October 22, 1965, Milton Lee Olive, III, the first African American Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War, was killed in action. Olive was born November 7, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. He enlisted in the United States Army at 17 and by 1965 was serving as a private first class in Vietnam. On October […]
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October 19th in African American History – Samora Moises Machel
October 19, 1986 Samora Moises Machel, the first President of Mozambique, died in an airplane crash. Machel was born September 29, 1933 in Gaza Province, Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique). In 1962, Machel joined the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) which was dedicated to creating an independent Mozambique. He received military training in other […]
October 16th in African American History – Henry Jay Lewis
October 16, 1932 Henry Jay Lewis, double-bass player and orchestra conductor, was born in Los Angeles, California. Lewis began playing the piano at the age of five and later learned to play the clarinet and several string instruments. At the age of 16, he joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic, becoming the first black instrumentalist in […]
October 13th in African American History – Jesse LeRoy Brown
October 13, 1926 Jesse LeRoy Brown, the first African American naval aviator in the United States Navy, was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Brown enlisted in the Naval Reserve in 1946. After attending Navy pre-flight school and flight training, he was designated a naval aviator in October, 1948. He received his commission as ensign in April, […]
October 2nd in African American History – Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr.
October 2, 1935 Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr., United States Air Force officer and the first African American selected for astronaut training, was born in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 20, Lawrence earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Bradley University. After flight training, he was designated a U. S. Air Force pilot […]
September 25th in African American History – Dennis Bell
September 25, 1953 Dennis Bell, Medal of Honor recipient, died. Bell was born December 28, 1866 in Washington, D. C. By June 30, 1898, Bell was serving as a private in Troop H of the 10th Cavalry Regiment, an all-black unit of the United States Army during the Spanish-American War. On that day, American forces […]
September 21st in African American History – Charles Calvin Rogers
September 21, 1990 Charles Calvin Rogers, Medal of Honor recipient, died. Rogers was born September 6, 1929 in Claremont, West Virginia. He joined the United States Army and by 1968 was serving as a lieutenant colonel in command of 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division during the Vietnam War.