SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Ben Holman made history when he became the first African American firefighter to serve alongside white colleagues in San Diego. Now 100 years old, he reflects on a career that opened doors for generations.
Holman just turned 100 this past December, but he's humble about reaching the milestone.
"Just another birthday," Holman said.
He's equally modest about his groundbreaking work serving as a firefighter for more than three decades in San Diego.
"I was like any other firefighter," Holman said. "I just came to work, did my job."
When Holman first put on his firefighting gear, he wasn't trying to make history. He was focused on putting out fires and saving lives.
"When they call, and they need some help, we respond," Holman said.
When asked how many people he helped during his career, Holman couldn't provide a number.
"Oh God, I can't count them. I can't count them," Holman said.
But getting that opportunity meant more than he ever could have imagined. Holman never expected to become a firefighter.
"I never gave it any consideration, really," Holman said. "In my hometown where there was no black firefighters."
It was at Fire Station 14 in North Park where Holman became the first African American firefighter to bunk down in a firehouse and fight fires alongside white colleagues in San Diego.
"It was the best thing that could have happened to me, and I think maybe the department too, because the department became integrated that day that I became a firefighter," Holman said.
Holman didn't stop there. He became active in the firefighters' union and rose through the ranks. By the time he retired in 1983, he had reached the rank of deputy chief, becoming the first Black firefighter in San Diego to ever do so.
Former colleagues call him the Jackie Robinson of the San Diego Fire Department.
"The man's a game changer," a former colleague said. "There's a lot of people standing on his shoulders, not just African American, but all people of color and women, because he opened that, he helped open that door."
To this day, Holman is recognized as a true San Diego icon. He's been honored by the mayor and city council, with December 26th officially proclaimed as Alwyn Benjamin Holman Day. He's even received a letter in the mail from the Obamas.
All because one man looking for a job helped open a door for so many others.
"The door got open sooner because of him, and they gave that opportunity to a lot of people," a former colleague said.
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