There is a true legend living among us here in the Quad Cities. He challenged the system and did something that was unheard of half a century ago. In this week’s edition of Rock Island Arsenal: Inside the Gates, military leaders tell Local 4’s Emily Scarlett how this legacy is still breaking barriers, even today.   “It was the mid-1950’s when now retired Captain Pete Tzomes decided to pursue the Navy, but a junior high school counselor questioned his goals.   “Just very pointedly said to me, ‘Pete,’ he says, ‘Don’t you understand Negros can’t go to the Naval Academy? You need to think about doing something more reasonable,” said Tzomes.   Still, Pete pushed forward, and not only joined the U.S. Navy, but became the first African-American to command a U.S. submarine.   Garrison Commander, Colonel Elmer Speights Jr., tells Local 4, “I tell Captain Tzomes a lot, you are living history.”   But being black in the Navy 50 years ago Tzomes says not everyone was always so eager to have him around, recalling an experience with a former superior:   “And he just told me, he says, ‘Engineer, i can’t work with you–i don’t want you on my submarine,” said Tzomes.    Tzomes, was able to change his mind.   “I worked my behind off, and that bigot came around to recognize that i was the best officer that worked for him on that submarine,” said Tzomes.    It’s a story seen as a core lesson today, on the Rock Island Arsenal.    “We can talk about the challenges that we had in the past with bringing minorities through leadership positions in any of the servies and we can apply it to where we are now and we got a measurable difference. It also shows us how far we still have to go,” said Colonel Speights.   Today Captain Tzomes says though it was not like this in the 50’s and 60’s, today the system is fair. If you do your job, and work hard, it’s possible to succeed, no matter your race.   “There’s really limited racial bias on a submarine,” said Tzomes. “If there’s any racial biases, it’s not due to the system it’s due to the individual.”   But that is not to say there isn’t room for improvement.   “We still got a long way to come with women. We still have issues with the way women are treated,” said Tzomes. “We got some attitude changes that need to be made among peers and seniors when it comes to what we do with opportunities for women.”   Captain Tzomes says the most rewarding part of the success that he’s achieved with the U.S. Navy as the first African-American submarine commanders, is the pride he sees in the generations after him–hoping to achieve the same or even greater success.