ArkaEvren
Men of Honor

FILM · 2000 · USA

Men of Honor

19 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026

  • Men of Honor — production image

19 Interesting Facts About Men of Honor

Interesting Facts (17)

  1. #001

    At the hearing to determine whether Senior Chief Brashear could remain a diver, his insignia is gold while Chief Sunday's is red. Chief Sunday has a record of poor conduct. Gold stripes are used when an enlisted man has a good conduct record of at least twelve consecutive years.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  2. #002

    Brazilian diver Alberto José do Nascimento was the only person who supported Brashear from the beginning of the team, but he was ignored in the film and replaced by different characters throughout.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  3. #003

    Master Chief Billy Sunday (Robert De Niro) was based on two people in Carl's career.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  4. #004

    This picture was made with the approval and cooperation of the U.S. Department of the Navy.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  5. #005

    On the webbing of Master Chief Sunday's hand, between his thumb and index finger, is a tattoo of two crossed anchors. This is the traditional tattoo of a boatswain serving in the naval services.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  6. #006

    It is stated repeatedly that Billy Sunday swam off the St. Lo when it sank. The USS St. Lo was an escort carrier and the first major U.S. Navy ship sunk by a kamikaze. This occurred during the Battle of Samar, part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf. The St. Lo and several other escort carriers, along with a handful of destroyers and destroyer escorts, held off a larger and more powerful Japanese task force whose mission was to bombard the Allied invasion force preparing to retake the Philippines.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  7. #007

    Carl Brashear's great-nephew is Donald Brashear, the NHL enforcer for the New York Rangers.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  8. #008

    The diving school's training area was filmed along the Oregon and Washington border on the Columbia River. The Weyerhaeuser paper mill visible along the shore is in Longview, Washington. The site is now a slab mill.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  9. #009

    The library Carl Brashear goes to for studying is an original Carnegie Library built in Portland, Oregon. It now houses The Title Wave, the Multnomah County Library's used bookstore.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  10. #010

    Carl Brashear's grandson is the actor Duane McLaughlin.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  11. #011

    It is inspired by a true story.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  12. #012

    The film's working title was "Navy Diver".

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  13. #013

    The Russian title of this film is "Military Diver".

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  14. #014

    Sailors continue to appear covered (wearing their hats) indoors and uncovered outdoors, which is a violation of Navy tradition. In particular, Carl should not enter the indoor area covered, and as the captain notes, should not salute indoors.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  15. #015

    Hal Holbrook appeared in Creepshow (1982), while his co-star Holt McCallany appeared in the sequel Creepshow 2 (1987), where Holt worked with Hal's son, David Holbrook.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  16. #016

    David Conrad and Robert De Niro share the same birthday (August 17).

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  17. #017

    Robert De Niro and Charlize Theron appeared in 15 Minutes (2001).

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

    ShareReport

Easter Eggs & References (1)

  1. #018

    Lt. Cmdr. Hanks tells Billy Sunday, referring to his wife, that he did not know he had a daughter. Since Robert De Niro is 32 years older than Charlize Theron, this is understandable.

    EASTER EGGS & REFERENCES · SOURCED

    ShareReport

Life & Family (1)

  1. #019

    In 2009, USNS T-AKE 7 was named USNS Carl Brashear in honor of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate (Master Diver) Carl Brashear (1931-2006), who joined the U.S. Navy in 1948. He was one of the first African Americans to graduate from the Navy Diving School and be assigned as a Navy salvage diver. He was the first African-American to be rated and serve as a master diver while on active duty, and the first U.S. Navy diver to return to full active duty as an amputee following a leg injury sustained during a salvage operation. After thirty-one years of service, Brashear officially retired from the U.S. Navy on April 1, 1979.

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

    ShareReport

Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • IMDb IMDb title page (trivia)

Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work