Paul Blouch

Men of Honor - Movie Review

EDUC 2241-003
2/22/17

The story of Carl Brashear is shown in the movie Men of Honor. Despite all odds,
including losing a leg, Carl becomes the first black Navy master diver.
Carl grew up the son of a poor sharecropper struggling to get by. His father, wanting the
best for his son, tells him to make something of himself and not end up like him. Those words
drive Carl to succeed. He leaves his family and enlists in the Navy in 1948. Unbeknownst to
him, his bright future in the U.S. Navy was one of scouring pots and slaving over a hot stove as
one of the ships cooking staff. He continued his duties until he became fed up with the racial
segregation and went for a swim during an unscheduled time. As another sailor attempted to
retrieve him, Carl outswam him. Although he defied orders, this act earned him a transfer to the
search and rescue division. It is during this time that he observes the heroism of Master Diver
Chief Petty Officer Sunday who attempts to save a downed helicopter pilot. Carl vows to
become a master diver and is selected to receive training at the Diving and Salvage School in
Bayonne, New Jersey.
When reporting for duty, Carl is faced with more debilitating racism as he is forced to
wait at the gates in the hot sun before entering the campus and every bunk mate, save for one,
departs the barracks because they do not want to room with a black man. Master Chief Sunday
turns out to be the schools instructor and in a very offensive manner tells Carl that hes not
welcome and will never amount to anything because of his skin color. Carl faces adversity from
fellow classmates, instructors, and the commanding officer who is defined as having a few too
many screws loose. With failing grades, Carl seeks tutoring at the local library where he meets
Jo, a medical student willing to help him out.
With academic help and steadfast determination, Carl manages to make great strides at
the diving school. During a training exercise, Carl is sent down to provide a spare air hose.
During the dive, the ship that the crew is working on begins to shift. Scared, one of the divers
flees the situation without helping swap out the tangled air line. Unfortunately, politics take over
and award a white classmate a medal for saving the man, when it was really Carl who saved him.
Carl pushes on and does well on his future tests giving him a chance to graduate, as long as he
completes the final dive. During the final diving practice, the commanding officer tries to stop
Carl from passing by sabotaging the equipment he is suppose to use. Once again, Carl is driven
to succeed and finally finishes.
Paul Blouch
Men of Honor - Movie Review
EDUC 2241-003
2/22/17
Carl graduates and becomes a salvage diver for the Navy where we see him on the ocean
floor searching for a lost nuclear warhead. After a frightening encounter with a submarine, Carl
manages to find the warhead and is praised by the crew. As the warhead is being lifted onto the
deck, the rigging fails. With the ropes tension about to break an anchor point, Carl rushes to
push away two sailors standing in harm's way. Carls left leg gets hit by the broken chunk and is
badly mangled. In the hospital, his wife Jo tells him that he wont be able to dive anymore. Carl
is extremely upset since diving is all he wanted to do.
Meanwhile, Chief Sunday, who is recovering from alcoholism, learns of Carls
misfortune. Having gained respect for Carl since his graduation, Sunday sends an article to Carl.
The article is about airplane pilots returning to active duty with prosthetic limbs. This causes
Carl to meet with Naval officers to discuss reinstatement to active duty. He opts for amputation
and is given a few weeks to recover and appear before a board of officers. During those weeks,
Carl trains very hard to regain stamina and mental focus while dealing with a prosthetic leg.
Carl and Chief Sunday meet with the board of Naval officers to discuss his physical
ability to return to active duty. With much flak regarding his physical capability, an examination
is scheduled where Carl will have a chance to show his capability. Carl, having no desire to
wait, cuts to the chase and suggests they test right there. As agreed upon, if Carl can make the
required twelve steps in full gear, unassisted, he will right then and there be reinstated to full
active duty. With Chief Sundays motivation, Carl is able to make the twelve steps, utterly
dumbfounding members of the board. Re-enlisted as a Navy diver April 1968, Carl served two
years before becoming the first black Navy Master Diver in 1970. He continued to serve an
additional nine years, always driven by the memory of his father working hard so he could
succeed.
The story of Carl Brashear in Men of Honor accurately describes perceptions of an
amputee-that they will not be able to serve adequately. The movie, set in the 40s-50s, also
shows the social tension with racial segregation. Carl is at a disadvantage the entire time
because he is black. Throughout the movie, there is an underlying theme of family support, from
first leaving home to join the Navy, to his twelve steps at the end. After his amputation, it is yet
again family that supports him. Along the way, his family grows to include Master Chief
Sunday.
Paul Blouch
Men of Honor - Movie Review
EDUC 2241-003
2/22/17
Even though Carl has a prosthetic leg, his successful completion of the required twelve
steps showed that he was physically capable of returning to duty, not to mention his
determination to achieve Master Diver status. Carls largest antagonist is Captain Hanks who
believes that he is incapable of satisfactorily performing as a diver with a prosthetic. Hanks
bases his reasoning for not reinstating Carl on Carls inability to perform in a situation where
Carl would need two good legs. There is no evidence that Carl would not be able to perform in
such a situation and Captain Hanks doesnt have a source that says as much.
We had watched a video in class about Ed Roberts who was confined to an iron lung and
was deemed unsuitable for any form of social interaction, educational status, or job placement
due to his condition. With sufficient transportation and accommodations, Roberts was able to
attend and succeed at college. His thinking enabled Berkeley to become the first campus that is
highly wheelchair accessible. He says, I make decisions about what I want, and when you
begin to believe that, its very empowering and powerful.
Rachael is another individual with a disability who was perceived by society as being
unable to accomplish anything successfully. Her story, which we watched in class, depicts one
of society judging her before they even knew her. Employers thought she wasnt capable of
performing menial tasks. Rachaels short stature was disabling her potential for work; however,
just like Roberts, when paired with the appropriate tasks, she succeeded. Both of these people
were able to accomplish great things once society got over its misconceptions that they were not
useful. Furthermore, Carl proved his physical and mental ability by taking those twelve steps in
a full diving suit, unassisted, on land - where waters buoyancy wasnt able to help.
Unfortunately, not everyone sees someone with a prosthetic capable of performing under
pressure. According to a study performed in 1995, only 2.3% of partial-amputees returned to
military service in the 1980s1. Many of those who did return, possessed a highly-desired skill
set. New technological advances in prosthetics have enable more full-limb amputees to return to
service2. Often, an amputee is seen as incapable of performing universally. I wouldnt ask a
person with an amputated leg to do work involving a ladder, nor would I ask a someone with one
good arm to frequently carry large, heavy loads. With that in mind, Carls disability was seen as

1 http://www.amputee-coalition.org/military-instep/returning-to-duty.html
2 http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/05/25/new-prosthetics-keep-amputee-soldiers-on-active-
duty
Paul Blouch
Men of Honor - Movie Review
EDUC 2241-003
2/22/17
a risk and liability to the Navy, to his life, and to the life of others he might be working in
conjunction with.
While a disability may render a person unfit for specific tasks, one must take into account
what they are still able to do, such as the cases of Rachael and Roberts-just because their bodies
were lacking in a specific physical area, that doesnt negate them for a position in the workforce
altogether. Historically, Carl served another 9 years with his prosthetic with no records
indicating his inability to perform as a Navy diver.
Men of Honor is an invaluable film showing the determination of a disabled military man
in a time of debilitating racial denigration. I highly recommend it because it is engaging and
shows the courage of an individual to push through trying times while everyone else said it
wasnt possible and his best chance would be to give up. The true events this movie depicts
show that with proper placement and skillset, a disabled person is able to overcome their
disability and succeed at whatever they put their mind to. Carls time in the Navy taught him to
be honorable, to push back against all odds, to succeed. His honor is extended to others, his
career, and most of all-himself.

Carl Brashear:
Forgive me sir, but to me, the Navy isn't a business. It's an organization of people who represent the finest
aspects of our nation. We have many traditions. In my career, I have encountered most of them.
Some are good, some not so good. I would, however not be here today were it not for our greatest
tradition of all.
Captain Hanks:
And what would that be, Chief Brashear?"
Carl Brashear:
" Honor, sir"