Celebrating Black History Month - The Golden Thirteen, first African-American Naval officers

In June 1941,  President Franklin Roosevelt signed executive order 8802, which prohibited racial discrimination by any government agency.  In January 1944, the Navy accelerated 2-month officer training for 16 African-American men at the then-named Camp Robert Smalls in Illinois. 

All 16 members but only 12 were commissioned in March 1944 as ensigns:

1. John Walter Reagan (b.1920-d.1994)
2. Jesse Walter Arbor (b.1914-d.2000)
3. Samuel David Jones
4. Darion Damon Ivy lll (b.1914 - d. 2014) 
5. Graham Edward Martin (b.1917- d.?)
6. Phillip George Barnes 
7. Reginald Goodwin
8. James Edward Hair (b.1915-d.1992)
9. Samuel Edward Barnes
10. George Clinton Cooper 
11. William Sylvester White 
12. Dennis Denmark Nelson 

 

Charles Byrd Lear (b.1920-d.2006) was appointed as a Warrant Officer.