the
530:Military history of African Americans
269:University of California, Los Angeles
244:Gravely was born on June 4, 1922, in
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815:African Americans in the Vietnam War
554:Bayot, Jennifer (October 26, 2004).
341:. During that time he served on the
810:African Americans in the Korean War
265:V-12 Navy College Training Program
259:After receiving basic training at
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805:African Americans in World War II
770:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
633:Stillwell, Paul (December 2010).
604:African Americans in the Military
394:, and in 1971 the first to reach
780:Virginia Union University alumni
775:United States Navy vice admirals
423:Director of Naval Communications
263:, Illinois, Gravely entered the
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785:People from Haymarket, Virginia
525:List of African-American firsts
16:United States Navy Vice Admiral
433:until his retirement in 1980.
1:
790:United States Navy reservists
489:National Naval Medical Center
431:Defense Communications Agency
178:Defense Communications Agency
352:Vietnam War and later career
497:Arlington National Cemetery
381:he commanded the destroyer
291:World War II and Korean War
171:Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two
80:Arlington National Cemetery
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755:Columbia University alumni
466:United Nations Korea Medal
454:World War II Victory Medal
452:. He was also awarded the
421:. He was later named the
635:"A Destroyerman's legacy"
446:Meritorious Service Medal
419:Cruiser-Destroyer Group 2
261:Naval Station Great Lakes
250:Virginia Union University
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760:Naval War College alumni
601:Catherine, Reef (2010).
279:and was commissioned an
91:United States of America
450:Navy Commendation Medal
240:Early life and training
640:Naval History Magazine
476:Later years and legacy
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226:first African American
218:Samuel Lee Gravely Jr.
23:Samuel Lee Gravely Jr.
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117:Years of service
458:Korean Service Medal
417:. Gravely commanded
361:Theodore E. Chandler
224:officer. He was the
141:Theodore E. Chandler
482:Haymarket, Virginia
277:Columbia University
273:Midshipmen's School
493:Bethesda, Maryland
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246:Richmond, Virginia
222:United States Navy
111:United States Navy
68:Bethesda, Maryland
51:Richmond, Virginia
442:Bronze Star Medal
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699:ANC Explorer
689:. Retrieved
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681:NNS041024-01
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649:. Retrieved
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563:. Retrieved
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234:vice admiral
230:flag officer
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187:World War II
183:Battles/wars
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129:Vice Admiral
63:(2004-10-22)
48:June 4, 1922
730:2004 deaths
725:1922 births
565:February 5,
427:Third Fleet
379:Vietnam War
210:Bronze Star
195:Vietnam War
175:Third Fleet
719:Categories
691:2013-02-08
536:References
468:, and the
339:Korean War
191:Korean War
87:Allegiance
44:1922-06-04
505:USS
460:with two
411:USS
383:USS
371:USS
359:USS
304:USS
297:USS
163:USS
155:USS
147:USS
139:USS
120:1942–1980
519:See also
135:Commands
97:Service/
710:YouTube
507:Gravely
392:captain
385:Taussig
373:Falgout
324:PC-1264
316:PC-1264
312:messmen
299:PC-1264
267:at the
157:Taussig
149:Falgout
611:
464:, the
456:, the
413:Jouett
281:ensign
201:Awards
165:Jouett
108:
99:branch
320:Mason
306:Mason
653:2012
609:ISBN
567:2021
448:and
345:Iowa
343:USS
318:and
125:Rank
70:, US
58:Died
53:, US
38:Born
708:on
491:in
275:at
207:(2)
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