May 2009 Master
Diver's Reunion Photos from Frank de la Oliva
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DIVER/UDT/SEAL
Page 13
May 2009 Master
Diver's Reunion Photos from Frank de la Oliva
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Decommissioning Ceremony USS Kittiwake (ASR-13) 29 Sep 94' Norfolk Nav.Base Norfolk VA |
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| LT. Jim Hazelwood's Last Duty Station on a Navy Diving Ship | ||||||||||||||
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| There is a port of no return, where ships May ride at anchor for a little space And then, some starless night, the cable slips, Leaving an eddy at the morring place...Gulls, veer no longer. Sailor, rest your oar. No tangled wreckage will be washed ashore. by: Leslie Nelson Jennings | ||||||||||||||
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Kittiwake's
Commanding
Officers
LT L. H. COLLIER 1946 - 1948 |
USS
KITTIWAKE COMMISSIONED 18 JULY 1946
THE COMMISSIONING PENNANT
Upon the order "Break the commissioning pennant," a ship becomes the responsibility of the Commanding Officer, who, together with the ship's officers and men, have the duty of making her ready for any service required by our nation, whether in peace or at war. For centuries the commissioning pennant has been the symbol of a man-of-war. It is believed to date from the 17th century, when the Dutch were at war with the English. Dutch Admiral Harpertzoon Tromp hoisted a broom at his masthead to symbolize his intention to sweep the English from the sea. This gesture was answered by British Admiral William Blake, who hoisted a horsewhip indicating his intention to chastise the Dutch. The victorious British thus set the precedent for a long, narrow commissioning pennant to symbolize the original horsewhip as the distinctive symbol of a ship of war. The modem U.S. Navy commissioning pennant is blue at the hoist with a union of seven white starts, and a horizontal red and white stripe at the fly. DECOMMISSIONING CEREMONY 29 SEPTEMBER 1994 Navy tradition dictates that each ship constructed for the service be honored on four historic ceremonial occasion: Keel-laying, christening (or launching), commissioning, and decommissioning. The decommissioning ceremony is the time-honored ceremony which terminates the ship's active naval service. The ceremony today ends the active service of USS KITTIWAKE. It is a tribute to this workhorse warrior and the long line of rugged crew members, past and present, who served faithfully on her decks. Following 48 years of continuous, honorable, commissioned service, the order will be given to "Strike the commissioning pennant and secure the watch." For the final time, the commissioning pennant, ensign and union jack will be hauled down and the crew assembled on the pier. The fourth oldest U.S. Navy ship in continuous active service will have decommissioned. |
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OFFICERS
Mi Vida Loca - Copyright ©1998 - All Right Reserved music: "Eye Of the Tiger"
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11 Are Missing Subject: More recent pictures of rig fire in the
Gulf Of Mexico Al Cooper
Photos compliment of Doc Ball
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| Hyrum B. "Hank" Mullikin MDV USN May 23, 1925 Wyoming - Apr 11, 2010 Florida "Hank"
died at home after a long battle against metastasis of cancer. On
Wednesday 14 April 2010, There will be a viewing 1500-1700 followed
by a ceremony for Hyrum "Hank" Mullikin MDV USN (ret) at The
Church of Jesus Christ of latter-Day Saints located at 1751 Sea lark
Lane,Florida (850)939-3035
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Pat
Hudnall
MDV Joe Bates
Bruce
"Piggy" Banks, Bobby "Guinea" Vendetto, and David
"Doc" Ball
VN LDNN diver
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Invitation to B/D party for
----- Original Message -----
Email:
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Corpsmen
NEC: HM8492(Diver) & HM-8493
(Special Ops Tech)
Today, Jan 16 2007, I received a phone call from MCPO Roy Dean Matthews a retired U.S.Navy SEAL. He said, "Rio, you were a diver much longer than you were a Navy SEAL, why don't you post something about Divers? Okay Roy, here they are !
All UDT-SEAL are SCUBA Divers. 
They are Combat Swimmers but not Deepsea Divers (hardhat divers.)
Some UDT - SEALs were both !
Master Divers Web Page
The (John) Roat Deal
The 1st Class Deepsea Diving School was at the U.S. Naval Gun Factory, Wash.
D.C. and the Salvage Diving School was at Bayonne N.J. There were many 2nd
Class Deepsea Diving Schools throughout the U.S. Navy Diving Navy.
Diving shore duty billets included both the Submarine Escape Training
Tanks in
New London Conn. and
Pearl Harbor Hawaii.
E. "Doc"
Riojas was fortunate enough to have been stationed at both of them. The
other cushy shore duty billet was at the U.S. Naval School for Underwater
Swimmers (UWSS) in Key West FL. I also pulled shore duty there. All
the Navy's Tenders had billets for Divers, those were also great billets for
married sailors who did not want to go to sea often. I did duty on the USS
Fulton (AS-11),
USS Proteus (AS-19) and the
USS Simon Lake (AS-33).
Diving Pay varied for each class diver. 1st Class divers would
pull a monthly diving pay plus footage pay, I believe it was $0.05 a
foot. Hospital Corpsmen (Deepsea Diving Techs) drew 1st class diving pay
and underwent the same training as 1st class divers in D.C.
Did you know that?
The ASRARSASSN.ORG's web site was closed due to lack of interest by the members. By order of the Sec.-Treasurer, we stopping paying for our domain name and opted to get a FREEBE website. this is the URL: The Official web site of the ASR/ARS Assn. HERE ! It is all about Deep Sea Diving during the era of the MKV helmet and the modified MKV for helium-oxygen deepsea diving off ASRs. ARS divers did not have the He02 capabilities.
Chuck Micele (Sec-Treas.) E. "Doc" Riojas (Webmaster)
An Email from my Teammate LCDR Roy Boehm "The First SEAL."
click on photo
To
the Doc's Riojas: here is how it was when I found out that I didn't have
any idea what I was doing for ten years. Before Diving School. This a part of my
book (The First SEAL) that did not make it into the pages.
DEEP SEA DIVING SCHOOL, U.S. NAVAL GUN FACTORY, Washington, D.C.
Prior, to reporting to my new command for duty under instruction. The moving of
a family was first priority, we had decided the only way to remain together
during all these changes of duty and travel was to provide affordable housing,
the way to accomplish this was with a trailer. Money as always was scarce and we
had bought a Masonite trailer, (superior.) This luxury item, was equipped with a
bed, room for the kids, a convertible couch, table and kitchen (that I preferred
to call the galley,) bath room facility was a chamber pot.
The trip from Long Island to Washington, D.C. was rather slow and uneventful
with the exception, of those terrifying moments, when the device, towed behind
me, took on the human characteristics of a clod. This happened once or twice,
mid the hysterical screaming of my mate. This always produced the calming
effect, I am sure it was intended too. The arrival in the District of Columbia
resulted in two positive accomplishments. Roy, (my first born) quit sucking his
thumb as I had told him he would not be allowed to enter Washington, D.C. `our
nation's capital' if he sucked his thumb. The second was, I was able to unhook
that monster I had been towing, as the shrieks of hysteria subsided, and it
again looked like I might get to share that "chamber pot." My second
son Robert D. was thoroughly entertained by all that took place especially the
swaying vehicle followed by his mother's Hysteria. He felt that, this all was
done, solely for his entertainment.
With the family settled in it was time to hit the books, It was also time for me
to be shocked into the world of realism. I had been diving for ten years, and
did not know the first thing about it. This was a higher level, with in depth
medical lectures on diving physics, and the absorption of breathing gases into
fat tissue. The whys and wherefores of decompression and the use of the
decompression chamber were also subjects that had to be perfected. We learned
how to mix gases as a breathing medium how to extract CO2 from your recycled
air, and how to use the decompression tables. On the practical side we
accomplished the overhead patch, a challenge in a deep sea diving-rig. We
Learned to weld, both underwater and on the surface. Proficiency in oxy arc,
(oxy-arc a tubular cutting rod) and a hydrogen torch, also for under water
cutting of heavy steel. Each educational step, meeting a sadistic test designed
by extremely competent instructors, with a sense of humor.
One project was to build a ten-inch box out of 3/8 inch steel, six ten-inch
squares were cut with an acetylene torch. The edges ground at a forty-five
degree angle and the box tacked and welded inside and out with the exception of
the one side that went on last. this was drilled and tapped to receive an air
hose. The project was completed on Friday afternoon each box was submerged in a
drum of water located in the machine shop. the air hose secured tightly in
place, then the air hose was turned on the air pressure was 100 Pounds per
square inch. At first nothing happened my steel box was perfect! . . . I did it!
. . . As the air pressure forced the water out, my project looked more like a
shower head than an airtight box, blowing water all over the shop. We were all
in the same boat. The instructor said, "Well its time for me to go
home." Come, Monday morning, a box that won't hold air or a machine shop
that does not shine . . . Will require your presence at the office with a packed
sea-bag. You may at that time pick up your orders, back to the Fleet. Needless
to say all home plans, or anything coming under a heading of `my wife, she' . .
. `my car, it' . . . or household affects came under, the heading of, . . . .
`not now dear.' We pitched in together and by 2200 (ten PM) Saturday all of the
boxes held air and the Machine shop never looked better. We slept through
Sunday.
Charles Hiltry Jones was slower then the second coming of the late J.C. of
Biblical fame. or the first depending on your preference. I was his opposite so
in their infinite wisdom, the instructors made us diving partners. I guess they
figured I would speed him up, and he would slow me down. The conversations
between us, (we could talk to each other by touching our helmets together,)
would have made good material for Bob, and Ray of radio fame. We dove with Emil
Mikich he later became my commanding officer in USS Penguin (ASR- 12), Bos'n
Domagalla and Tom Moss, our instructors became our Bos'ns so we were under the
watchful eyes of our peers. H.R. Williams (Willie Lump Lump) a shipmate from my
past was also a classmate and our journey through the Navy would continue
together. This friendship could not be considered, a career enhancement
arrangement. `We were always in trouble.'
Enters Snake Dennison another instructor they were all-perfectionist. The dive
was called a balancing dive. The tank it was to take place in contained twelve
feet of water. A diver in full rig, depending on height, runs a little over
eight feet. On the command from the instructor viewing you through a glass port.
The diver would grab his chin exhaust valve in his right cheek and his air
intake valve in his right hand and try to make himself neutral. The requirement
being don't break the surface and don't touch the bottom. Three to four minutes
of balancing was usually enough to pass this phase of the test. When my turn
came Snake had heard me say "piece of cake." I balanced for ten
minutes, never touching the bottom or breaking the surface, when I heard the
intercom say O.K. yellow diver prepare to surface. Upon getting undressed from
the diving rig I went down to see Snake Dennison, "What kind of Mark did
you give me Snake?" Not looking up he grunted, "three point seven
five.". . . "Hell that was a perfect balancing dive!" Said I
indignantly! . . . "Look Boehm I'm only a three eight point five diver
myself and you sure in hell ain't as good as I am!" I laughed and said,
"damned if you don't learn something new every day."
It wasn't all work and if we had a short day which was seldom we would stop off
for a drink before going home for the day. One of the ex instructors having lost
his eye in a diving accident took care of the issuing of gear at the school, for
the days activities. Stopping in for a quick drink before heading home we
encountered Fogwell (Foggy for short) I sat on one side of him and Williams
(Lump Lump) on the other. We bought Foggy a glass of beer, he thanked us and
told me to watch his beer, he had to pump bilges. He took two steps, came back
and said never mind I'll watch the beer my self and dropped his glass eye into
the glass of beer. Lump said he don't trust you, and I don't blame him. Then
there was the time that Foggy drank his eye, we don't know whether he recovered
it or not, but he had sort of a shitty outlook on life after that incident. One
weekend, expecting Harry Richard Williams Alias Lump Lump, over for dinner, we
couldn't help but wonder what happened, he was late. going out the door to see
if he some how got lost. I notice a note, tacked to my door. The following was
scribbled on it. "I said what is it? upon my visit. The trailers rocking. I
wont bother Knocking." I told the wife Lump says he can't make it.
I was scheduled for the USS Penguin ASR-12 upon graduation, when the orders came
through, the senior officer had changed my orders to his ship in New England
`the USS Skylark (ASR-20), ' I asked him how that happened? He laughed and
said "I can't understand it?". . . Time to pay a visit to an old
friend Edmund B. Taylor at this time a senior captain in the Navy, and over at
the Bureau. I walked into his office and asked his secretary if I may see him?
She informed me that he was in conference. Captain Taylor said "is that
gravel voiced visitor by chance named Boehm?" I nodded. She said "yes
sir." He said "send him in." The captain had about four other
captains in his office he introduced me, offered me coffee and said stick around
this is just about over. After the meeting we kicked around old times, I told
him I wasn't flying under any false flags, I was here for a favor. He laughed
and said then we don't have to work up to the problem delicately. Hell no! This
guy had my orders changed for his ship when I had already been assigned to the
USS Penguin I'd like to carry out my original orders, if you can swing it I
would appreciate it. If not that's okay too. . . . Nothing happened from my
visit to my old skipper and the orders apparently had not been modified. . . .
As I was leaving the building, transfer papers for the USS Skylark in hand, the
yeoman came in with the mail and said "hang in there Boats! I have a change
of orders for you." Following him back into the office he presented the
change to the officer in charge. "How in the hell did that happen" he
asked, I laughed and said "I can't understand it."
The diving school published THE FACEPLATE a newspaper that was sent to all the
Submarine rescue vessels it had all sorts of good information. The ships in
their summery of operations kept the school informed and it contained
information, pertinent to operations and personnel. Often you would make your
first dive with a man that you had never met but read about and you felt you
knew him. This also was an informative, communication of the problems and how
other ships were addressing them. An organization united by a common bond can
accomplish much. I would live to see divided rivalries, result in discord and
ruination of morale Usurping our Navy of a needed capability.
GRADUATION OF DEEP SEA DIVERS SCHOOL
Charles Hiltry Jones, Tew, Barker, Darby Lt. Mulrooney, Gerry, Boehm, Williams A
thank you note is in order here, for if it were not for the girls on 8th street
providing answers for our home work and tests we may not have passed. Jimmie
Dean "B.S." (Before Sausage) and Roy Clark, provided the entertainment
in Maryland a friendly barn. We thank you, also . . . for your support, ---`the
drink chit's helped.'
May 3, 1952, we hooked up the Masonite monster and headed for Kittery Main pre
commissioning detail of the USS Penguin. We swapped the Superior in for a Walco
trailer shower and bath inside, but it was to light for all weather use, and
wasn't rugged enough for the Travel we would subject it to. We swapped the walco
in on an Anderson thirty five and a half feet long. That not only did the Job
but went through a hurricane unscathed. Our trailer later appeared in the
Saturday Evening Post in a (Trailer Coach Manufacturing Add.)
Tu Amigo, Roy Boehm
More from Roy:
The U.S.S. Penguin was busily conducting an event one thousand
drill (SUB SUNK EXERCISE) There became a lull in the physical activity, and that
was always a dangerous thing to happen where Lump was concerned.
Any idleness immediately transmogrified Lump (H.R. Williams)
into a mischievous youth seeking adventure. In this case it was a weather
balloon about three feet in diameter that caught his eye. He filled it
with helium and, tying a string to its neck, he began to cavort about the deck
as the crew watched amused by his childlike antics. At one point,
Lump skipped past the evil engineers who ran the deck machinery from the
safety of the first deck-- that is, the one just above the main deck. With
a swift cruel move --a nasty engineer reached out and touched his cigarette to
Lump’s toy. The balloon exploded with a loud bang! Poor
Lump. He not only lost his balloon, he had to endure our taunt. We
all kidded about life being full of mean engineers.
Undaunted, my friend went off in search of another. Finding one he
filled this one up with a mixture of acetylene and oxygen from the-arc welding
tanks. Tying a string, just a tad longer to his second balloon, he repeated his
cavort about the fantail of the Penguin doing a passable Freddie Bartholomew.
He began maneuvering close to the bad man that first broke his balloon.
Several attempts to reach out and break the other balloon were made, as
Lump, ever the Wile evasive rascal, dodged off. As Lump danced closer and
closer, the holder of the cigarette tried harder and harder to reach the
balloon. Stretching out, he finally made contact with Lump’s three foot
bomb. It exploded with a deafening roar, singing the engineers hair and
eyebrows. Lump was never bothered again by the First-deck Mafia, no matter what
- he danced around the fantail with.
NOTE: Roy, why was did not included in the book? doc Rio
 |
 Med. Diving Tech. |
 drawing
by Doc Rio |
Emails from Shipmates
From: chuck detmer
Date: 01/19/07 09:30:52
All Team guys had at least one Hard Hat Dive because making a dive to
determine if you were claustrophobic was part of what you had to do to get
into training. Newell got talked into eating a banana underwater in a tank
during a demo at Panama City while we were stationed down there. Also a
place to look for pictures is from the Key West guys because we taught
Second Class Diving to both Regular Fleet Divers as well as EOD guys. Myself
and a few of the other team guys went through the training while in Key
West...Unfortunately no pictures.
From: Tom & Peggy Shoulders Date: 01/19/07 08:48:16 Good God Almighty, I had forgotten O'brien had a red DC tattoo put over his caduceus, became a Boatswain and a MDV. Tommy
Hey Doc, I'm not sure what your looking for. Horse Kurcinski was a salvage diver, "Red S" that went through Bayonne. Team guys that I know of that became Master Divers after leaving the Teams were Dusty Rhodes, Tom King, Tom Shoulders, and one guy whose name I can't think of that was a certified underwater welding guru at SIMA Little Creek. Check out http://www.masterdiver.com
Rojo....
Doc O' Brian died around 1979 or so. Some
of the guys were in town on some gaggle and I linked up w/ them at the hotel
bar by the
We were there too long ; almost got into a serious fight; I hit one guy w/ a fire extinguisher...sorry..first tool I could find. The bar was "officer country" being that close to the Pentagon.
O’Brian had
a heart attack driving south to
He knew of his heart problem but had gundecked his physical. His brother died of heart failure at an age of around 42 as I remember. Typical team mentality "I'm invincible & can fix myself." He was a good trooper and dicksmith.
Info from a SEAL teamate.
No Muff Too Tough, Will Dive For Five
This is no shit; William Berryman HM1, and I were stationed at the USNAS Corpus Christi TX. He was a Pharmacy Tech and I was a Fleet Marine Force Tech. One day he came into Sick Call where I was assigned and asked me if I was bored being stationed here. I said I was not because I had just gotten married to a local girl and was quite happy working 8 hours and going home to my wife. He then told me that I would be doomed to be stationed on Naval Air Stations and Aircraft Carriers as he was if we did not go a school that would change that. I asked him which school he had in mind. He said Deep Sea Diving School. I laughed and told him to go back to the Pharmacy.
It was colder than a witches tits in the Klondike when I reported to the U.S. Naval Diving School at the U.S. Naval Gun Factory in Washington D.C. in late January to start class four (4-55) February 1955. Six months of school plus one extra month for Mixed Gas Lab and advanced aspects of medical diving medicine. Our class proctor was an SF1(DV) George Stromer. He made a statement at the classroom indoctrination that there were four pecker checkers in class 4-55 and that he NONE would graduate!
About 1962, I was an HMC (DV) (nec: HM-8492) and reported to the USS FULTON (AS-11) at State Pier New London Conn. after graduating from a Deep Sea Diving refresher at DSDS in D.C. I had to check into the Diving Locker where SF1 George Stromer was the senior diver. I reminded him that he was my class procter at DSDS and that I was one of the four pecker-checkers that graduated with class 4 back in 1955. He remembered vividly. George was promoted to CPO the following year. He reported to the goat locker for the usual CPO initiation. We were on a shake down cruise down in Norfolk Va. It was winter. I am willing to bet that to this day George still remembers me, Doc Riojas, who made his miserable BOOT CPO initiation a living hell! That was the good old days. I believe CPO's don't go through that kind of initiation anymore. We became very good shipmates and diver brothers. I do not know if he is still alive. I hope he is.
SEAL Team TWO Corpsmen that were Hard Hat Divers Don Stone
were there others after I left?
Hard Hat Divers, My Shipmates
Rio,
James "Hoot" Andrews went thru 2nd class
diving school aboard the USS FULTON. Mike Murphy and DiCatarina were the
Master Divers and in charge of the school. I also qualified as a 2nd class
diver at EOD School in 1953, along with Bob Shouse.
The
Diving Gear that is long gone and Forgotten Here
is a LINK to some details of the gear and other facts.
USS Thresher (SSN-593),
1961-1963. Whereas at
approximately 7:47 a.m. on April 10, 1963, while in communication with the
surface ship U.S.S.
Skylark, and approximately 300 miles off the coast of New England, the
U.S.S. Thresher began her final descent; Not to blow my own
whistle, but as historical record, I was JOOD on the USS Skylark (ASR-20) when we lost the
Thresher. Contrary to the story on THE HISTORY CHANNEL TV Show, there was
no oil slick, there was no debris, there was no radiation on the surface of the
water. Master Diver Hyrum Mullikin and GM1 (DV) Ira Salyers went around
the Skylark dropping hand grenades and I had a SN going around getting me
buckets of water to check for radio activity with our geiger counter. It was until the next
day that we were relieved by some destroyers that continued the search.
The weather turned very heavy and we departed for New London Conn, our home
port. Because I was an HMC I
was given the third degree at the board of inquiry as to my seamanship
qualifications for standing the JOOD watch. I had experience on the USS
COUCAL (ASR-8) as an HM1(DV) in CIC watches back in Pearl Harbor and
Japan. The only question that hangs in my mind is that one of the officers
on the board asked me to explain the "Williamson turn."
I had
just finished a Seamanship course and since we practiced man overboard drills, i
may have surprised them with my answers. Anyway, what is a JOOD,
just another better paid man than a seaman who is there to keep the OOD
awake? Just my opinion, I dunno?
Erasmo " Doc" Riojas HMC
(SEAL) USN Ret.
Andy Adams (MDV) USN Ret
Andy Adams was my shipmate aboard the USS COUCAL
(ASR-8), home port Pearl Harbor Territory of Hawaii 1956. He is a Retired
USNavy Master Diver and lives in the Corpus Christi TX area.
9-1-08 Hello Doc. Source from: http://www.navydivers.net/mail.html
Andrew "Andy" Adams
Gerry Flowers ,
Canadian Vietnam Veteran
Marauders
Recon Team Leader; Former United States Marine Corps Battalion Recon Sergeant,
0311/8654; Retired Pilot/Safety Officer, fixed and rotary wing pilot
and Marauder Scuba Team Member. Resident
of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Gerry is a Recon Marine who graduated from the UWSS Key West FL and a
very good friend who is a licensed pilot and currently diving the world with the
MAURAUDER Organization. Gerry is one of about 35,000 Canadians who joined the US Military during the
Vietnam War.
Please click on
U.S. Navy Deep Sea diving helmet The US Navy developed a Mark V
recirculating helmet. They started by modifying a Mark V mod 1
helmet. In the
pictures below you see one of those early recirculating hats. You see that it
features a banana exhaust on top. It had to be moved there because of the
canister attached to the back. Some divers died using this hat: water leaked
into the banana exhaust (when the diver is upside down for instance) and reached
the extremely dangerous natron. I will explain that later. In the final design the
perforated end of the banana exhaust is replaced with a second control valve.
This valve looks a bit like a Chinese straw hat so it was referred to as a China
Hat Model. The helmet was called the Mark V mod 4. A
large canister was attached to the rear of the bonnet. This canister contained a
carbon dioxide absorbent. Gas is supplied to the diver through a normal hose to
the divers supply valve. However, the main supply valve is kept closed. Just to
the side of it is a much smaller valve called a "hoke". It is
attached to one side of the absorbent canister. Look at the little valve you see
in each picture below. The gas supply goes from the hoke to a jet nozzle that
acts as a pump to circulate the gas through the canister where carbon dioxide is
removed. The fresh gas enters the helmet on the other end for the diver to
breathe. Thru the nozzle a constant flow of fresh gas ventilates the helmet. The
exhaust valve is normally kept close to repeatedly reuse the gas. Have a look at the third picture,
the rear view: The Mark V deep sea helmet was
the first heliox hat (for military purposes) in the world Introduction Soon after initial problems like
air-supply and protective suits were solved, divers began to experience some
physiological difficulties after deeper dives and longer exposures. In fact they
suffered from: without knowing it. This caused
terrible suffering and death in the early days of diving. For many years the
causes and cures for these illnesses were unknown due to a general lack of
knowledge in the physical science. Here are some names and dates of
interest: With this knowledge around the
turn of the twentieth century, it was custom to lower and raise divers very
slow: only a few feet eacht minute. Even with these precautions many times
problems occurred at greater depths. John Scott Haldane did
some important work in this matter. He found out that existing air pumps were
not very suitable for greater depths: Due to bad ventilation of helmets carbon
dioxide build up inside them causing problems for the diver. He also developed a
"stage decompression" in 1905 that was accepted by the British
admiralty. Haldane was the godfather of the decompression tables that we
use today. Understanding and controlling
oxygen poisoning did not go that fast. Henry Fleuss invented the first
oxygen rebreather in 1876 but he did not have a clue that the gas could
be very dangerous under pressure. Many trials in the years after that showed
that oxygen could be dangerous under pressure. In WW II many secret military
operations were carried out with oxygen rebreathers. Nitrogen narcosis proved equally
difficult to cure. Every diver was influenced by it in some degree. For many
years no suitable solution to the problem was found. Mixed Gas In 1912, the US Navy began a
continuing series of programs to expand diving technology and techniques. They
experimented with gas mixtures other than air. In 1924 an experimental
dive was made to 150 feet (about 50 meters) using a mixture of helium and
oxygen. Substitution of helium for nitrogen in the breathing mixture
produces two main effects upon the diver under pressure: By using a mixture of helium and
oxygen (called Heliox) the working depth is no longer limited. Heliox is
now used to depths up to 1500 feet and more ! It is also the second lightest gas
known. Absorption and dissolution out of the body tissues is much more rapid
than that of nitrogen. This all means that a diver can go down deeper, stay
there longer and have shorter deco-stops on coming up ! However, there is one problem in
using Heliox: As depth increases, the danger of oxygen poisoning rises unless
the amount of oxygen in the breathing mixture is carefully controlled. For this
reason helium and oxygen are mixed together before the dive for that
specific depth. We have a minimum amount of oxygen for any dive for the diver
not to die, we also have a maximum amount for the diver not to die of oxygen
poisoning ! This type of diving is called
mixed-gas diving. The US Navy played an important
role in Heliox experiments: In the US there were natural gas fields of Helium.
In Europe there were none. Therefore experimenting with the gas was very very
expensive for the Europeans. Practically all the efforts in this field go to the
United States.
Diving
Museum at Islamorada Key Fl.
HM1 Doc Erasmo Riojas graduated in CLass
4/55 at DeepSeaDivingSchool (DSDS), U.S> Naval Gun
Factory, Wash, D.C. He was transferred to the Subase, Escape Training
Tank, Pearl Harbor , Territory of Hawaii in September of 1955. HM2
"Red" Maurath quit diving just as the USS Coucal (ASR-8) was about to
make a WestPac Trip. Doc Riojas was transferred to the Coucal. Master Diver Bob Sheats put all Tank Instructors through SCUBA class
at the Tank. I learned SCUBA very well from him and his crew and I was
hooked on SCUBA diving at work and on Liberty. My hobby was SCUBA diving
for sea shells and sea coral. I learned to be a Deep Sea Diver on the USS Coucal (ASR-8). We dove
a lot at LaHaina, Maui. I Cannot remember the name of our Master Diver, but we
had a terrific diving gang. The Coucal set the record in 1956 for the
deepest McCann bell transfer of men from a bottomed submarine in Hawaii. I
forget the depth, I wish I would have kept a diary. The Story was in the
ALL HANDS magazine.
One night when we were
sitting around in the After Battery somewhere between the last reel of Cheaper
By The Dozen and the arrival of mid rats. Some lower-order citizen in
raggedy dungarees and a four-week old beard looks over at the chief and asked, “Hey Dutch, you believe
in angels?” “Sure, horsefly. Not the
kind with wings… The kind who wears rubberized, canvas suits and bronze
helmets… Descend from above to save you… Navy Divers. When you hear those
magnificent bastards clomping around on your walking deck, you can go back to
issuing liberty cards.” Nobody respects and honors
Navy Divers more than the lads who ride underwater ordinance platforms. Any man
stupid enough to speak ill of a hardhat diver in the presence of a smoke boat
sailor could count on the next twenty to thirty seconds of his future being
filled with activity specifically designed to place his dental work flush up
against his spinal column. There’s a line in an old
vaudeville song called the Darktown Strutters Ball. It goes, “Be down to getcha in a
taxi, baby…” …Or something close to
that. They should paint that on the side of every ASR. That’s what they do for
a living… They come and get you. If you can reach bottom with watertight
integrity, they will come get you. You can make book on that. If you are beyond the
‘Continental shelf’, you will end up wearing your pressure hull as a pea
coat and spending eternity with your crew… Either way, God and the United
States Navy have removed all doubt about the ultimate outcome. Our ‘rescue vessel’ was
the USS Kittiwake. She was always tied up aft of whatever nest we happened to be
in. There was something very comforting about her being there. They used to do something
with those big ugly looking diving suits… I think the proper name was
‘deep-diving dress’. God did not provide me the size testicles it would take
to use ‘Navy Salvage Diver’ and the word ‘dress’ in the same sentence.
They would hang those deep-diving suits up and perform some kind of maintenance
on them. Looking at them gave a kid
riding submarines a good feeling… They were a silent symbol of a navy that
gave a damn about her undersea bluejackets. If you could be gotten, men who wore
those canvas suits would come get you. You knew that and it made you feel good
about the outfit you belonged to. That was a confidence the
poor bastards who rode Russian boats never had… Or if they did, it was an
ill-placed confidence, as became all too evident with the Manny, Moe and Curley
ineptitude shown in their repeated attempts to bring up the lads of the Kursk. If those idiots had placed
a 911 call for U.S. Navy Divers, I have no doubt that a few more Russian boat
sailors would be tossing down vodka with an arm full of Olga and Natasha
tonight. The poor sonuvabitches ran out of air while a clown act tap-danced all
over their superstructure. What a way to turn in your gear… Sitting in
darkness, listening to idiots trying to ‘get it right’. Salvage divers hold a very
special place in our hearts… As well they should. There are boat sailors alive
today who got the opportunity to grow old, compliments of Navy Divers. Forget
that and you become at best, an ungrateful sonuvabitch. The ones I had the honor of
meeting were big burley rascals, with hands the size of a picnic ham and fingers
like half smokes. I never shook hands with the Jolly Green Giant but it has to
be like shaking hands with a diver. The rascals splice steel
cable. I was a leading seaman… I know how to splice 3 and 5 lay hemp line…
But gahdam steel cable? You’ve got to be out of your mind! That is how they
get those oak bark fingers. You spend your career getting wire cuts all over
your fingers and God compensates you for your trouble with hands like a junkyard
crane bucket. Fine brave unselfish
bastards… God’s weirdest emissaries, who descend from above in bronze
helmets with lead belts and heavy boots to save mother’s sons who make their
living riding this nations submarines. I work with a gentleman
named Bill Duvall. I have known Bill for many years of professional association.
He is an executive engineer with the federal government. The other day, I learned
that Bill Duvall was once Lt. Garner W. Duvall, a rated Navy Diver and OPS
officer on the salvage ship, USS Cree. Bill Duvall, a Navy Diver. This means I am obligated
to buy this old saltwater ‘breathe through a hose’ bronze helmet soul-saver,
cold beer and listen to his sea stories. E-3s learned early that if you failed
to buy a hardhat diver his first beer, you ran the risk that the bastard would
splice your toes together and hang you upside down in his paint locker. But the best thing about
learning that Bill was a diver is that it lets me say a long overdue ‘thank
you’ to men who took incredible risk on our behalf… And Bill is the kind of
man you expect a diver to be… A big smiling rascal with those vice grip mitts
and an I-beam spine built to haul a couple of hundred pounds of working gear. God bless all deep-depth
divers…. wherever in the hell you are.
Frank De La
Oliva, Master
Diver Photo Page
From: George C. Rekow <gcr11[at] verizon.net> From: two2scoops [at] aol.com Ernie Caltenbach
MCPO I was transferred before the bends happened to Sol. We are on the way now to the MDV reunion. In Solomons MD. I was also hit with the bends, a spinal and not treated because of the time lapse from dive to
symptoms. Dived on Fri and got Lt. leg mega pain for about 10 sec and then complete numbness. Started acting up so I have everything and submitted claim 2 wks ago. I am 70% now. Severe Spondylosis and C-3-4
fuzed. and also major narrowing in C & L.
We'll talk about Sol when I see you. Stay well. See you in Panama City Fl in May
2009 The Best . Ernie Caltenbach, Master Diver Ret.
Master
Diver's Reunion 2009
John Harter ----- Original Message ----- BMC Dean Palmer USN/DV1 1 Oct 2009
Hey Doc,
I thought you would like a
copy of this picture. It
is #58 of 300. I
gave Jodette (Little PeeWee) a copy. Two names just to mind.
John Slaughter, I think that is his first name. He
retired in 1982 at NSWC Ft. Lauderdale.
Last time I hear he was walking the beach with a metal
detector. Also
remember Jim Bunning. I
don’t know what happened to him. I retired in 1981 at NSWC
Solomon, Pardon the hand writing and
spelling. I am getting old.
Dean Palmer
Surrounded by his family, Chief Petty Officer Robert
Alien Vendetto, was born in New London, Connecticut on Sep. 4,1936.
Retired Navy Diver, died on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 in Houma. Bob, known as “Guinea” among his military brothers, served our country 23
years. He was aboard the: USS Albany, USS Skylark, USS Sunbird, and the
USS Lipan. Bob was a diving Instructor at the 2nd Class Diving School.
He was In Vietnam with the Harbor Clearance Unit One. Bob's last tour
was on the USS Seawolf (SSN) 575. . He was awarded the coveted “Legion
of Merit” for his valiant service to our country. After his retirement
from the Navy in 1979, was an Offshore Saturation Supervisor at Santa Fe
Underwater Services.
David
"Doc" Ball Photos
These
were taken at DSDS in DC on the barge in either the winter of ’69 or
the spring of ‘70
From: David Ball davidball [at]cox.net
photo
INDEX
of Pages
click on tabs to go to page
Smallest Photo Ablum of Ole
SEALs
Mi Vida Loca - Copyright ©1998 - All Right Reserved
webmaster: Erasmo
"Doc"
Riojas
: email: docrio45
[@] gmail.com
Site archived by http://www.patriotfiles.com
Richard Martin
Erasmo Riojas Check out the ASR/ARS Web site
HERE !
Bo Burwell
Bob Clark
Bo Burwell
Tom Blais
Lowell "Bo" Burwell
Thomas E. Blais
Bob Shouse Tending
Tender is Bob Shouse
Bob
Shouse going through 2nd. class diving school at the Navy Ship yard, San Diego,
CA in early 1953. The picture in the rig is Ens. Gleason and I'm tending. We had
to go to second class diving school before going to EOD school, Indian Head, MD
. Hoot Andrews was in my EOD class in 1953.
Hoot Andrews
"Hoot" Andrews
Doc
Berryman
Doc Riojas 
"Shorty" Long (SEAL)
LCDR
Linda Ball, best looking DV in the USN!
Jim Hazelwood
Photo is a LINK click on it !
The Newest TOYS for the DV boys!
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=5054421
I would like to try and contact Any divers that I
served with
I went through Salvage Diving School in 1954
Class 57 I was in the class after Carl Breshear. We became Friends and stayed in
touch until his death
I went to First Class School at the Naval Gun Factory In
1956-57. After 1st class school did a tour on the USS Coucal ASR 8
(!959-60). To Quonset Point R.I. In the Diving locker Then I
got Side tracked from diving and was sent to Gitmo in the Fleet Training Group
Made Chief and went back to Wash D.C. For master Diver Training. Then to the USS
Petrel. After a tour on the Petrel was off to the Naval Mine Defense Lab,
at Panama City Fla. There I was Selected for WO1 and was off to Subic Bay and
HCU1. There i decided i was not going to accept the promotion to Warrant
Officer. I was sent to the Diving School at Subic. I stayed there until I ret.
in Nov. 1967.
I Am 81 years old now still in good health I live in a
small town just north of Corpus Christi, Tx. I sure would like to contact any
and all of my old Ship Mates
Andrew Adams SCPO Ret.
Master Diver
WW11, Korean, Vietnam, Vet.
PH. 361 776 7203 aadamsjr [@] cableone.net
the
photo to enlarge it.
helium takes heath from the body very fast
In the early 1900's, compressed air diving was limited to depths less than 300
feet.
Breathing mixtures are classified as:
Photo Album
Wrong Year?! 
Hey Doc,
That ain't me in this picture of MDV reunion
2007.We think it's Paul Heckert prior to 2000. The old
Hathaway bridge is in the background.
Here is a picture of me at the reunion this
year.
I'm closest to you.
Tom Shoulders
I was in eighth platoon with Andy Hayden,
ST-2 in Nam from October 69
to March 70.
Lt. Aubrey Davis was the Platoon Officer, Lt. Dave Strong
was the assistant Platoon Officer.
Doc Lusk (deceased) was the corpsman.
I've left a message on Captain Davis's phone answering
machine waiting for him to call me back
if I had the right phone number for him.
Any way I can help I will.
Tom Shoulders
Hank Mullikin & Erasmo "Doc" Riojas
Ted Kassa
The Official Web Site for the ASRARS
Association is HERE
!
>
Frank
"Doc" Munger
Date: Thu, Feb 26, 2009
Subject: Your web site www.sealtwo.org
the DV page
To: Erasmo "Doc" Riojas ; docrio45 [at] gmail.com
Doc,
I’m not sure how I came into viewing your web site, but it looks pretty good;
lots of diving stuff.
First of all, my name is George Rekow. I’m a retired W-4 Diver. Was a GMCM/MDV
and went Warrant at W3, mustered out with 30 as a W4 in 92’.
I noticed in your web site that you were aboard Coucal; so was I, and it was a
good ship while I was aboard.
I transferred off in 76 and went to EOD Group at West Loch. While I was at TEU 1
the Coucal went out of commission. I had been invited to the ceremony and after
the get together; I was asked if I knew anyone who wanted the ships scrap book?
I didn’t know anyone who did, but I didn’t have it in me to just let this
thing go to the shit can, so I took it and still have it.
I would gladly give you the book or certain pictures it you wanted them. In your
web site you also mentioned the deepest bell op of the time; well I have an
artist’s rendition of that event and will make a copy for you if you want.
Also, I see that Tommy Shoulders tried to remember former team guys who became
master divers, well you can include Chuck Ledger, and he was the underwater
welding guy who Tommy couldn’t remember. Also, Coy Payne, coy was a TM in 11,
12 or 13, I can’t remember which one, but I met him when he was at the Tank in
Pearl, around 75. He went on to make MDV. If I try I think I can muster up
another name, but right now can’t remember…but…give me time…
Anyway Doc, let me know if you want any of the items I offered.
Take care.
George
To: docrio454@gmail.com
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2009 4:25 PM
Subject: Hey Ernie a
question about Sol Atkinson UWSS, Bends case in 1968
Doc 
Ken
Wallace
Divers at Ken Wallace Funeral: STANDING lt to rt: MURRAY CATO,
(MDV
RET),GARAHAND, JOHN HARTER, (RET DV
OFFICER), JOE BATES, (RET. MDV) KNEELING lt to rt: JIM
MULLEN (RET. MASTER DV); FERNANDO
LUGO.
James Joseph Becker "JJ" (1939 - 2008)
Mr. James Joseph "JJ" Becker entered into eternal rest Monday,
Sept. 15, 2008, at Bay Medical Center in Panama City, Fla.
He was born March 6, 1939, in Philadelphia. JJ served in the United
States Navy for 26 years. Among numerous other medals, JJ received a
bronze star during three tours in Vietnam as an EOD diver. Following his
military service, he worked for 16 years as a civil service employee. He
was an active member of the FRA Branch 346, VFW 10555, AMVETS Post 47,
all in Panama City Beach, Fla., and American Legion Post 356 in Lynn
Haven, Fla.
From: Palm7De [at] aol.com
To: docrio@warpspeed1.net
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 1:54 PM
Subject: UWSS reunion pictures
Rio,
that photo is me with DEE Clark. I hadn't seen him in over 30 years, he
hasn't changed a bit....[lol] it was also good to see Ernie C , hadn't
seen him in over 25 years. when i was in IUWG 2, in 71, Little Creek,
got to know just about everybody on the base. co of iuwg 2 sent me over
to spec warfare . Al Mann the corpsman and me would go running in the
mornings to get in shape for UWSS school you know we would have to stop
at the 1/2 club. Dave Sutherland, little fat rat, was my Procter at UWSS
like i said, i was the last hard hat student to go thru..can't remember
everybody that was there. here are some of the names i remember doc
west, peterson. al mann,[who was always going AWOL and turning himself
into the hospital] ed Leasure. we were always playing horse shoes. I
can't think of the seal that died in 73, in Athens Greece.
well, keep in touch.I see pee wee's daughter once in a while...made a
copy, pic of the statue and gave it to her..
This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for
free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm
Don
Checote
Robert Vendetto, R.I.P.
Here’s
the write-up in my hometown newspaper of my participation in the 1977 1510 FSW
dive at NEDU. I am the CPO in the pictures.
click on image to enlarge it
To: 'Doc Rio' docrio45 [at] gmail.com
Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010
Subject: Your pictures
Rio,
It was around mid October 1969 and my class picture was taken 1 May 1970
and I was in HCU-1 in the P.I. on 15 May 1970. I went on leave from DSDS
ON 5/5/70.
David
www.navydivers.net
San
Juan P.R., 1965; L-R: MR1 Denny Morse, CS2 Albert Moore, SF1Andy
Anderson USS SKYLARK (ASR-20)
Sub
Escape Training Tank; 2010 model
SEAL
TWO Photo ALbums by Doc Rio
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