Black Men and Blue Water. Dieser Artikel ist nicht verfügbar.Black Men and Blue Water

This story or history was written to correct one of the many wrongs in the recording of American History. It is a fact that the victors in battle or those in power in peace write the history of past events to support their views of what should have happened versus the cold hard facts. This is the story of the Stewards, Cooks and Messboys who manned that branch of naval service. The story of the men who fought and served under trying circumstances. The story of men who served their country when to do so was to endure, or to appear to accept the humiliating admission of one's own inferiority. In this story can be found the heretofore-unwritten chapters of one phase of the Negroes' march toward freedom in America, written by a man who participated in it.

Chester Arthur Wright was born in the small hamlet of Hope, Arkansas in 1922. Hope is sixteen miles from Fulton where the Red River turns for its plunge into Louisiana. This is half way to the Texas border, 32 miles from Hope at Texarkana. Chester is one of thirteen children born to Sebe Eugene and Zetta Josephine Wright. Hope Arkansas today was famous for growing the biggest watermelons in the world. As the author laughingly recounted, "They grow so big we had to steal one on a partnership." Chester caught a freight train, went to Texarkana, and joined the U.S. Navy in July, 1940 with a 10th grade education. He was not motivated by any lofty sense of patriotism. Rather it was the poverty induced by the "depression" of the 1930's and racism that tended to stymie the ambition of any young black. He entered a Navy that was the raciest branch of U.S. Armed Forces. It had barred Negroes from enlistment in 1919, after World War I "even as Servants". Negroes were barred from enlisted from 1919 until 1932. When Negroes were allowed to enter the Navy again, the Navy would allow them in as "Servants only" Waiters, Cooks, Stewards, Room Cleaners, Shoe Shine boys, personal body servants to Navy officers. They were not allowed into other branches of the Navy until 1942, during World War II. The Negro Seamen, firemen, after, again being allowed in as other than Servants were not allowed to ride fighting Ships and many were put in Labor Battalions. It was in 1949, four years after World War II before the U.S. Navy allowed Chief Stewards and Cooks to become Chief Petty Officers. Chester was one of the two Chief Stewards promoted to Chief Petty Officers. In 1959 when the Navy created two additional Enlisted Rates (E-8 and E-9), it again proved to be quite "Stingy", with its Servants. Nonetheless Chester was again selected and promoted to Master Chief. The author was embarked in U.S.S. Salmon (SSR-573) in the Far East. In 1959