Posted on Aug 11, 2017
Navy Honors 102-Year-Old Veteran, Black Pioneer
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Thanks my friend SFC William Farrell for letting us know that after he has attained the rich old age of 102 years the U.S. Navy has honored Navy Chief Steward Andy Mills by naming a barracks after him at Naval Base Coronado, California yesterday on August 10, 2017.
Kudos to honest, trustworthy and selfless Navy Chief Steward Andy Mills!
"In 1942, Mills volunteered to board the USS Yorktown after it was attacked by the Japanese during the Battle of Midway. He cracked open a safe containing documents and bills on the heavily damaged ship. He and a paymaster stuffed them in a suitcase, got a rope and lowered it down off the ship before the Japanese attacked again, destroying the Yorktown and the USS Hammann next to it.
Capt. Stephen Barnett met Mills two years ago at an event in San Diego and said he was so moved by the man and what he had done that he wanted to honor him and have young sailors learn about the inspiring chief.
"He wasn't treated like his shipmates but it never stopped him from his duty — a duty he carried out with courage, honor and commitment — and that remains a cornerstone of his character now," Barnett told the crowd at the ceremony.
Mills vividly recalled to reporters one of the officers saying "but I need one of those black boys over there" to go back on board the ship after it had been attacked by the Japanese. Mills, one of two African American sailors on the ship, agreed to go."
FYI PO3 Steven Sherrill PO3 Steven Kaminski PO3 Steven Stinnett PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 John Crafton PO1 John Miller SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas LTC Stephen C. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT Robert George SP5 Robert Ruck SCPO Morris Ramsey Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM
Kudos to honest, trustworthy and selfless Navy Chief Steward Andy Mills!
"In 1942, Mills volunteered to board the USS Yorktown after it was attacked by the Japanese during the Battle of Midway. He cracked open a safe containing documents and bills on the heavily damaged ship. He and a paymaster stuffed them in a suitcase, got a rope and lowered it down off the ship before the Japanese attacked again, destroying the Yorktown and the USS Hammann next to it.
Capt. Stephen Barnett met Mills two years ago at an event in San Diego and said he was so moved by the man and what he had done that he wanted to honor him and have young sailors learn about the inspiring chief.
"He wasn't treated like his shipmates but it never stopped him from his duty — a duty he carried out with courage, honor and commitment — and that remains a cornerstone of his character now," Barnett told the crowd at the ceremony.
Mills vividly recalled to reporters one of the officers saying "but I need one of those black boys over there" to go back on board the ship after it had been attacked by the Japanese. Mills, one of two African American sailors on the ship, agreed to go."
FYI PO3 Steven Sherrill PO3 Steven Kaminski PO3 Steven Stinnett PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 John Crafton PO1 John Miller SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas LTC Stephen C. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT Robert George SP5 Robert Ruck SCPO Morris Ramsey Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM
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