William Goines, First Black Navy SEAL, Dies at 87
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William Goines, who overcame racial obstacles in his Ohio hometown, as well as in the military, before becoming the first Black man to be chosen for the modern-era Navy SEALs in the early 1960s, died on June 10 in Virginia Beach. He was 87.
The cause of death, in a hospital, was a heart attack, said Marie Goines, his wife of 58 years and only immediate survivor.
Mr. Goines, who grew up in Lockland, Ohio, a Cincinnati suburb, retired from the Navy in 1987 as a master chief petty officer. In his 32 years in uniform, which included three tours of duty during the Vietnam War, he received several decorations, including a Bronze Star and a Navy Commendation Medal.
After the war, he joined the Chuting Stars, the U.S. Navy parachute exhibition team, performing 640 jumps over five years. Mr. Goines later volunteered as a recruiter, scouting for candidates of color to join the SEALs.
Despite serving with distinction, he faced no shortage of barriers as a Black man enlisting in 1955, about nine years after the Navy was integrated.