Before a door becomes an opportunity for someone else, somebody has to walk through it. For Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely Jr. and Brigadier General Charles E. McGee, that meant serving a country whose military—and whose wider society—had not yet made equal opportunity a reality.
As Veterans Day approaches on November 11, we honor these two Alpha Phi Alpha members for more than the barriers they crossed. We honor the responsibility they carried, the people who served alongside them, and the example they left for those who followed. This is a selective historical tribute, not a complete roll of Alpha veterans.
Samuel L. Gravely Jr.: a career that changed what command could look like
Gravely entered the Navy Reserve in 1942 and earned his commission in 1944. During World War II, he served aboard the submarine chaser PC-1264, one of the Navy’s wartime ships with a largely Black crew. Released from active duty in 1946, he returned to Richmond and completed his education before being recalled in 1949.
His career extended far beyond that first commission. He served aboard multiple ships, advanced into command, became the Navy’s first Black admiral in 1971, and took command of the Third Fleet in 1976. He retired in 1980 after a 38-year naval career. The Navy later named USS Gravely in his honor.
Alpha Phi Alpha’s Peoria chapter includes Gravely among its prominent military members. His story belongs in fraternity history, but it also belongs to every young person who needs to see that leadership can look like them.
A list of firsts tells us what changed. The length of Gravely’s service reminds us what that change required: sustained preparation, competence and the willingness to keep accepting responsibility.
- U.S. Navy: Samuel Gravely biography
- Naval History and Heritage Command: service record and legacy
- Peoria Alphas: prominent military members
Charles E. McGee: service measured in decades—and passed forward
McGee joined the military in 1942 after studying at the University of Illinois. A Tuskegee Airman, he went on to fly 409 combat missions across World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He retired in 1973 after more than 30 years of service. In 2020, he received an honorary promotion to brigadier general; his veteran status rests on those decades of actual service, not on that later honor.
The Alpha Phi Alpha scholarship initiative established in his name records 81 years of fraternity membership and nearly three decades of involvement with the Montgomery County, Maryland, chapter. It also describes his mentorship of successive generations of Alpha men. McGee died in 2022 at age 102.
The photograph here shows him at a USDA conversation with Tuskegee Airmen on March 27, 2014—not at a recent Veterans Day event. The distinction matters. His legacy is not a new announcement; it is an enduring invitation to teach what experience has made possible.
The Brigadier General Charles McGee Youth STEM Scholarship carries that invitation into education. Readers can learn about the program through its own website; this article is not announcing an open application window.
- Department of Veterans Affairs: Charles McGee’s military service
- Alpha Phi Alpha’s Charles McGee STEM Scholarship initiative
- U.S. Air Force: remembering McGee’s service
Honor the example. Make room for the person.
Gravely’s career at sea and McGee’s career in the air were different. Together, they offer a fuller picture of service than a single heroic moment: learning a profession, doing it well under pressure, and making the next generation’s path less narrow.
That is a useful way for a chapter to observe Veterans Day. Invite a veteran to share a story if they wish. Ask before recording or posting it. Recognize enlisted service alongside officers, and remember that a person does not need a famous name or a combat record to deserve gratitude. Practical support and a patient conversation can matter as much as a ceremony.
To Alpha Phi Alpha’s veterans—and to the families and communities who supported them—thank you. The names in this tribute are a beginning, not a boundary around whom we honor.
Questions about this tribute
Were Samuel Gravely and Charles McGee members of Alpha Phi Alpha?
Yes. Gravely is identified in the Peoria Alpha chapter’s prominent-member history; McGee’s membership is documented by the Alpha Phi Alpha scholarship initiative established in his name. Those membership sources are separate from the military records linked above.
Is this a complete list of Alpha veterans?
No. It is a two-person historical tribute for Veterans Day 2026. It does not rank veterans or suggest that only prominent officers deserve recognition.
Are the photographs from 2026?
No. They are identified archival photographs. The McGee image is dated March 27, 2014; neither image documents a new event.
Continuing the Veterans Day series
Our planned series continues November 9 with Phi Beta Sigma and Iota Phi Theta, November 10 with Omega Psi Phi and Delta Sigma Theta, and November 11 with a collective tribute. Future installments will be linked when published. Browse the Alpha Phi Alpha blog for this organization’s coverage.
Independent editorial disclosure: FraternityRings.com is a retailer and independent publisher. This tribute is not an official statement from the fraternity, the U.S. government or any military service. Historical photographs are used for identification and reporting; their presence does not imply endorsement by the people pictured, their families, the Department of Defense or any government agency. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Product images and links are separate retail content, not evidence of a subject’s ownership or recommendation. Names and marks belong to their respective owners.
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