Orlando-area Navy base honors former WAVE

The King of Battle took a break from bashing the Navy to send this amazing story in.

Reserve and Full-Time Support Sailors from Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Orlando honored the legacy and service of Ima Black to the Navy Reserve community before the commissioning ceremony of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), Sept. 26.

Ima Black, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Delbert D. Black’s widow, and a former Sailor, served as the new ship’s sponsor and has been an integral part of the NOSC Orlando heritage training during chief initiation. The NOSC decided to honor Mrs. Black by renaming their Chiefs Mess the “Honorary Ima Black Chiefs Mess.”

“It’s been a tradition for chief selectees from the central Florida region to visit with Mrs. Black as part of our initiation season,” said Chief Information Systems Technician Joshua Edwards, who is assigned to the NOSC. “She’s been such a huge part of our NOSC, and last year we decided unanimously to rename our mess to honor her history, legacy and contributions to the Navy.”

Mrs. Black lives in Winter Park, a suburb of Orlando, and for several years has welcomed chief selectees to visit her at her home to talk about her and her husband’s careers.

Delbert Black, a Pearl Harbor survivor from Orr, Oklahoma, was the very first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and served as MCPON from 1967 to 1971.

Mrs. Black served as a Navy WAVE, or Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service, during World War II and rose to the rank of petty officer 1st class. She and Black met after the war and were married for 50 years prior to his death in March 2000.

The NOSC Orlando Chiefs Mess designed t-shirts and coins with her image and were able to present her one before the USS Black commissioning ceremony.

“This is beautiful,” Mrs. Black said. “This is one of a kind, and I have hundreds of coins, but none of them say Ima Black on them. Thank you so very, very much.”

Amazing lady. Former WAVE, military spouse to the first MCPON, and has kept active in the community since. I love that the Chiefs down there make all the new Chief-selects go talk to her for guidance.

Ima Black has been named an Honorary Master Chief Petty Officer, for real, not like that piss-poor pilot and even worse lawer we all remember. Ima was there to christen the ship named after he husband and was the ship’s sponsor.

As for her husband, Delbert Black, aside from being the first MCPON, he too had an amazing life and career. He enlisted in 1941 right out of high school. He was a gunner’s mate aboard USS Maryland (BB-46) on the morning of December 7th, 1941 on Battleship Row, Pearl Harbor, HI.

After surviving Pearl Harbor, he made the Navy a career, marrying Ima in 1950. During WWII he served in the Pacific Theater and earned eight battle stars. Served in China, Antarctica, and both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

From 1967 to 1971 he was the MCPON. Being the first in the position he had to create the office from scratch and defined what the role would mean for all future MCPONs. For this, Delbert was the first enlisted man to receive the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. The DSM is to reward “Exceptionally meritorious service to the Government of the United States in a duty of great responsibility.” As a sign of how times have changed, that DSM was his only personal award aside from seven awards of the Good Conduct Medal.

Delbert retired after 30 years of service, having spent 21 of those at sea. Delbert died from a heart attack in 2000.

Source; Navy.mil

Category: Bravo Zulu, Guest Link, Navy, Real Soldiers