Although
Fred “Tiz” Morrison is often credited with being the nation’s first Black Navy SEAL — Morrison served in the Navy’s underwater demolition teams during WWII and Korea — Goines has the distinction of being the first Black Navy SEAL as the SEAL teams are known today.
Albeit forever tight-lipped on the specifics of his missions, Goines was selected to be one of the first to land in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, recalling, “We were on ships just sailing around the Cuban country waiting to make a landing there.”
Goines went on to serve three tours in Vietnam with SEAL teams before serving five years with the Chuting Stars, a Navy Parachute Demonstration Team.
“We jumped out of everything,” he told the Enquirer. “We even jumped out of balloons in France and Belgium, just experimenting.”
After 32 years of service, Goines retired in 1987 as a master chief petty officer. His many commendations include the Bronze Star, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, a Combat Action Ribbon, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
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