The late Carl M. Brashear, the first black Navy diver and the first diver to return to active duty as an amputee, has been honored by the Navy, which christened a ship in Brashear’s name. In addition, his life is being commemorated in an exhibition at the Nauticus Maritime Museum in Norfolk, Virginia.

“To have a legacy like that, that’s a good thing,” said Brashear’s son Phillip, who is an Army helicopter pilot and head of the Carl Brashear Foundation. “My dad was so humble, he’d just say, ‘Well, son, I was just doing what I was supposed to be doing.’”

Carl Brashear lost his leg in 1966 after he was struck by a pipe while helping a salvage team hoist a hydrogen bomb out of waters near San Diego. After the incident, the Navy was prepared to retire Brashear, but he engaged in an intensive training program, which included diving, running and calisthenics, all while using a prosthetic leg.

He was immortalized in "Men of Honor," a 2000 drama starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert DeNiro. On Sept. 18, the Navy launched the USNS Carl Brashear, which supplies and supports battleships in the Pacific. DeNiro attended the launch ceremony.

“Here’s a guy who had a seventh grade education and one leg, and look what he was able to accomplish,” said H. Ron Brashear, the diver’s nephew and president and founder of Youth of Honor, an organization that works with at-risk youth.

Brashear said his uncle’s example is an inspiration to those who may believe they have too many obstacles in front of them to succeed.

Phillip Brashear, his brother DaWayne and their cousin Ron travel to give motivational speeches to military men and women about Carl Brashear and have become active stewards of his legacy through their work with children.

On Feb. 21, the Nauticus Museum in Norfolk held a grand opening to kick off an exhibition on Brashear’s life,  called Dream to Dive. The exhibition, which will run through late June, features an interactive display to give a sense of how Brashear dealt with his prosthetic and contains Brashear’s family photos and medals. The museum also features regular showings of "Men of Honor."

After its run in Norfolk, the exhibition will go on the road.

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