Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN: First African American to Command an Aircraft Carrier

Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN: First African American to Command an Aircraft Carrier
ISBN-10
1476627533
ISBN-13
9781476627533
Category
History
Pages
228
Language
English
Published
2018-01-12
Publisher
McFarland
Author
Ric Murphy

Description

 The first African-American aircraft carrier commander, Rear Admiral Lawrence Cleveland Chambers (1929– ) played a prominent role as captain of the USS Midway during the Vietnam War. During the evacuation of Saigon—known as Operation Frequent Wind—he famously ordered several UH-1 helicopters pushed overboard to make room for an escaping South Vietnamese Air Force major to land his Cessna. Chambers, who had only commanded Midway for a few weeks, gave the order believing (wrongly) that he would be court-martialed for the $10 million loss. This biography covers his early life and military career, including his role in the desegregation of the U.S. Navy during a period racial strife.

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