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Biography · Military

Samuel L. Gravely Jr.

1922–2004

United States

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Biography

Samuel Lee Gravely Jr. (June 4, 1922 – October 22, 2004) was a United States Navy officer. He was the first African American in the U.S. Navy to serve aboard a fighting ship as an officer, the first to command a Navy ship, the first fleet commander, and the first to become a flag officer, retiring as a vice admiral.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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