Over 100 Sailors at Training Support Center Great Lakes celebrated Black History Month themed “Honoring the Past, Securing the Future” Feb 26.

This year’s theme focuses on  commemorating the 75th Anniversary of World War II by recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of African American service members, as well as those who served on the home front.  

The theme "highlights the history of those of African descent who helped America progress forward in civil equality,” said Gas Turbine Mechanic 2nd Class Daniela McIntyre, a TSC Navy Military Training Instructor (NMTI). “Primarily focusing on the contributions of ‘The Greatest Generation’, this month’s theme honors the over 2.5 million African-American men who registered for the draft the women who also volunteered in large numbers.”

Examples of those heroes and patriots include the 452nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion and the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

The 452nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, an all-African-American anti-aircraft artillery unit in the U.S. Army, is credited with taking down 88 German warplanes, 68 of those with confirmed kills and 19 as partially confirmed kills.

Led by Commander Charity Adams Earley, the all-Black 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was formed to sort and clear a two-year backlog of mail for Americans stationed in Europe. Between the Army, Navy, Army Air Forces, Red Cross, and uniformed civilian specialists, that amounted to seven million people awaiting their mail. Their motto, “No Mail, Low Morale.”

Guest speaker for the event was NMTI Senior Chief Electronics Technician Tamika C. Williams, fleet quality assurance officer for TSC, has achieved numerous decorations over her career, most recently the 2019 Military Instructor of the Year in the senior enlisted category for Naval Education and Training Command.

“I would not be here if not for the push of my mother,” Williams said. “She was my mentor before I even knew what that word meant and was able to see the flaws in myself that I could not and pushed me to get better. When I graduated high school, I wasn’t ready for life and she pushed me to be ready. Even though she passed before I made chief, her memory pushes me to move forward. Now I try to pass on that same drive to my niece and the next generation.”

TSC Commanding Officer Capt. David Dwyer spoke to the audience expressing his honor to have the opportunity to talk about the diversity of the Navy and highlight the contributions of Black Americans, past and present who have served and continue to serve.

“Black history is American history,” Dwyer said. “We owe it to ourselves and those who will follow in our footsteps to learn about those Black Americans who made history, who served against the odds, and who laid the foundation for the diverse Navy we have today. African Americans have been serving our country through Naval service since the revolutionary war with heroism and courage that all too often went unrecognized. I think we can all be proud of our Navy and its commitment to racial equality. In fact, today’s Navy is so much more representative of America as a whole, and its diversity is not only one of its greatest achievements, it is one of its greatest strengths.” 

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