Navy Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, who served during the Vietnam War, was honored recently at Freedom Village at Brandywine, reports ChesCo.

Retired Navy Rear Admiral Larry Chambers spoke to residents at Freedom Village about his time in the Navy. His talk was followed by a luncheon on the Freedom Village campus.

Afterward, Chambers was honored with a plague on the Veteran Wall of Honor at the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge Park.

Chambers is a resident of Freedom Plaza in Sun City, Florida, a sister community of Freedom Village.

“It means the world to me to receive this prestigious honor,” said Chambers. “Looking back at my time while serving, there were extreme highs and lows, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“My experience made me into the man I am today and introduced me to the great community of veterans throughout our great nation, like this one at Freedom Village,” he said.

Chambers was the commanding officer of the USS Midway on April 29, 1975, the first African American to command the vessel.  

Chambers helped rescue thousands of Americans and South Vietnamese from Saigon.

On April 30, he told his crew of 3,000 to take care of the 4,000 people who had been airlifted from Saigon to the Midway.  He made sure they were examined, fed, and transported to other nearby carriers if needed.

“Our country wouldn’t be what it is today without our American heroes,” said Danielle Geyer, executive director at Freedom Village. “It was a pleasure to surprise Larry with a plaque on the Veterans Wall of Honor. It serves as just a small token for his selfless and unwavering commitment to our nation.”

Chambers entered the Naval Academy in 1948. He is only the school’s third African American midshipman and at the time was only the second African American to graduate from the Naval Academy back in 1952.

Freedom Village at Brandywine worked closely with Freedom Plaza in Sun City to bring Chambers to Pennsylvania so residents could hear him speak and so he could be honored for his service.

Find out more about Admiral Chambers’ visit in ChesCo.

Freedom Village at Brandywine in West Brandywine is a campus of 289 independent living condominiums and 28 terrace homes.

It offers active senior living with resort-inspired services, amenities, social activities, chef-prepared cuisine, and on-site care that includes personal care, skilled nursing, memory care, and rehabilitation services.

Find out more about Freedom Village at Brandywine.