Lear, Charles Byrd, 1916-1946

Charles Byrd Lear (July 2, 1916-October 28, 1946) was the first African American Warrant Officer in the United States Navy. He was part of a group which became known as the Golden Thirteen, the thirteen African American enlisted men who became the first African American commissioned and warrant officers in the United States Navy.

Charles Byrd Lear was born in Keokuk, Iowa, on 2 July 1916, the son of Cole A. and Naomi (Mills) Lear. He attended Keokuk High School, and prior to enlisting in the Naval Reserve, was a farmer and also operated a coal business in Canton, Missouri. On 29 June 1942, he enlisted as an apprentice seaman in the U.S. Naval Reserve in St. Louis, Missouri, and received his recruit training at the Naval Training Station, Great Lake, Illinois, receiving advancement to seaman second class (19 September 1942) and eventually coxswain (1 March 1943).

In January 1944, there were nearly 100,000 Black Sailors in the United States Navy, but none were officers. That would change when a group of sixteen Black enlisted men were assembled at Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes, in Illinois for officer training that month. The odds were initially stacked against them as there was still a strong sentiment within the Navy that African Americans could not succeed as officers. The normal officer training course was sixteen weeks, however these men were expected to complete it in eight – a move that they believed was an attempt to set them up for failure. The Navy also expected a twenty-five percent attrition rate, similar to that of white officer candidates. However, the group of sixteen were determined not to fail, and supported one another throughout the brutal pace of the training. Though lights out was at 2230 each night, the group placed blankets over their windows and studied together by flashlight, each man bringing his expertise to help strengthen the skills and knowledge of the others. When the course was over, all sixteen passed their exams. In fact, their marks were so outstanding that some in Washington were certain that the men had cheated. When the group was forced to retake certain exams, they scored even higher, with an average grade of 3.89 out of 4–the highest average of any class in Navy history at the time.

Despite the fact all sixteen had passed the course, the Navy still wished to only commission 12, or seventy-five percent, as officers. Twelve were selected, and a thirteenth was made a chief warrant officer (Charles Byrd Lear), hence the nickname “The Golden Thirteen.” The other three were sent back into the enlisted ranks with no explanations given.

Lear was appointed boatswain (24 February 1944). After further training at Great Lakes, Lear served as Administrative Assistant and Company Supervisor at the Naval Barracks, Manana, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii (June 1944-February 1945), before he served as officer in charge, Hill Camp Fuel Dump No. 21, Naval Supply Depot, Guam, Marianas Islands, during which tour he received appointment to chief boatswain (1 July 1945). Returning to the United States, he was attached to the Ninth Naval District, headquartered at Great Lakes, Illinois, from December 1945 until February 1946, then reported as executive officer of the Harlem (New York) Sub-Station of the Naval Shore Patrol, Third Naval District. Detached in August 1946, he was released from active duty on 9 September 1946. Lear, who received the American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific, and World War II Victory Medals, died on 28 October 1946 at Lake Forest, Illinois.