60 Minutes · U.S. military trailblazers commemorate America's bicentennial in 1976

1. 1. Vice Admiral Samuel Gravely Jr. was the first African-American to serve aboard a US fighting vessel, become a naval officer, command a Navy ship, serve as a fleet commander, and become a flag officer.
2. 2. The Continental Congress issued the first official naval uniform regulation in 1776, applying only to officers with blue coats, breeches, and red waistcoats.
3. 3. The revised naval uniform resembled the British naval uniform, allowing American ships to get closer to British vessels before being recognized.
4. 4. Brigadier General Madelyn Parks served as a field nurse in Italy's Po Valley during WWII, re-enlisted for the Korean War, and later served in Vietnam.
5. 5. In 1776, the American Army advertised for nurses at $2 per month, but few women applied due to inadequate pay.
6. 6. Congress raised nurses' pay to $8 per month in 1777, leading more women to volunteer, but nurses served without real recognition for over a century.