John Wesley Lee Jr. becomes the first African American to be commissioned to the regular U.S. Navy

March 15

On March 15, 1947, John Wesley Lee Jr. became the first African American to be commissioned to the regular U.S. Navy.

John Wesley Lee Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944. In 1947, he became the first African American to be commissioned to the regular U.S. Navy. He retired from active duty where he served as a lieutenant commander in 1966.

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Sources

African American sailors in the U.S. Navy Chronology. Naval History and Heritage Command. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/diversity/african-americans/chronology.html

Oral history: Lee, John W. Jr., lt. cdr., USN (Ret.). U.S. Naval Institute. (2018, September 13). Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://www.usni.org/press/oral-histories/lee-john