TODAY WE ARE FOCUSING ON CAPTAIN MICHAEL HEALY, ONE OF THE FIRST AMERICANS OF AFRICAN DESCENT TO COMMAND A UNITED STATES SHIP…
HEALY WAS BORN IN 1839 IN GEORGIA …CHILD OF A BLACK WOMAN AND IRISH SLAVE OWNER.…
OVER TIME, THE BOY’S LIGHT SKIN AND EDUCATION OPENED DOORS UNCOMMON FOR A MIXED-RACE YOUTH FROM THE DEEP SOUTH.
LIKE MANY YOUNG BLACK MEN, HEALY JOINED AMERICA’S ARMED FORCES, LAUNCHING WHAT BECAME A 30-YEAR NAVAL CAREER MARKED BY STEADY ADVANCEMENT UP THE RANKS.
IN 1864, HEALY APPLIED FOR A COMMISSION IN THE U.S. REVENUE MARINE, WHERE ABRAHAM LINCOLN SIGNED OFF ON HEALY’S APPOINTMENT AS A THIRD LIEUTENANT.
HEALY FIRST CRUISED ALASKA WATERS IN 1875, SERVING AS SECOND OFFICER ABOARD THE CUTTER RUSH. TWO YEARS LATER, HE ADVANCED TO COMMAND THE CHANDLER AND OTHER CUTTERS.
IN 1883, CAPTAIN HEALY COMMENCED LONG SERVICE ABOARD THE BEAR. BY THEN, HE’D BECOME KNOWN AS "HELL ROARING MIKE."
ON AND OFF SHORE, HEALY’S MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO ALASKA CONTINUED WELL BEYOND HIS NAVAL SERVICE.
HE WORKED AS A JUDGE, DOCTOR, AND POLICEMAN… WITH NATIVE VILLAGERS …
FOR PEOPLE OF THE ARCTIC… THE NEW YORK SUN REPORTED MICHEL HEALY WAS “THE GREATEST MAN IN AMERICA…
.“...HE’S THE UNITED STATES. HE HOLDS IN THESE PARTS A POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY.”
HEALY WAS 64 WHEN HE RETIRED FROM HIS MANY ENDEAVORS IN 1903…
HE DIED IN SAN FRANSISCO ABOUT A YEAR LATER.
CAPTAIN HEALY’S BLACK ANCESTRY REMAINED LARGELY UNKNOWN FOR 67 YEARS…
THAT CHANGED WHEN THE US COAST GUARD NAMED ITS LARGEST ICEBREAKER–
THE HEALY!
AN OFFICIAL US COAST GUARD VESSEL HONORING MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE SLAVER’S SON … FORMER NAVAL CAPTAIN MICHEL HEALY…
