Delbert D. Black (11 July 1922 – 5 March 2000) was a senior sailor in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

who served as the first

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy The master chief petty officer of the Navy (MCPON ) is a unique Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned rank and position of office of the United States Navy, which is designated as a special U.S. uniformed services pay grades, paygrade a ...

from 13 January 1967 to 1 April 1971.

Early life and family

Black was born in Orr, Oklahoma, graduating from high school in 1940. He enlisted in the

on 14 March 1941. Delbert "Del" Black was married to Ima Black for 50 years and had a son Donny D. Black. Grandfather to Dylan and Nathan Black.

Naval career

Upon completion of recruit training in

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, Black was assigned to the and was aboard during the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. He later served at Receiving Station, Pearl Harbor; ; Naval Air Base Samar,

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

; , ; ; U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard, Washington, D.C.; Yokosuka, Japan ship repair facilities; ; ; ; Recruiting Duty, Columbia, Tennessee; ; ; and Fleet Anti-Air Warfare Training Center (FAAWTC), Dam Neck, Virginia. 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 The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

announced the appointment of Master Chief Gunner's Mate (GMCM) Black 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 rated enlisted man in the United States Navy, serving as the enlisted representative to the

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...

. His function was to counsel the highest ranks of the Navy on issues associated with enlisted guidance, leadership, and policy. Black was the first enlisted man to write a foreword for '' The Bluejacket's Manual''.

Retirement and later work

Upon retirement from active duty, Black continued his involvement with the Navy through retired and active duty organizations. He was an active member of the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

Council of Central Florida; the

Fleet Reserve Association The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) is a non-profit U.S. military and veterans organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, chartered by the United States Congress that represents the interests of all members of the Navy, Coast Guard, an ...

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

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

, Section 11, Site 496 LH. At a 13 March 2015 ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., Navy Secretary

Ray Mabus Raymond Edwin Mabus Jr. (; born October 11, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2017. Mabus previo ...

and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC)

Michael D. Stevens Michael D. Stevens is a United States Navy sailor who served as Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON). He became the 13th MCPON on September 28, 2012, when he accepted the passing of the ceremonial cutlass from outgoing MCPON Rick D. West ...

announced that an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, '' USS Delbert D. Black'', would honor Delbert Black.

Awards and decorations

* 7 gold Service stripes.

References

External links

Biography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Delbert 1922 births 2000 deaths People from Love County, Oklahoma Master Chief Petty Officers of the United States Navy United States Navy personnel of World War II Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal People from Winter Park, Florida United States Navy personnel of the Korean War United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War