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"A PIONEER, A TRAILBLAZER, AND FOR US IN THE NAVY SOMEBODY WHO PERSONIFIED WHAT WE CALL
OUR CORE VALUES."
CNO ADMIRAL GREENERT SPOKE AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR RETIRED LIEUTENANT COMMANDER WESLEY
BROWN AT THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY.
BROWN WAS THE FIRST BLACK MIDSHIPMEN TO GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY IN 1949, NOTABLY OVERCOMING
PREJUDICE AND RACISM AS A MIDSHIPMEN.
IN A 2008 INTERVIEW BROWN DESCRIBED THAT MOMENT IN HIS LIFE.
"EVERYDAY I THOUGHT ABOUT QUITTING AS A PLEBE, BUT I THOUGHT BETTER OF IT THE NEXT DAY AND
I KNEW MY FAMILY WAS DEPENDING ON ME BUT ALSO THOSE CADETS BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL. THERE'S
STILL PEOPLE THAT ARE PREJUDICE, THERE'S STILL PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF BLACKS
BEING IN CHARGE."
BROWN WOULD SET A LEGACY WITH THE NAVY, INFLUENCING SAILORS AS A YOUNG OFFICER AND LATER AS A
CIVILIAN.
"ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE TALKED TO, THERE'S SOME PART OF MY FATHER IN THEM, THERE'S SOME
KERNEL, OR NUGGET, OR STORY, OR IMPACT, OR DIFFERENCE THAT HE MADE. I DON'T HAVE TO GO
FAR TO FIND MY FATHER IN SOMEBODY ELSE."
ONE OF THOSE PERSONALLY INFLUENCED BY BROWN IS CAPTAIN ROGER ISOM.
"HE MAINTAINED HIS INTEGRITY, HE MAINTAINED HIS DETERMINATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY HE
KEPT GIVING BACK. HE INSPIRED ME TO PAVE THE WAY FORWARD ALSO."
AS A MIDSHIPMAN BROWN EXCELLED AS A TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE.
THE WESLEY BROWN FIELD HOUSE BUILT AT THE ACADEMY IN 2008 HONORS BROWN AND INSCRIBED
IS HIS LIFE'S MOTTO.
"GO WHERE THERE IS NO PATH AND BLAZE A TRAIL."
REPORTING FROM ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, I'M PETTY OFFICER SANTOS HUANTE.