Delbert D. Black was the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Navy, which has a paygrade of E-9. The holder of this rank and post is the most senior enlisted member of the U.S...

, from 13 January 1967 to 1 April 1971.

Biography

Black was born in Orr, Oklahoma

Love County, Oklahoma

Love County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population is 8,831. Its county seat is Marietta.Love County is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...

, graduating from high school in 1940. He enlisted in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 on 14 March 1941.

Upon completion of recruit training in San Diego, he was assigned to the USS Maryland (BB-46)

USS Maryland (BB-46)

USS Maryland , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the seventh state.Her keel was laid down 24 April 1917 by Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 20 March 1920, and sponsored by Mrs. E. Brook Lee, wife of the...

 and was aboard during the attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

 on 7 December 1941. He later served at Receiving Station, Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

;
USS Doyle C. Barnes (DE-353)

USS Doyle C. Barnes (DE-353)

USS Doyle C. Barnes was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket.The ship was named in honor...

;
Naval Air Base, Samar

Samar

Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...

, Philippines;
USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)

USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39)

USS Gardiners Bay was a United States Navy seaplane tender in commission from 1945 to 1958.-Construction, commissioning, and shakedown:...

;
USS Boxer (CVA-21);
USS Antietam (CVA-36);
U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard, Washington, D.C.;
Yokosuka, Japan ship repair facilities;
USS Brush (DD-745)

USS Brush (DD-745)

USS Brush , an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Charles Brush.Brush was launched 28 December 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, New York; sponsored by Miss Virginia Perkins, great-granddaughter of Charles Brush; and commissioned...

;
USS Carpenter (DDE-825);
USS Norfolk (DL-1)

USS Norfolk (DL-1)

The second USS Norfolk was the first destroyer leader of the United States Navy. Originally projected as a hunter-killer cruiser, she was in service until 1970.-History:...

;
Recruiting Duty, Columbia, Tennessee

Columbia, Tennessee

Columbia is a city in Maury County, Tennessee, United States. The 2008 population was 34,402 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It is the county seat of Maury County....

;
USS Springfield (CL-66)

USS Springfield (CL-66)

USS Springfield was one of 27 Cleveland-class light cruisers built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third US Navy ship to be named after Springfield, Illinois. Commissioned in 1944, she served briefly in the Atlantic before transferring to the Pacific...

;
and Fleet Anti-Air Warfare Training Center (FAAWTC), Dam Neck, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. During his career, he advanced from striking for the rate of Gunner's Mate to the rank of Master Chief.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

On 13 January 1967, the Secretary of the Navy announced that Master Chief Gunner's Mate (GMCM) Black was appointed as the first Senior Enlisted Advisor, the position that would evolve into Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. As such, he was the highest ranking enlisted man in the U.S. Navy, serving as the enlisted representative to the Chief of Naval Operations

Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...

. He counseled the highest Navy brass on problems associated with enlisted guidance, leadership, and policy.

Retirement and later work

Upon retirement from active duty, Master Chief Black continued his involvement with the Navy through retired and active duty organizations. He was an active member of the USO Council of Central Florida; the Fleet Reserve Association

Fleet Reserve Association

The Fleet Reserve Association is a non-profit organization chartered by the United States Congress that represents the interests of enlisted Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine veterans and active duty personnel in the United States....

; and Co-Chairman on the Secretary of Navy Committee on Retired Personnel. He died at his home in Winter Park, Florida at the age of 77. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...

, Section 11, Site 496 LH.

Awards and decorations

	Navy Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...  (Master Chief Black was the first Navy enlisted man to receive this award.)
	Navy Unit Commendation Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
	Navy Good Conduct Medal (with 7 service stars)
	China Service Medal China Service Medal The China Service Medal was a military medal awarded to U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. The medal was instituted on August 23, 1940 and featured a yellow ribbon with narrow red edge stripes...
	American Defense Service Medal American Defense Service Medal The American Defense Service Medal is a decoration of the United States military, recognizing service before America’s entry into the Second World War but during the initial years of the European conflict.-Criteria:...  (with 1 campaign star)
	American Campaign Medal American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...  (with 8 campaign stars)
	World War II Victory Medal World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
	Navy Occupation Service Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal The Navy Occupation Service Medal is a decoration of the United States Navy which was issued to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel who participated in the European and Asian occupation forces following the close of the World War II. The decoration was also bestowed to personnel who...
	National Defense Service Medal National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...  (with 1 service star)
	Korean Service Medal Korean Service Medal The Korean Service Medal is an award of the United States military and was created in November 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary United States medal for participation in the Korean War and is awarded to any U.S. service member, who...
	Antarctica Service Medal Antarctica Service Medal The Antarctica Service Medal was established by the United States Congress on July 7, 1960 under Public Law 600 of the 86th Congress. The medal was intended as a military award to replace several commemorative awards which had been issued for previous Antarctica expeditions from 1928 to 1941...
	Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...  (with 3 service stars)
	Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
	Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (with Palm)
	Philippine Liberation Medal Philippine Liberation Medal The Philippine Liberation Medal is a military award of the Republic of the Philippines which was created by an order of Commonwealth Army of the Philippines Headquarters on December 20, 1944...  (with 2 service stars)
	United Nations Korean Medal
	Vietnam Campaign Medal Vietnam Campaign Medal The Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military recognition awarded by the Republic of Vietnam, , to any member of the United States, Australian, New Zealand and allied military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.Established in 1966, the decoration is...  (with 1960 bar)
	Korean War Service Medal Korean War Service Medal The Korean War Service Medal is a decoration of South Korea which was first authorized in December 1950...