during his crusade. His wife Barbara is very much a part of the Maso n story. H er brother, Gordon "Skinny" Buchanan, was Jim's shipmate and best friend. When Gordon brought Jim home for a visit during the war, he set in morion a very successful and enduring relationship. She followed events closely during the remainder of the war, knowing that if the Mason faced danger, two loved ones were at risk, her brother and her future husband. Jim and Barbara were married in M ay of 1945. Together, the Grahams began to track down Jim's Mason shipmates. They wrote letters to various government and navy officials. Jim would relate the Mason's story at veterans' events . They eagerly told their story to anyone who would listen , not for
COURTESY JAMES W. GR.Afll\M
Jim and Barbara Graham, 1945 personal gai n, but to promote an increased awareness of the historical significance of rhe crew of the Mason. These black sailors had been pioneers. They had fought a war, along with millions of other Americans, but they also fought deep racism. The Grahams were determined that these achievements be recognized. The work of this resolute couple began to reap benefits. A book and video documentary recounting the Mason story were produced. The Secretary of the Navy called Jim at his home. In 1994, President C linton awarded the Mason ve terans acertificate of appreciation. The following year, they received the commendation they had been promised fifty years earlier, for meritorious service with Convoy 119.
SEA HISTORY 118, SPRlNG 2007
USS Mason's Commanding Officer, Lt. Commander William M. Blackford, USNR, and some ofhis crew during the ship's commissioning ceremony, 20 March 1944, On 1 June 200 1, the Navy launched a new Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, USS Mason-DDG-87. The Grahams attended the launching, with Barbara serving as Matron of Honor. Rear Admiral David L. Brewer III served as principal speaker. One of rhe nation's highest-ranking black naval officers, Admiral Brewer fully understood the significance of the occasion. Jim and Barbara Graham have been married for more than 60 years. Just as strongly as they are committed to one another, they remain committed to raising public awareness of the Mason's story. D espite the racism he endured, Jim remains passionate about the navy. "I would enlist and go through it all over again. I have no regrets, even the bigotry, the racism. I love the navy. I loved the navy life. I learned a lot. It gave me a good gro unding to grow up with. I learned how to respect authority and accept other people." The navy has made significant strides in grappling with issues of diversity within its ranks. USS Mason's crew provided an important foundation for those gains. What does Jim Graham think about the legacy of USS Mason, DE-529 ? "I think everyone should know about the Mason because there was a time when we didn't have it so good in the navy. There was a time when blacks caught hell all over the country. And if yo u don't know where you're coming from , yo u don't know where you're going. When I was growing up, yo u were an outcast, yo u couldn't do anything. Today yo u can." J,
Barbara Graham between 2000-2006, the recordings of which are in the collections at Mystic Seaport. In addition, Mr. Graham has generously provided access to photographs and other materials in his extensive collection of USS Mason documentation. Readers seeking more information on the Mason and her service may wish to consult Mary Pat Kelly's Proudly We Served: the Men of USS Mason (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1995), f ames A. D unn's On Board USS Mason: The World War II Diary of]ames A. Dunn (Columbus: Ohio State Univ. Press, 1996), Charles Dana Gibson's The Ordeal of Convoy NY 119 (New York: South Street Seaport Museum, 1973), and Fred Calabretta's "Everyone Should Know About the Mason " in The Log of Mystic Seapon, Vol. 52, No. 4, Spring 2001 (Mystic: Mystic Seaport Museum, 2001). Fred Calabretta is the Curator of Collections and Oral H istorian at Mystic Seaport.
e
u
u
§ z• 2
~
0
u
>
~
~
"
~
~· ~
0
~
"•
This article is based on a number of oral history interviews conducted with Jim and
e
~
0
13