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).
.
Best Friends MMC(SS-DV) Michael Francis (Barney) Bakara ET1(SS) Thomas "Two-Tom" Hellem EMCM(SS-DV)(COB) Bob Grogan STSC(SS-DV) Kay Patton (dec) STSC(SS) Bob Klienfelter (dec) MMC(SS) Corky Palmer ETCS(SS) Jim Fox (2nd COB affter Bob retired) LT Dick Taylor (a party animal who knew how to take care of his troops)) LT Charlie Gragg (a close friend to "Meyers Rum")
And a whole bunch of guys off the One-Boat
Best Moment Way too many to mention. Absolutely my best tour in the Navy
Worst Moment Just off San Clamente Island. Open ocean night tow (submerged) by the USNS Apache (ATF 172). The DSRV was NOT hydro-dynamically stable and headed straight for the bottom with Barney and myself hanging on for what we thought would be our final moments. Did I mention that this was my FIRST ride on the DSRV? Fortunately, the length of the tow line was less the the waters' depth so we just had a few hair raising pendulum swings. Kind of like bungee jumping. Definitely an E-ticket ride with a major pucker factor! This is why , to this day, the DSRV is towed on the surface while strapped securely to the TQ recovery frame
Mercury sabotage with me inside the spheres for about 2 hours. Bad stuff, that Hg. . .
Chain of Command COMSUBDEVGRUONE (DSU hadn't been invented yet) OIC was LT Dick Taylor
Other Memories LT T.C.J. McGinlay practicing on his bagpipes while marching to and fro in the Lockheed Ocean Lab parking lot. Kind of surreal.
