Stillwell, Paul. The Reminiscences of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Carl Brashear. Annapolis MD: United States Institute, 1998.
Naval History and Heritage Command
The Navy Department Library
Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Carl Maxie Brashear, USN (Ret.)
Personal Data
Born: January 19, 1931, Tonieville, Larue County, Kentucky
Parents: McDonald and Gonzella Brashear
Education: Sonora Grade School, Sonora, Kentucky, 1937-46
Passed GED test in US Navy, 1960
Charles County Community College, Great Mills, Maryland, 1980-82
Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 1983
Died: July 26, 2006
Dates of Rates
Seaman Recruit (E-1) through Boatswain's Mate First Class (E-6), 1948-55
Chief Boatswain's Mate (E-7), 1960-66
Senior Chief Boatswain's Mate (E-8), 1966-71
Master Chief Boatswain's Mate (E-9), 1971-79
Dates of Diving Specialties
Salvage Diver, 1953-60
Second Class Diver, 1960-64
First Class Diver, 1964-70
Saturation Diver, 1970-79
Master Diver, 1970-79
Decorations and Medals
Good Conduct Medal (eight awards)
Navy Commendation Medal
Navy Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
China Service Medal
Korean Service Medal
United Nations Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Occupation Service Medal
Transcript of Service
| February 25, 1948 | Enlisted in the U.S. Navy |
| February-May 1948 | Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois--Recruit Training |
| May 1948-June 1950 | Squadron VX-1, Key West, Florida--Officers' Mess; PBM Beachmaster Unit |
| June 1950-November 1951 | USS Palau (CVE-122)--Deck Division; Motor Whaleboat Coxswain |
| November 1951-March 1955 | USS Tripoli (CVE-64)--Second Division Petty Officer; Master-at-Arms; Temporary Additional Duty at Salvage Diving School |
| March 1955-June 1956 | USS Opportune (ARS-41)--Deck Division; Salvage Diver; Section Leader; Repair Party Leader |
| June 1956-June 1958 | Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, Rhode Island--Leading Petty Officer; Salvage Diver; Escort for President Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| June 1958-July 1960 | Ship Repair Facility, Guam, Marianas Islands--Salvage Diver; Skipper of Yard Salvage Derrick |
| July-September 1960 | Deep-Sea Diving School, Washington, D.C.--Student, failed the course |
| September 1960-March 1961 | USS Nereus (AS-17)--Deck Division Chief Boatswain's Mate |
| March 1961-April 1962 | Fleet Training Center, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii--Chief Master-at-Arms; Requalified as Second Class Diver; Temporary Additional Duty with Joint Task Force Eight |
| April 1962-October 1963 | USS Coucal (ASR-8)--Ship's Chief Boatswain's Mate; Second Class Diver; Underway Officer of the Deck; In-Port Duty Chief |
| October 1963-June 1964 | Deep-Sea Diving School, Washington, D.C.--Student, graduated as First Class Diver |
| June 1964-September 1965 | USS Shakori (ATF-162)--Ship's Chief Boatswain's Mate; Leading Diver; Underway Officer of the Deck |
| September 1965-March 1966 | USS Hoist (ARS-40)--Ship's Chief Boatswain's Mate; Acting Master Diver; Underway Officer of the Deck; Repair Party Leader; In-Port Duty Chief |
| May 1966-March 1967 | Naval Regional Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia--Treatment following the amputation of left leg below the knee |
| March 1967-March 1968 | Harbor Clearance Unit Two--Under Evaluation at Diving School for return to full active duty and diving |
| March 1968-December 1969 | Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia--Leading Chief Petty Officer; Leading Diver |
| December 1969-June 1970 | Experimental Diving Unit, Deep-Sea Diving School, Washington, D.C.--Saturation Diver; Master Diver Evaluation |
| June 1970-May 1971 | USS Hunley (AS-31)--Master Diver; R-7 Division Officer; In-Port Officer of the Deck; Minority Affairs Officer |
| May 1971-June 1975 | USS Recovery (ARS-43)--Master Diver; Work Center Supervisor; Command Master Chief; Repair Party Leader; Underway Officer of the Deck; In-Port Command Duty Officer |
| June 1975-June 1977 | Naval Safety Center, Norfolk, Virginia--Master Diver |
| June 1977-October 1978 | USS Recovery (ARS-43)--Master Diver; Work Center Supervisor; Command Master Chief; Enlisted Watch Officer; Repair Party Leader; Underway Officer of the Deck; In-Port Command Duty Officer |
| October 1978-March 1979 | Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity, Norfolk, Virginia--Master Diver |
| April 1, 1979 | Retired from the U.S. Navy as a master chief petty officer and master diver |
Civilian Employment
April 1979-August 1980: QED Systems, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia--Diving Study for the Royal Saudi Navy; USS Forrestal (CV-59) Service Life Extension Program
February-November 1982: CDI Marine Company, Chesapeake, Virginia--Engineering Technician
November 1982-January 1993: Naval Communication Area Master Station Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia--Environmental Protection Specialist; Energy Conservation Specialist
January 1993: Retired from government service in the grade of GS-11
[END]
Published: Mon Aug 15 08:23:04 EDT 2016
