Chair Force Engineer

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Man of Honor

The nation is saddened to hear that Master Diver Carl Brashear has passed away at the age of 75. He was a true pioneer, becoming the first African-American (and first amputee) to become a master diver. He also took part in the successful recovery of a broken arrow during the infamous Palomares incident of 1966; that heroic action alone should earn him the thanks of the nation. Still, it wasn't until the movie Men of Honor in 2000 that most Americans heard his truly inspirational life story.

In the early morning hours of July 4, I woke up to find Carl Brashear's son being interviewed on the FOX News Channel. The younger Brashear is a warrant officer, flying helicopters in Iraq. The spirit of selfless service, even in the midst of great difficulty, lives on.

Carl Brashear was a great American who should inspire us with his story of extreme perserverence. We would be foolish to ignore what he taught us.