Samuel L. Gravely, Jr.

Infobox Military Person
name=Samuel L. Gravely, Jr.
born= birth date|1922|6|4
died= death date and age|2004|10|22|1922|6|4
placeofbirth= Richmond, Virginia
placeofdeath= Bethesda, Maryland
placeofburial=


caption=Samuel Gravely, United States Navy photograph circa 1970.
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
serviceyears=1942-1980
rank= Vice Admiral
branch=United States Navy
commands=USS "Theodore E. Chandler" USS "Taussig" USS "Jouett" Third Fleet Defense Communications Agency
unit=
battles=World War II Korean War Vietnam War
awards=Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star
relations=
laterwork=
Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely, Jr. (June 4, 1922 – October 22, 2004) was an African American Navy pioneer — the first African American in the U.S. Navy to be commissioned an oficer, the first 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 an admiral.cite news|accessdate=2008-09-30
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/26/obituaries/26gravely.html
title=Samuel L. Gravely Jr., 82, First Black Admiral in Navy, Dies |author=Bayot, Jennifer
work=New York Times |date=October 26, 2004]

Biography

Samuel Gravely was born on June 4, 1922 in Richmond, Virginia. Gravely spent two years at Virginia Union University, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans. Following his time in college, he enlisted in the Naval Reserves on September 15, 1942 and was trained as a Fireman Apprentice. In 1943, he participated in the Navy V-12 program, which was designed to select and train Naval officers. As part of this training, he attended the University of California in Los Angeles, Pre-Midshipman School in New Jersey, and Midshipmen School at Columbia University. On December 14, 1944, Gravely successfully completed midshipman training, thereby becoming the first African American commissioned as an officer from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps.

As a newly commissioned Ensign, his first assignment was to Camp Robert Smalls, as the Assistant Battalion Commander for new recruits. Afterwards, he began his seagoing career as a sailor aboard the USS "PC-1264", a submarine chaser that was one of only two World War II ships with a largely African-American crew.

In April 1946, he was released from active duty, remaining in the Naval Reserve. He returned to his hometown of Richmond to complete his bachelor's degree in History.

Gravely was recalled to active duty in 1949. As part of the Navy's response to President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order to desegregate the Armed Services, his initial assignment was as a Navy Recruiter, recruiting African-Americans in the Washington, D.C. area.

Gravely went from recruiting to building a Navy career that lasted 38 years and included many distinguished accomplishments.

He became the first African American to command a United States Navy warship ("Theodore E. Chandler"), the first African American to command an American warship under combat conditions ("Taussig"), the first African American to command a major naval warship ("Jouett"), the first African American admiral, the first African American to rise to the rank of Vice Admiral, and the first African-American to command a U.S. Fleet (Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet). He was also among the first African-Americans to attend the Naval War College in 1962.

Admiral Gravely was assigned tours of duty aboard the following: "PC-1264", "Iowa", "Toledo" and "Seminole". He served as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of the "Theodore E. Chandler". Additionally, he was the Commanding Officer of the "Falgout", "Taussig", and "Jouett". His last tour of duty before his retirement in August 1980, was as Director of the Defense Communications Agency in Washington, overseeing the communications network linking Washington with American and allied bases worldwide.

Admiral Gravely was also highly decorated, with decorations including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and Navy Commendation Medal.

After suffering a stroke, Gravely died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on October 22, 2004. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Admiral Gravely had three children, and was survived by his wife, Alma.

Posthumous honors

*USS "Gravely" (DDG-107) has been named in his honor.
*A street on the east side of Richmond, Virginia is named in his honor.
* An elementary school, the Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Elementary School,cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.pwcs.edu/schools/es/gravely/ |title=Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Elementary School |publisher=Prince William County Public Schools] , opening in September 2008 in Haymarket, Virginia is named in his honor.

ee also

*Military history of African Americans
*List of African-American firsts

Notes

References

:NHC
*cite web|accessdate=2008-09-30
url=http://www.history.navy.mil/bios/gravely.htm
title=Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr.
work=Biographies in Naval History
publisher=Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy

*cite web|accessate=2008-09-30 |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-g/s-gravly.htm
title=Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., USN
work=Online Library of Selected

publisher=Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy

*cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/samuel-gravely.htm
title=Samuel Lee Gravely, Jr., Vice Admiral, United States Navy
publisher=ArlingtonCemetery.net

Further reading

*cite journal|accessdate=2008-09-30
url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_/ai_9177134
title=Adm. Samuel L. Gravely Jr.: still active and in charge, former commander of the Navy's Third Fleet keeps busy in semi-retirement
author=Haywood, Richette
journal=Ebony |date=December 1990

Persondata
NAME= Gravely, Samuel L., Jr.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Samuel Gravely
SHORT DESCRIPTION=United States Navy Vice Admiral
DATE OF BIRTH= June 4, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH= Richmond, Virginia
DATE OF DEATH= October 22, 2004
PLACE OF DEATH= Bethesda, Maryland