Dr. Vince Patton was the first African American Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard; and this all happened by chance. When he was a teen, his dream was to follow his brother's Navy footsteps. He went to enlist, but walked into the wrong office, and enlisted into the Coast Guard! The rest was history -- Vince became a Coast Guard Officer!
Dr. Patton served as the 8th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard from May 1998 until his retirement from more than 30 years of active service in November 2002. In this position, he was the Coast Guard's senior most enlisted member representing over 45,000 personnel as the principal advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard. Among his numerous military awards includes the Distinguished Service Medal, which is the nation's highest military peacetime recognition for performance of duty.
Vince lives by example and hopes to inspire others -- anything is possible! When he reached his dream he thought, "You are not only Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, but you are the first African American to achieve that right!"
This video was produced by Lucia Nazzaro and shot/edited by Abe Halpert. To see more inspiring individuals, check out our HooplaHa YouTube Channel!