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

229 Pages·2018·8.95 MB·English

by  Ric Murphy

ReaRadmiRal
laRRyChambeRs,UsN
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R a
eaR dmiRal
l C , UsN
aRRy hambeRs
First African American
to Command an Aircraft Carrier
Ric murphy
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina
Photographs noted as “(personal collection)” are
from the collection of Rear admiral larry Chambers
libraRyofCoNgRessCatalogUiNg-iN-PUbliCatioNdata
Names: murphy, Ric, author.
title: Rear admiral larry Chambers, UsN : first african american to
command an aircraft carrier / Ric murphy.
other titles: first african american to command an aircraft carrier
description: Jefferson, North Carolina : mcfarland & Company, inc.,
Publishers, 2018 | includes bibliographical references and index.
identifiers: lCCN 2017049329 | isbN 9781476667270 (softcover : acid
free paper)
♾
subjects: lCsh: Chambers, larry, 1929– | admirals—United states—
biography. | United states. Navy—officers—biography. | United states.
Navy—african americans—biography. | midway (attack aircraft carrier)—
biography. | african american sailors—social conditions—20th century. |
african american sailors—Civil rights—history—20th century. | Vietnam
War, 1961–1975—aerial operations, american. | Vietnam War, 1961–1975—
Naval operations, american. | United states—history, Naval—20th century.
Classification: lCC e840.5.C53 m87 2018 | ddC 359.0092 [b] —dc23
lC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017049329
bRitishlibraRyCatalogUiNgdataaReaVailable
ISBN (print) 978-1-4766-6727-0
ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4766-2753-3
© 2018 Ric murphy. all rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
front cover: Rear admiral larry Chambers, United states Navy (Ret.)
Printed in the United states of america
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
toJanetfayemurphyChambers
acknowledgments
myresearchowesmuchtothecooperationofarchivists,librar-
ians, and historians who freely shared their time and expertise. i wish
to thank the wonderful and supportive staff of the Uss Midway
museum, including Rod atteberry, exhibit’s audio Visual tech -
nician; dave hanson, Collection manager; and Karl Zing heim, his-
torian, for their guidance and direction. i would also like to thank
lisa Crunk and the staff of the Naval history and heritage Com-
mand and holly Reed, archives specialist, NWCs- stills, National
archives.
i would like to thank Rear admiral Chambers for allowing me
to interview him and review his personal pictures, files and artifacts,
and for his knowledge and patriotism. i am also grateful to larry’s
wife, sarah Jones- Chambers, who made the logistics possible to con-
duct the interviews with larry and helped sort through the nautical
terms used herein. sarah’s personal knowledge helped bring life to
several of the stories that may have been forgotten to history.
finally, i wish to thank the men of Uss Midway, who without
question or doubt saved the lives of the americans, foreign nationals
and Vietnamese refugees on that hot, momentous day of april 29,
1975. While they may never have gotten the medals they so richly
deserve, they are truly unsung heroes worthy of our nation’s praise
and sincerest of accolades. thank you for your service.
vi
table of Contents
Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1
Glossary 3
Introduction 5
1. the first thirty days 9
2. the dunbar years 23
3. the annapolis years 34
4. Cold War 49
5. Vietnam War 74
6. Civil Unrest 86
7. fall of saigon 101
8. operation frequent Wind 116
9. “bird dog on final” 141
10. Port of sattahip 157
11. Rear admiral 172
Epilogue 187
Chronology 193
Chapter Notes 205
Bibliography 211
Index 215
vii
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Preface
i became interested in the career of Rear admiral lawrence
Chambers during the Vietnam War when i learned that he was the
captain of the Uss Midwayand the first african american to com-
mand an aircraft carrier in the United states Navy. and, like millions
ofothersworldwide,iwascaptivatedbytheeventsinsouthVietnam
during the fall of saigon, when the largest helicopter evacuation on
record took place as part of the United states military action known
as operation frequent Wind.
during operation frequent Wind, as communist- led North
Viet namese were entering the city, there were countless american
military personnel who courageously rescued american civilians,
military personnel, other foreign nationals and south Vietnamese
sympathizers by helicopter and ferried them out to awaiting ameri -
can aircraft carriers. this included the Midwaywhere Captain Cham-
bers displayed tremendous courage and leadership including ordering
that millions of dollars of military helicopters be pushed over the
side of the ship so that a south Vietnamese air force major could
safely land on board in a small Cessna aircraft with his family, saving
their lives.
While many articles, journals and books have been written
about the Vietnam War and the events surrounding the fall of sai -
gon, i wanted to explore the leadership qualities of one of the many
unsung heroes of the war, who had the temperament and judgment
to make the right decisions during a period of crisis and humanitarian
need. the minutes and hours leading up to, and every split- second
during, the mission of operation frequent Wind aboard the Midway
reflected a highly efficient organization managed by a skilled and
calm commanding officer.
1