Golden Thirteen

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The "Golden Thirteen" were the first African American commissioned and warrant officers in the United States Navy. All thirteen men overcame racial discrimination to graduate a rushed officer training course in 1944.

During the war, they were prevented from serving on combat ships, so instead they were assigned to smaller vessels, command shore logistics, or training Black recruits.

As Paul Stillwell's book, The Golden Thirteen: Recollections of the First Black Naval Officers writes: "Often denied the privileges and respect routinely accorded white naval officers, they were given menial assignments unworthy of their abilities and training. Yet despite this discrimination, these inspirational young men broke new ground and opened the door for generations to come."

The female equivalent of the Golden Thirteen, the Golden Fourteen, were the first female Yeomen (F) in the United States Navy, who served almost three decades earlier in World War I.

Names in bold are connected to the Global Tree.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Golden Thirteen
• The Golden Thirteen: Recollections of the First Black Naval Officers by Paul Stillwell. Naval Institute Press, 2003.