Adm. Samuel L. Gravely Jr.: still active and in charge, former commander of the Navy's Third Fleet keeps busy in semi-retirement

Ebony, Dec, 1990 by Richette Haywood

EVEN without the uniform, while raising chickens and pigeons on his two-acre estate in rural Haymarket, Va., you can see it-that commanding presence that neither money nor fame can buy, but which can be achieved and perfected only by the disciplined deportment one cultivates as a top gun in the U. S. military. It is not surprising then that, even now, retired Vice Adm. Samuel L. Gravely Jr., 68, the first Black to ever earn three-star naval rank, still speaks in a tone that lets the listener know he is not to be questioned or challenged.

Gravely would be the first to acknowledge the overlapping similarities between his public and private personas. Even though it has been 10 years since his retirement, Gravely says: "I still have great affection for the military. The military did a lot for me and hopefully I did some things for it. I basically grew up and matured in the military and the military gave me an opportunity to do some things that I thoroughly enjoy."

It's the standard response of career military men. And yet when Gravely speaks it never sounds rehearsed. He reaches beyond the usual ain't-the-military-been-great-to-me to make his point, which is: Life after your tour of duty can be vibrantly vital, even galvanized by the particularly unique experience of having served in the military.

In fact, Gravely's civilian experience has been almost a mirror image of his 38-year active military career. For instance, as the Navy's first Black admiral, he distinguished himself as a naval communications expert, war- and peacetime ship captain and eventually commander of the Third Fleet. Similarly, as a civilian, he is one of the most respected military consultants in the nation. In his position as a senior corporate adviser for Potomac Systems Engineering, Gravely provides the kind of advice and expertise that can mean the difference between landing a multimillion dollar contract with Uncle Sam or an empty-handed, one-way trip back to the drawing board.

Not that Gravely would ever tell you so. In describing his post-military work, he never makes the vaguest reference to his three-star clout. Instead, he says modestly of his senior corporate adviser post, "I assist the president when he needs help in whatever questions he wants answered. "

Whether he serves his country, the numerous corporate boards or his fellow humans, he is his best when making a contribution. Generous with his time, Gravely travels to leadership conferences around the globe to share his experiences and lend a helping hand. Recently, he returned to his alma mater, Virginia Union University, where he established three scholarships granted by the Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association.

When Gravely speaks as he weaves through his personal history, it becomes obvious that his private life and career have always been inextricably bound-even now in retirement.

"I still do things for the military when I'm asked," says Gravely, one of the first Black officers to attend the Naval War College. "My wife [the former Alma B. Clark] and I just went to London and Scotland during Black History Month, where I spoke to various groups.

For the man who was the highest ranking Black in the U.S. Navy, relatively little has changed since he concluded his naval career. "I don't think I had to make any huge adjustments. I think I was ready to go into civilian life when I retired," says Gravely. "I guess the hardest thing was I didn't have to get up every morning and put on a uniform to go to work. But other than that, I really didn't have a problem adjusting.

"My next change will probably be to really retire. But I plan to wait until I'm 70. "