NORFOLK, Va. — A history-making U.S. Navy SEAL is being remembered.
William Goines was the first black SEAL. He died in Norfolk in June at the age of 88.
“This is one of the original pictures when he was a SEAL," Goines' nephew, Gene Jones said holding a picture of his uncle.
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Jones is proud his uncle was also one of the first 40 people chosen to be a SEAL when the first two teams were created.
Goines made history as the first black Navy SEAL when he became a member of SEAL Team Two at Little Creek in Virginia Beach.
“I don’t think he joined to say ‘I’m going to be a trailblazer.’ He just happened to be a trailblazer," said Jones.
Jones describes his uncle as a quiet, family man and a father figure to him.
“One of the pieces of advice he gave me was you can’t have a defeatist attitude," Jones explained. "For a 12-year-old, I said ‘What does that mean?’ He said ‘You don’t quit.’ When you think about the SEALs, that’s one of their mottos. So I guess I was getting SEAL training and didn’t even know it.”
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Aside from being a SEAL, Goines also started an underwater demolition team in Norfolk.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for what he did," said retired SEAL Don Mann.
Mann said breaking the color barrier in the SEAL Teams must have been hard for Goines. Today, Mann said, Goines is highly respected in the SEAL community for paving the way.
“He’s like an unsung hero," said Suffolk teacher and author of an upcoming book on Goines.
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Walker has been working on the book for over three years, including visiting Goines numerous times to learn about his life and career.
“He lived so much of the history that I teach," Walker said. "His story kind of juxtaposes what's going on in the country with all of the racial tensions. The push toward equal rights, civil rights, and voting rights."
A fitting tribute for a man with a story that made American history.
“With all the accolades my uncle has received, it’s been awesome, and all the people who have contacted us and reached out to us. But to me, he’s always going to be my uncle Bill, no matter what, and that speaks for itself," said Jones.
As of July 4 there was no date set for the release of the book, but Walker was hopeful the book would be available in the next six to seven months.
