Upon retirement from the Navy, worked for Science Application International Corp (SAIC) in the Applied Marine Technology Sector. Fully retired in Dec 1999.
Other Comments:
I started my Military Career in 1958 when the United States actually had a conscription (AKA DRAFT or, the VERY Selective Service System).
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Diving Systems Detachment Three (DSV-3) Turtle Details
Turtle (DSV-3) was designed and built by Electric Boat division of General Dynamics Corportation at Groton, Ct. Turtle and her sister Sea Cliff were launched 12/11/1968. Turtle was named after Turtle Town a small community in Polk County, TN. Turtle was accepted by the US Navy 09/25/1970 at Woods Hole, MA, and assigned as a unit of Submarine Development Group 1 in San Diego, CA. Originally designed for a depth of 6500 she was converted to a 10,000 foot boat during a major overhaul. At that depth Turtle had the capability of reaching over half of the oceans floor.
Construction: constructed of a fiberglass hull over the metal crew sphere, batteries and electric motors.
Officers-in-Charge of Turtle (DSV-3)
LCDR R.D. Waer 09/23/1970 - 07/04/1971
LCDR B.G. Rees 07/04/1971 - 06/15/1973
LCDR J. F. Camerion 06/15/1973 - 07/18/1975
LCDR D. J. Bielicki 07/18/1975 - 01/31/1978
LCDR R. J. Norris 01/31/1978 - 04/07/1981
LCDR D. O. Norris 04/07/1981 - 02/25/1983
LT T. E. Saunders 02/25/1983 - 01/25/1985
LCDR T. D. Benedict 01/25/1985 - 08/07/1987
LT W. M. Drake 08/07/1987 - 12/16/1988
LCDR G. H. Billy 12/16/1988 - 01/24/1991
LCDR T. W. Carpenter 01/24/1991 -
Best Friends LCDR Todd Benedict LT Rick Barnes LT Ron Renner (Now there's trouble) LT Brian Kessel MMCM(SS) Corky Palmer
Best Moment Getting to be a sideline player in the HMS TITANIC venture in conjunction with Dr."Admiral" Ballard of Woods Hole fame.
Retired Oct 1987
Worst Moment The Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.
Cleanup of mercury spill from DSV Sea Cliff on M/V Energy Service 1. What an ecological mess!
M/V ES-1 ran over DSV Sea Cliff and almost sunk her. She fortunately stayed on the surface with only about 10 pounds of positive buoyancy. I had done a hard sell job on one of my Det Bravo troops to accept orders to Sea Cliff and stay in the Navy. He was on board for his FIRST dive when this happened and consequently didn't think too much of my advice.
Come to think of it, this didn't seem to be one of Sea Cliff's better years.
Chain of Command COMSUBDEVGRUONE (DSU hadn't been invented yet) OIC: LCDR Todd Benedict AIOC: Me
Other Memories Turtle was an independent command. We were getting the boat rebuilt at Lockheed Ocean Labs (LOL) after a battery fire put her in a box for about a year.
Because of this lay-up I also served as the CSDG-1 Deep Submergence Staff Officer (N-2).
