Elizabethtown in Hardin County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Civil Rights

Master Chief Carl M.Brashear, USN

Photographed by Mark Parker, March 27, 2025

1. Civil Rights Marker

Inscription. This Sonora native overcame prejudice and other obstacles to become an honored Navy Diver.
Artist: Vennie R. Beeler 2009

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Military.

Location. 37° 41.649′ N, 85° 51.607′ W. Marker is in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, in Hardin County. It is on West Dixie Avenue (U.S. 31W) west of Mulberry Street (U.S. 62), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 W Dixie Ave, Elizabethtown KY 42701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Military Presence (here, next to this marker); Medicine (a few steps from this marker);

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Industry (a few steps from this marker); Education (a few steps from this marker); Post Civil War (a few steps from this marker); First Presbyterian Church (a few steps from this marker); Civil War (a few steps from this marker); Lincoln (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elizabethtown.

More about this marker. The marker is a part of a series of banners depicting historical events and persons related to Elizabethtown and Hardin County

Also see . . . Man of Honor: The Story of Carl Brashear.

Born into a sharecropping family in 1931, Carl Brashear rose from little to become the first African American Master Diver and first amputee diver in the U.S. Navy.

Brashear’s path to success was difficult and unlikely given the many obstacles that barred his way. With determination and persistence, he overcame those challenges to fulfill his dream of becoming the first African American Master Diver. Today, more than 15 years after his death, Carl Brashear is a household name following the popular success of “Men of Honor,” a 2000 Hollywood movie based on his life. For many, he has come
Photographed by Mark Parker, March 27, 2025

2. Civil Rights Marker near the Elizabethtown City Hall entrance
to represent the power of perseverance and resilience.

(Submitted on April 11, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 150 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 11, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.