William Goines, First Black Navy SEAL, Dies at 87

William Goines, who overcame racial obstacles in his Ohio hometown, as well as in the military, before becoming the first Black man to be chosen for the modern-era Navy SEALs in the early 1960s, died on June 10 in Virginia Beach. He was 87.

The cause of death, in a hospital, was a heart attack, said Marie Goines, his wife of 58 years and only immediate survivor.

Mr. Goines, who grew up in Lockland, Ohio, a Cincinnati suburb, retired from the Navy in 1987 as a master chief petty officer. In his 32 years in uniform, which included three tours of duty during the Vietnam War, he received several decorations, including a Bronze Star and a Navy Commendation Medal.

After the war, he joined the Chuting Stars, the U.S. Navy parachute exhibition team, performing 640 jumps over five years. Mr. Goines later volunteered as a recruiter, scouting for candidates of color to join the SEALs.

Despite serving with distinction, he faced no shortage of barriers as a Black man enlisting in 1955, about nine years after the Navy was integrated.