Two New Navy Dry Cargo Ships To Honor Diver, Astronaut

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Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
March 4, 2008 By Louis Hansen, The Virginian-Pilot
The Navy will name one of its new auxiliary dry cargo ships the Carl Brashear, honoring the Navy's first black deep sea diver.
Navy Secretary Donald Winter announced Monday that the seventh and eighth ships in the Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo ships will be named after Brashear and Wally Schirra, a former Navy test pilot and astronaut.
Brashear lost his leg in a salvage operation but returned to active duty as an amputee. He spent 31 years in the Navy, earned several decorations and rose to the rank of master chief. He was the first black sailor to become Master Diver of the U.S. Navy.
He retired in Virginia Beach, often giving speeches to sailors and students. The 2000 movie "Men of Honor" told his life story. Brashear died in 2006. Schirra, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who served in World War II and Korea, was one of the original Mercury astronauts. He died in 2007.
The Lewis and Clark-class ships are 689 feet long with a 106-foot beam and a draft of 30 feet. As part of the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, the vessels will be manned primarily with civil service and civilian mariners.
 
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