ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHT — The Story in the Seal Heraldic items are rife with symbolism. Here, Mugno deciphers the coat of arms for the USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7), named for the first African American Navy deep-sea diver.
The triangles represent steel and signify the three ships on which Brashear served.
(B.S. ’76)
C
HARLES MUGNO HAS THE NOTABLE DISTINCTION of being a foremost expert on heraldic symbolism. “I always had an interest in the design of our national symbolism, specifically in the study of military medals,” Mugno says. Now, as director of the United States Institute of Heraldry (a segment of the Department of the Army), located near Washington, D.C., he is responsible for overseeing the creation of coats of arms, military insignia, decorations, and other heraldic symbols—including the Presidential Seal. The position requires an encyclopedic knowledge of historically significant symbols and colors, not to mention a flair for visual storytelling.
Courtesy of Charles Mugno
The red band, known as a fess, signifies Brashear’s fearlessness in facing down racial discrimination.
This isn’t the first time Mugno transitioned his interests into a career. When a summer job cleaning up construction sites ignited a passion for building, he decided to study architecture. He knew he needed a more robust program than his college at the time offered, so he set out to find a new home. “When I found NYIT, it was a turning point in my life,” he says. “I attribute much of my success to NYIT’s technical curriculum and highly-dedicated faculty, which prepared me for the challenges of professional life.” The sea lion represents his courage to continue diving after losing his left leg (represented by the lion’s separated bottom fin) during an underwater nuclear bomb recovery mission.
NYIT also instilled in Mugno a sense of camaraderie, a value he would carry with him as a combat engineer in the United States Marine Corps. “We were trained in all aspects of construction: small buildings, structures, bunkers, roadways, water purification systems,” he says. “I also learned about explosives and demolitions.”
The anchor symbolizes Brashear’s persistence to become the first African American master diver in 1970, while the stars combined with the anchor represent his Master Chief grade insignia.
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His time in the military sparked his enduring interest in heraldry, and after serving as a U.S. Marine for 29 years, he retired as a colonel and turned his hobby into a full-time profession. “They say: ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,’” Mugno says. “Well I can say without a doubt I’ve never worked a day in my life.” ■
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