Comments on: Book Review: Black Sailor, White Navy

By: Billy Brown

Billy Brown — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 04:16:18 +0000

The late 60′s and early 70′s. I was in the DS rating learning computers in “A” school at Mare Island, CA. in 1970. I applied for a program called Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training(BOOST). I was interviewed by a LCDR who turned me down flat for the program even though I met the criteria. He told me that I did not deserve the program because I was black. The program was for academic training toward becoming a commissioned officer. I was disappointed by his refusal to forward my application for consideration for the program. Prejudice was the way then. I also went through a riot aboard the USS America CV-66 while in-port in Subic Bay in 1972 while we were in for repairs. Bad scene in the hangar bay while returning from liberty to beat the midnight curfew.

By: Reuben K Green

Reuben K Green — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 00:25:12 +0000

BLACK OFFICER, WHITE NAVY by LCDR Reuben Keith Green (Amazon books) picks up where Sherwood leaves off. My father served in the Vietnam War Navy, and I served from 1975 thru 1997. The book is my story of what it was like being a black sailor and officer after the Navy’s promise to treat all sailors equally. Some promises are not kept, as you will see. I retired as a SWO Lieutenant Commander, but it was a sometimes “rough seas” environment.

By: John Henry

John Henry — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 21:21:20 +0000

My dear friend Jack Gaham was on the Intrepid during this period. He was alo Zumwalts driver for a bit. What a strange time for his life. One I am not sure he ever will forget.

By: JOHN KILLIN

JOHN KILLIN — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 08:32:16 +0000

There were racial fights back then. Personally, I think it was stirred up by the Black Panthers and their hate rhetoric. Too bad…a lot of young men got in a lot of trouble for buying into that stuff. There was racism in the Navy, and a lot of it. We had a captain on the USS Paul Revere, 1969-1970, who openly hated the black sailors. I recall him reacting angrily when one of the lieutenants told him a black SM1, who had just reported aboard had a Secret Clearance. He did not like having black sailors working in the operations department, and once criticized the SM1 at inspection for having his shoes shined too much. There were no minority officers…all white. Filipino sailors were all in the stewardsman rating and limited to working as valets in the wardroom and officers quarters. Promotions for them were few and far between. Admiral Zumwalt became CNO and started changing that, but there were continuing incidents. Slowly things changed for the better. Just before I retired, I went out on the USS Kitty Hawk in 1994. One night in the CPO Mess I observed that half of the khaki in there were Filipino, and 2/3s of the super chiefs, E8 & E9, were Filipino, and they weren’t in the shops service ratings. They were the yellow shirts…guys that made things happen on the flight deck.

By: Rosalind D Currington

Rosalind D Currington — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 01:07:06 +0000

My father, then RM1 Johnny A. Currington, US Navy Retired, was mentioned in the book “Black Sailor, White Navy.” Information about his life prior to his assignment aboard the “Lady Lexington” would have explained more. Prior to his Navy enlistment, he was a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne, US Army.
This time in America’s armed forces were turbulent to say the least. Even the miltary family housing was segregated! I now understand more about what he gave up and sacrificed.
- 1SG Currington, US Army Retired

By: Ron Goddard

Ron Goddard — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 18:20:29 +0000

I was onboard the USS Hassayampa during her riot in 1973. Just heard about this book. Not much of a reader but this is a most for me. After the riot I was fortunate to be selected to attend a seminar between blacks and whites. I came out of this learning a lot about the feelings and understanding of both. The things I learned I’ve kept with me and tried to pass it on to all.

By: fredric Youngstrand

fredric Youngstrand — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 23:31:46 +0000

I was a UPWARDS FACILITATORS at Misawa Air Base. Would very much like to find the syllabus for that seminar

By: Robert peterson

Robert peterson — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 16:15:52 +0000

Carol Louis Lawrence
RM3 Noah Williams
Tony Palm
Author John Darell Sherwood

Thank you Mr.Sherwood for writing this book! The comments from Lawrence, Williams and Palm really gave me the comfort I need so badly at this time in my life. I enlisted in the Navy under the deferred entry program in 1976 immediately after my 16th birthday. The experiences I had were so atrocious that I did everything I could to push them out of my mind while I went on to pursue my education, raise my family and move through my career. Now that I finally have time to reflect on my life experiences it has become increasing more painful to reflect back on my dark days in the Navy. The comments from Lawrence, Williams and Palm have given me the additional insight to see the negative treatment I received from a larger perspective and that perspective has helped me to turn away from asking myself what I did wrong or what I could have done differently to change the negative treatment I attempted to navigate. So thank you Mr.Sherwood for writing the book that lead to the comments that showed me I was not then nor am I now alone.
God Bless you all!!!!

By: Tony Palm

Tony Palm — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:44:40 +0000

While doing some research for my blog I came across this article; good stuff man!

Having enlisted in 1974, I too was serving during those difficult days.

Reporting to my first ship as a naÃ¯ve 18 y/o, I was unprepared for the racial tension that existed. Growing up in a suburb of a small Western Pennsylvania town with few African-Americans, I had little exposure to the racial unrest that plagued the county in the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. In addition, my parents were supportive of the movementâ€™s goals and vehemently opposed to bigotry in any form, so I came to that cultural climate with a strong sense of tolerance, but without a framework in which to deal with my own feelings.

Fortunately there was UPWARD and the â€˜Rap Sessionsâ€™ that followed, both formal and later in the mess decks which allowed me to process what was going on and how I could be a part of the change.

For the last 12 years of my career, I served on the Command Training Teams and delivered the Navyâ€™s Rights & Responsibilities (MR&R) workshop to countless sailors on 3 different ships which evolved from the UPWARD seminars.

Thanks for your service!

By: Eben Pagan Accelerate System

Eben Pagan Accelerate System — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:19:16 +0000

Your style is so unique compared to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this page.