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City native blazed a trail in United States Navy

A Williamsport native who became the first African American to command a nuclear-powered U.S. submarine helped advance civil rights for minorities.

Chancellor Alfonso “Pete” Tzomes died June 13 at the age 74 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Since establishment of the U.S. Submarine Force in 1900, only a handful of African Americans held command of a submarine.

Overall, Tzomes saw duty while serving in the Navy on five nuclear-powered submarines.

Interesting enough, his military career looked like it might never happen.

Born Dec. 30, 1944, he was raised by James C. and Charlotte E (Hill) Tzomes and graduated in 1962 from Williamsport High School. As as a student he was involved in a number of activities, including the Key Club, Future Teachers, Modern Math and wrestling. He also served as a class play usher and ticket manager.

While in junior high school, he decided to pursue a career in Navy after seeing a presentation of the U.S. Naval Academy.

He told Ebony magazine in 1985 that his guidance counselor advised him against such “foolish urges.”

“That advice just got my dander up,” Tzomes said. “I decided to keep trying until I made it.”

According to Navy Blog, the “official blog of the U.S. Navy,” Tzomes applied to the Naval Academy, but was rejected the first time around.

“When he took the appointment exam a second time, he was selected as an alternate and entered the academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1963. As blacks across America dealt with rampant oppression resulting in killings, riots and national hostility, Tzomes also faced prejudice during his time in the academy.”

Speaking at the Rock Island Arsenal’s Black History Month Observance in February 2015, he recalled a chamber of commerce party in Florida for midshipmen serving on a submarine cruise ported in Key West. Young women from the community were invited to attend, but there were instructions that he specifically not be invited.

He graduated from the academy in 1967 and was commissioned an ensign, eventually entering the submarine field.

A year of nuclear-power training and six months of submarine training followed, and he reported to the “blue crew” of the ballistic missile submarine USS Will Rogers (SSBN 659) in February 1969.

Subsequent assignments included the pre-commissioning unit of the fast attack submarine USS Pintado (SSN 672) and engineering officer aboard USS Drum (SSN 672). From 1976 to 1979, he was assigned to the nuclear propulsion examining board on the staff of then commander in chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, according to Navy Blog.

“In November 1979, he reported as executive officer aboard USS Cavalla (SSN 684), where he served for almost three years. While on his executive officer tour, Tzomes screened for a command position, hoping that a successful tour could lead to attending commanding officer nuclear training and eventually commanding his own submarine. It worked. In the spring of 1983 he reported for duty aboard USS Houston (SSN 713) in Norfolk, Virginia, as the first black commanding officer of a nuclear-powered submarine. Six months later, the submarine switched homeports to San Diego, where Tzomes received a hero’s welcome.”

A hero, to be sure, but there were times during his military career, when Tzomes felt anything but one.

He recalled the 1960s and 1970s as a time when white enlisted personnel sometimes failed to respect black officers via the traditional salute.

“Many would cross the street on military bases to avoid an encounter with a black officer,” he recalled. “Not everyone was like this.”

Tzomes’ later assignments included force operations officer on the staff of Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and assistant chief of staff for Operations Inspector General at a naval base in Charleston, South Carolina, where he retired in 1994.

Tzomes was reportedly quite proud of his achievements while serving as the director, Equal Opportunity Division, Bureau of Naval Personnel and as the personal advisor to the Chief of Naval Personnel on equal opportunity issues. He was a 1991 recipient of the Black Engineer of the Year Award for his efforts in paving the path for leading the Navy’s equal opportunity programs into the 21st century during this assignment.

In recalling his command of a submarine, Tzomes said, “It’s impossible for any human being to know what it felt like to be submerged hundreds of feet underwater for more than 60 days at a time when you were the only African-American officer… In addition to having to be a nuclear engineer, physicist, chemist, electrician, navigator, restaurant manager, weapons specialist, sailor, and leader, you dealt with the added dimensions of the pressures of being the only one.”

Justin Holmes, of Summerville, South Carolina, said, “My father Frederick M Holmes Jr. served with Captain Tzomes on the U.S.S. Drum. Dad had the upmost respect for Captain Tzomes and visited him several times while in Iowa. Captains Tzomes and Master Chief Holmes would sit around and tell stories before playing a game of pool. Now, two friends are reunited once again.”

Following his military career, Tzomes served for a year as a bank vice president. He later worked as a utility manager in the nuclear division of Exelon Corporation until July 2012. He held various leadership positions while primarily assigned to the Quad Cities Generating Station located in western Illinois.

He is survived by his wife of 12 years, Carolyn Eason-Tzomes. He also leaves behind both a son and granddaughter from a previous marriage, Chancellor A. Tzomes, II and Mariana Tzomes, who reside in Sacramento, California.

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