U.S. Army Officer Joe Nathan Ballard was born on March 27, 1942, in Meeker, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakdale, Louisiana and later married former Tessie LaRose with whom he had three children. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1965 and last promoted in 1996 to the … Read MoreJoe Nathan Ballard (1942- )
Larry R. Ellis served as a general in the United States military from 1969 to 2004. Ellis was the highest-ranking officer of African ancestry in the U.S. Army as of his retirement in 2004, and was the fourth black individual to become a four-star general. He was born in … Read MoreLarry Rudell Ellis (1946- )
Andrew Phillip Chambers, Jr. was a retired Lieutenant General in the United States Army. His brother Lawrence Chambers was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and together the Chambers brothers are the first black siblings to hold flag ranks together in the United States military. Andrew … Read MoreAndrew P. Chambers, Jr. (1931-2017)
In July 1998, Erroll Mingo Brown became the first African American admiral in the United States Coast Guard in its 207-year history. Brown was born in Ocklawaha, Florida. He grew up in St. Petersburg and although he had planned to attend Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, his interest in engineering and … Read MoreErroll M. Brown (1950- )
Owen Monconduit is a retired brigadier general in the United States Army, who in 2009 became the first African American to be promoted to the rank of general in the Louisiana National Guard. Monconduit, a native of Pineville, Louisiana, joined the National Guard in 1980 as part of … Read MoreOwen Monconduit (1961- )
Leo A. Brooks Sr. is a retired major general formerly in the United States Army. Brooks was born August 9, 1932 in Alexandria, Virginia to the Reverend Houston G. Brooks and Evelyn Lemon Brooks. His grandparents were of mixed African American and American Indian ancestry. Beginning in 1950 Brooks … Read MoreLeo Austin Brooks, Sr. (1932- )
Russel L. Honoré is a three-star general known for his relief work during Hurricane Katrina. He was born in Lakeland, Louisiana during a hurricane in 1947 to farmers Lloyd Honoré and Eudell St. Armant Honoré. As one of twelve children, Honoré became the first in his family to attend college … Read MoreRussel L. Honoré (1947- )
Lloyd J. Austin is the first African American to serve as U.S. Secretary of Defense. He was nominated by President Joseph Biden and confirmed by the United States Senate. A former four-star General in the U.S. Army, Austin was born in Mobile, Alabama on August … Read MoreLloyd James Austin III (1953- )
William E. “Kip” Ward is a former 4-star general. War was born in Baltimore, Maryland on March 6, 1949 to Richard Isiah Ward and Phyllis Mary Ward. He graduated from Morgan State University in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was a distinguished ArmyROTC cadet at Morgan … Read MoreWilliam E. Ward (1949- )
Larry Spencer is a retired Air Force 4-star General who began his military service in 1971 as a eighteen-year-old private. Spencer was born on August 1, 1954 in Washington, D.C. to Alfonzo Spencer, a disabled career Army mechanic, and Selma Gaines Spencer. After graduating from Central High School … Read MoreLarry Oneil Spencer (1954- )
