During the spring of 1967, Army Second Lieutenant Arthur Ashe was practicing his tennis skills. He was a talented amateur player who was considered a contender for a spot in a Grand Slam championship.
At the same time, his brother was serving in Vietnam at Red Beach Base Area, Danang. Johnnie Ashe was a Marine looking forward to returning home to the States.
Now 70 years old, Johnnie recalls having a thought while in Vietnam. He considers it a “God thought.”
He knew that if he was shipped home, then his brother might be sent to Vietnam since Arthur still had fifteen months left in the service. Johnnie immediately went to his first sergeant and asked for a second tour of duty. Johnnie knew that there was an unofficial policy in the US military that prevented them from sending family members into combat at the same time. So Johnnie volunteered for a second tour in the hope that he could save Arthur from Vietnam.
Johnnie later said that he didn’t think Arthur needed to have the experience of Vietnam and that it would interrupt the progress Arthur was making in his tennis game.
The Marines agreed to allow Johnnie to remain in Vietnam where he fought with the 1st Force Service Regiment and the 3rd Marine Amphibious Force. In the meantime, Arthur served in the US Military Academy at West Point while he continued to prepare for the 1968 US Open.
Johnnie returned from Vietnam in time to see Arthur win the US Open by defeating Tom Okker in five sets. The victory made Arthur the first African American male champion in a Grand Slam tennis tournament.
Now, 50 years later, the US Tennis Association (USTA) honored the two brothers during the tournament’s annual military appreciation ceremony on Labor Day. The tournament is held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. The main stadium at the center is named after Arthur.
Johnnie knew that his brother was going to be a great tennis player. But he also saw Arthur’s great determination to correct injustice. “There was more to Arthur Ashe Jr. than just tennis,” Johnnie said.
It had been Arthur’s intent to use his success in tennis as a platform to speak out on issues. He knew that people would be more likely to listen to him as a champion than they would otherwise. His goal was to be the Jackie Robinson of tennis.
Arthur went on to win two more Grand Slam championships: the Australian Open in 1970 and the Wimbledon in 1975. He also worked to increase awareness in the world about things like apartheid in South Africa, as well as healthcare and educational deficiencies for minorities.
Later in life, he worked to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic, a disease which would eventually take his life after he contracted it from a blood transfusion during heart bypass surgery.
U.S. Marines move through the ruins of the hamlet of Dai Do after several days of intense fighting during the Tet Offensive Vietnam
Meanwhile, Johnnie served 20 years in the Marines and made captain before retiring. He said he never told Arthur about volunteering to stay on in Vietnam. There was no reason to tell him, he said, and it was an easy decision to make. Later though, when reading Arthur’s memoir, “Days of Grace,” Johnnie found out that Arthur had known all along.
Read another story from us: “Totally Fearless” Vietnam Hero Finally Awarded the Medal of Honor
USTA spokeswoman Jasmine Sheppard said that the organization felt it was important to recognize Johnnie along with Arthur. During the ceremony, Johnnie was presented with a flag by West Point cadets. The association wanted to make sure they recognized Johnnie for the sacrifice he made in order to allow Arthur to do all that he did.
Today, Johnnie says that he would make the same decision again.