Nancy Leftenant, born September 29, 1920 in Goose Creek, South Carolina, became the first African American in the regular US Army Nurse Corps in March 1948. She trained at the Lincoln School for Nurses in the Bronx and joined the US Army Nurse Corps in 1945 as a second lieutenant.
In 1946, she was promoted and assigned to the 332nd Station Medical Group on Lockbourne Army Air Base in Ohio. Leftenant-Colon became a flight nurse in the US Air Force and served in Korea and Vietnam.
She was promoted to major and retired from the military and her post as Chief McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. She passed away in January 9, 2025 at 104 years old.
Leonard Matlovich, born July 6, 1943 in Savannah, Georgia, was the first service member to out himself to the military to fight their ban on gay people. He enlisted at the age of 19, and served three tours of duty in Vietnam. He was seriously wounded when he stepped on a landmine. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
He taught Air Force Race Relations to fight discrimination in the military after several racial incidents. He came to realize that gays faced similar discrimination as African Americans.
On March 6, 1975, Matlovich hand-delivered a letter to his commanding officer at Langley AFB, officially professing to be gay. He was discharged, despite his exemplary military record and tours of duty in Vietnam, he was ruled unfit for service. He was given an Honorable discharge in October 1975.
He sued for reinstatement and in September 1980, US District Court Judge Gerhard Gesell stated the Air Force had failed to provide an explanation why Matlovich did not meets its criteria for exception and ordered him to be reinstated. Matlovich accepted a financial settlement instead, convinced that the military would find some other reason to discharge him.
He continued to fight for gay rights until his death in 1988. His tombstone reads:
"A Gay Vietnam Veteran. When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."
Eric Shinseki was born November 28, 1942 in Lihue, Kaua'i, Hawai'ian territory to a family of Japanese ancestry. His grandparents emigrated from Hiroshima to Hawai'i in 1901.
Taking inspiration from his uncles, he graduated from the US Military Academy in 1965 and was commissioned as second lieutenant. He served two tours in the Vietnam War. The first was with the 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions as an artillery observer; and then as commander of Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 5th Calvary.
He was injured by a land mine, but recovered and returned to active duty in 1971. For his service, he was awarded three Bronze Star Medals and two Purple Hearts.
He became the first Asian American four-star general. In 2009, the US Senate unanimously confirmed Shinseki as the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, becoming the first Asian American to hold the position. He resigned in 2014 after a scandal involving the Veteran Health Administration.
Samuel Gravely, born June 4, 1922 in Richmond, Virginia, joined the Naval Reserve in 1942. He graduated from UCLA, and completed Midshipmen's School at Columbia University and was commissioned as ensign in December 1944.
He was the only black officer aboard the USS PC-1264, a submarine chaser, during WWII. After the war, he was released from active duty, but remained in the Naval Reserve. He was recalled to active duty in 1949, as a recruiter in Washington, DC through the Korean War. In 1955, he transferred to the Reserve to the regular Navy and specialized in naval communications.
He was the first African American officer to command the USS Theodore E. Chandler, from February to October 1961. He commanded the destroyer USS Taussig, from January 1962 to June 1963 during the Vietnam War. He was the first African American to lead a ship into combat. In 1967 he was the first African American to be promoted to captain, and then 1971 the first to reach the rank of rear admiral.
He commanded the Third Fleet in Hawaii and then transferred to Virginia to direct the Defense Communications Agency until he retired in 1980.
He received the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service, Navy Commendation Medal, WWII Victory Medal, the Korean Service Medal, and the United Nations Korea Medal.
Salvador Enrique Felices, born August 13, 1923 in Santurce, Puerto Rico, was the first Puerto Rican to reach the rank of major general in the United States Air Force. He joined the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Puerto Rico. He entered West Point, the US Military Academy in New York, and took flying lessons. He received his pilots wings in June 1946 and graduated as a second lieutenant.
He flew 19 combat missions during the Korean War as combat operations officer with the 344th Bombardment Squadron. In June 1968, he was named commander of the 306th Bombardment Wing and flew 39 combat missions during the Vietnam War.
In 1969, he became the commander of the 823rd Air Division at McCoy AFB in Florida. He was promoted to major general on April 2, 1973 and became vice commander of the Sixteenth AFB in Spain. He retired from the Air Force in 1974. He passed away from natural causes in July 1987.
James Buchli, born June 20, 1945 in New Rockford, North Dakota, flew into space four times with NASA's Space Shuttle program. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1967 and received a commission in the US Marine Corps. He served in the Vietnam War as a Platoon Commander with the 9th Marine Regiment, and then for B Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. He returned to the US in 1969 and completed his training as a naval flight officer.
Buchli was chosen as an astronaut in 1979. His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-51-C) as mission specialist in January 1985. The mission was dedicated to the US Department of Defense, and he returned to Earth after just over 3 days in space.
His second mission was aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) as flight engineer in October-November 1985, the last successful mission of the Challenger. He spent seven days in space.
Buchlil's third mission was aboard Discovery (STS-29) as mission specialist in March 1989 to insert a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) into orbit. He spent almost 5 days in space before returning to Earth.
His fourth and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-48) as mission specialist in September 1991 to deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). He returned to Earth after more than 5 days in space.
John Proudstar, also known as Thunderbird, is a superhero that appeared with the X-Men in the Giant-Size X-Men #1 in May 1975. As a mutant, Proudstar possesses superhuman athletic ability. Unfortunately, he died on the second mission. After his death, his brother James became Thunderbird and later Warpath.
Proudstar was born into the Apache tribe in Camp Verde, Arizona. When he became a teenager, he realized he possessed superhuman senses, strength, speed, stamina, and sturdiness. He was drafted into the Marine Corps and served during the Vietnam War. He returned to his tribe after the war, having changed significantly
Professor Charles Xavier recruited him to join his third group of X-Men. Due to his bad temper and individualism, he clashed with Cyclops. He was killed when he refused to jump off a jet plane, pursuing Count Nefaria. The plane exploded and Thunderbird was killed.
Charles Vernon Bush, born December 17, 1939, was one of the first three African-Americans to enter the US Air Force Academy in 1959. Bush became the first African-American to graduate from the USAFA in 1963.
In 1964, he completed schooling at Air Intelligence Officers School in Denver, Colorado in November. He volunteered for an assignment to a special intelligence unit during the Vietnam War in 1966. He became fluent in Vietnamese, and was transferred to the 6499th Special Activities Group in Saigon. He was awarded the Bronze Star by 7th Air Force and the Joint Services Commendation Medal by Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. The 6499th Special Activities Group was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
He received an Honorable Discharge in August 1970. He worked in business for several different companies until his retirement.
He passed away in November 2012 from colon cancer in Montana.
Wesley Anthony Brown, born April 3, 1927 in Baltimore, Maryland, became the first African-American to graduate from the United States Naval Academy in May 1949. Five other black men had been admitted before him but never finished due to extensive hostility. Brown also faced hostility but did not leave.
He served for twenty years in the US Navy and participated in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Brown retired in June 1969 as lieutenant commander.
Brown passed away in Silver Spring, Maryland in May 2012. The Wesley Brown Field House at the US Naval Academy is named in his honor.
The A-Team, an action television show about a group of Vietnam vets that are on the lam, premiered January 23, 1983. Over its five seasons, it had plenty of car chases, car crashes, explosions, and shoot-outs for any action buff. The first episode, Mexican Slayride, starred George Peppard as Hannibal Smith, Dwight Shultz as Murdock, and Mr. T as B.A. Baracus. Tim Dunigan appeared as Templeton "Faceman" Peck, but was replaced by Dirk Benedict.
It was nominated for three Primetime Emmy awards for sound editing or sound mixing.
The show was never loved by critics but audiences loved it and made it a huge success.
Kurt Chew-een Lee, born January 21, 1926 in San Francisco, California to Chinese immigrants, is the first Asian-American to become an officer in the US Marine Corps. He was in high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and he joined the Marine Corps in 1944. He graduated from The Basic School, USMC officer training in 1946 as second lieutenant, becoming the first non-white officer and the first Asian-American officer in the Marine Corps.
He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He attained the rank of major on January 1, 1963 and retired in 1968. He was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts. He passed away in March 2014.
Frank Petersen, born March 2, 1932 in Topeka, Kansas, was the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general.
He enlisted in the US Navy in June 1950 and served as an electronics technician, but he vowed to a combat pilot. He entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in 1951 and completed flight training in October 1952. He accepted a commission as second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
In February 1979, he was promoted to brigadier general, the first African-American to achieve the rank in the US Marine Corps. In May 1983, he was promoted to major general and in June 1986, to lieutenant general. He was Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, VA in July 1988 when he retired.
Douglas Wilder, born on January 17, 1931 in Richmond, Virginia, became the first African-American governor of Virginia and the first since the Reconstruction era. He served from January 1990 until January 1994.
He is the grandson of slaves and graduated from Virginia Union University with a degree in chemistry in 1951. He served in the US Army in the Vietnam War and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his actions at the Battle of Pork Chop Hill.
Wesley Studi, born December 17, 1947 in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma (near Tahlequah), is the first Native American to be honored with an Academy Award. He was born into the Cherokee tribe and enlisted in the Oklahoma National Guard at the age of 17. He volunteered for active service and served in the Vietnam War for a year.
He has won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Native Americans in film, such as Dances With Wolves and The Last of the Mohicans.
In 2019, he received an Academy Honorary Award, becoming the first Native American actor to receive an Oscar for acting.
The Monkees single Last Train to Clarksville reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, November 5, 1966.
The song is about a man calling his love to meet him at the train station because he is leaving and might never come home. Although not specifically referenced, it is a subtle protest of the Vietnam War.
Micky Dolenz, the drummer for the band, sang the lead vocals. The rest, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Davy Jones provided back up.
Michael J. Smith, born April 30, 1945 in Beaumont, North Carolina, was pilot for the ill-fated Challenger mission (STS-51-L) when it exploded 73 seconds after take-off in January 1986.
He had previously flown combat missions in the Vietnam War as a pilot for the US Navy.
Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr., born February 11, 1920, was the first African-American to reach the rank of four-star general in any of the US armed forces. He attended the Tuskegee Institute, teaching black pilots during WWII. He flew combat missions in the Korean War and Vietnam War. He has received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two Air Force Distinguished Service Medals, two Legion of Merits, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, Meritorious Service Medal and fourteen Air Medals.
On September 1, 1975, he was promoted to the rank of four-star general and assigned as commander in chief of NORAD in Colorado.
He passed away of a heart attack February 25, 1978, only three weeks following his retirement from the Air Force.
Roscoe Robinson, Jr., born October 11, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, is the first African-American to become a four-star general in the U.S. Army. He graduated from the US Military Academy in West Point, with a degree in military engineering in 1951.
He served in the Korean War and received the Bronze Star. He served in the Vietnam War and received the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and two Silver Stars.
Robinson was promoted to Brigadier General in 1975 and became Commanding General of the US Army Garrison in Okinawa. He was promoted to Major General in 1976 and became a four-star general in 1982.
When he retired in 1985, he was awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal.
Richard "Mike" Mullane, born September 10, 1945 in Wichita Falls, Texas, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights and has spent over 2 weeks in space. As a colonel in the Air Force, he flew combat missions in the Vietnam War in 1969. He was chosen by NASA to become an astronaut in 1978.
His first mission was aboard Discovery (STS-41-D) as mission specialist in August-September 1984. During this flight, three commercial communications satellites were deployed.
His second flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-27) as mission specialist in December 1988. During lift-off, the heat shield was damaged and impacted the right wing. They managed to complete the mission successfully and land on December 6 without incident. However, this same scenario proved fatal for the crew of Columbia 15 years later.
Mullane's third and final flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-36) as mission specialist February-March 1990. It carried a classified payload for the Department of Defense, like his previous mission.
After retiring from NASA, he wrote a book, Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut, which describes his experiences as a space shuttle astronaut.
War was originally recorded by the Temptations but then Motown was pressured to release it as a single. Songwriter Norman Whitfield (with Barrett Strong) re-recorded it with Edwin Starr and released it in June 1970. It became a smash hit and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of August 29, 1970 and stayed there for three weeks.
War, an anti-Vietnam War song, is the most successful song of Starr's career and is the best known protest song.
Billboard ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1970. Starr received a Grammy nomination for War in 1971 for Best R&B Male Vocal. His version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
