ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. — For those who serve our country, there are many ways people and cities can honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. In Atlantic Beach, there's a park and three streets named after those from the city who fought and died.
Atlantic Beach looks to honor the first African-American from the city to die in any war with his own honorary parkway in his memory.
The stretch of land that is known as Dutton Island Preserve today is not how Calvin Brown remembers the land.
“I learned to swim in this," Brown recalled. "Looks like a mud-hole right now and we crabbed here and fished here."
Brown and his best friend, Leroy Everett, spent much of their childhood there before both entered the service. The two would often jump off the current bridge that used to be a dirt mound and practice their swimming. Due to segregation at the time, the teens were not allowed to swim at Douglas Anderson High School.
Brown didn't budge at who was the better swimmer. "Tell you the truth we didn’t compete against each other," he said.
Over the past few months, Lenny Jevic started doing research on area veterans and made an interesting discovery about Brown's best friend.
“I realized that we have streets or parks named after the fallen four individuals from World War II, but we have nothing in Atlantic Beach for Leroy Everett,” Jevic said.
Sergeant First Class Leroy Everett died in 1967 along with his entire helicopter crew when the engine failed shortly after takeoff during a training exercise.
Everett is the only Vietnam Veteran casualty from Atlantic Beach and the only African American from the city to die in any war.
“There’s a very rich African-American history in Atlantic beach and that story has not really been told," said Mayor Ellen Glasser.
That story will now be honored with the help of Jevic. Everett will get his own marker.
There was a discussion about redoing part of Mayport Road in his honor, but that process could take years.
Instead, with the help of Jevic, the city has agreed to pick a familiar spot. The very spot where Calvin and Everett learned to swim and hunt along Dutton Island. From the front gate westbound to the front parking lot including the bridge is set to be named U.S Army Sergeant Leroy Everett Parkway.
“It means a great deal to me, hometown boy, grew up here that he will always be remembered for the sacrifice that he gave -- his life," Brown said.