Naval History and Heritage Command

As the Vietnam War was drawing to a close the Navy had to contend with a drop in personal as the end of the draft meant reduced recruitment. One of the ways to address this problem was to actively recruit all minorities. The Navy also had to come to terms with the racial tensions and inequality that occurred both on ship and shore during the war. The confluence of the civil rights movement and the need for people led to an increase in actively recruiting and creating a fairer path for promotion for African Americans.