Men of Honor
By GORDON I. PETERSON
Senior Editor
When Fox 2000 Pictures premiered its feature-film production "Men of
Honor" in Washington, D.C., last autumn, then-Secretary of Defense
William S. Cohen, then-Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig, and Chief of
Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark were on hand for the screening. They
joined Navy divers to honor a unique hero--Master Chief Boatswain's Mate
(Diver) Carl Brashear, the Navy's first African-American diver--and the
first amputee who ever qualified to perform the demanding and hazardous
tasks carried out by the Navy's small but elite community of undersea
salvage and repair experts.
Life did not deal Brashear, the son of a Kentucky sharecropper, an easy
hand, but following his enlistment in 1948 he overcame the limitations of
a seventh-grade education and the racism of the then newly integrated Navy
to achieve his longtime aspiration to become a master diver.
"We have witnessed the triumph of one man's incredible spirit--the
triumph over all obstacles that were laid in his path," said Cohen at
the premiere. He presented Brashear with the Secretary of Defense Medal
for Outstanding Public Service at a reception following the screening.
Perhaps the last person to imagine that a highly acclaimed feature film
would document his life's story is Carl Brashear. "Back in the 1940s
when I enlisted," Brashear told Sea Power, "if someone had told
me that a movie would be made about me I would have thought they were
trying to snow me--or, as my father used to say, 'trying to make light of
me.'"
It is hard to believe anyone trying to make light of Master Chief Petty
Officer Carl Brashear.
Following an accident on the salvage ship USS Hoist that resulted in a
crippling injury and the eventual loss of a leg, Brashear had to prove
that even with an artificial limb he could still perform his diving duties
without jeopardizing himself or the safety of the men in his team.
Brashear experienced many emotions as he listened to speakers extol his
example and legacy at the premiere of "Men of Honor," but the
story of his 31-year naval career came down to a few simple truths.
"I realized that by working toward my dream with all my might while
respecting my fellow man, it just showed what hard work and dedication
have done in my life. It paid off," he said.
The movie's sequence showing the accident in which Brashear was injured
was filmed on the fleet ocean tug USS Navajo at Long Beach, Calif.
Brashear found it "exciting and enjoyable" to work with the
film's writer, producer, cast, and Navy technical advisors. "Since
then, I go to movies with a different perspective on all the hard work
that goes into making a movie," he reflected.
Many former shipmates, with careers spanning generations of service, have
contacted Brashear at his home in Virginia Beach, Va., since the film was
released in theaters across the country. Their calls, letters, and e-mail
messages have triggered a flood of memories, including recollections of a
character depicting "Mister Pappy," the commanding officer of
the Navy Diving School. "One old-timer called me to say that with Hal
Holbrook playing Mr. Pappy we cleaned him up too much," Brashear
related.
"Men of Honor," starring Academy AwardŽ-winning actors Robert
De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr. in the leading roles, depicts the universe of
the deep-sea diver with a finely tuned regard for technical detail and accuracy. According
to Fox 2000 Pictures, playing Carl Brashear on the screen was one of the
highlights of Gooding's acclaimed career. "I'm more proud of this
film than any I've ever made," said Gooding. "I didn't have to
get too theatrical about Carl's life to present a great story; it's
compelling just as it is."
De Niro, Gooding's co-star, shares Gooding's enthusiasm about Brashear and
his fellow Navy divers. "The description 'salvage mate' doesn't do
these divers justice," said De Niro. "This is a very specialized
skill. Even today these divers risk their lives working at sites of downed
aircraft."
"Gooding was a God-sent man to play the role of a deep-sea
diver," Brashear told Sea Power. "If I were grading him in the
Navy on his adaptability--and we grade by percentages--I'd put him in the
top 1 percent."
Screenwriter Scott Marshall Smith worked closely with Brashear to capture
his indefatigable spirit. The $50-million film was well-received by
American movie-going audiences, and on 8 April Fox partnered with the Navy
to create a first-ever "Direct-to-Sailor" film premiere aboard
the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in San Diego to launch the public
release of its DVD and VHS video editions.
"Men of Honor" communicates many powerful themes about living
and persevering in the face of adversity. Those themes resonate among
teenagers Brashear--a member of the Navy League--meets in public
appearances at schools across the country.
"The most important message that 'Men of Honor' portrays to young
people," Brashear said, "is to set your goals, love yourself,
and have a lot of faith in your fellow man--work toward those goals,
dedicate yourself to your work, and you will be successful." *
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