The Com Line

On July 28th we were invited back to the College of Oceaneering in Wilmington, for their Open House. We had a total of fifteen dives in the heavy gear and several members brought their classic Scuba equipment to show and to try out. Danny Carr came up from San Diego and brought his Russian three-bolt. Pat Harwell from Santa Barbara brought his Desco MKV. Charlie Orr had his Desco Kirby hat. Rick Eriksen brought his Yokohama, while Jocko Robinson and Mark Howell both had their Chinese TF-12s. The day went very well. Harold Nething was there and spent most of the day tending. Jim Pride was Dive Organizer. We had several guests and new members attend. Jocko's son Travis also got to dive a Chinese TF-12. The two raffle winners to dive the MKV were Donnie McCrary and Nicolas Isaia, both students at the College. Our thanks to the College of Oceaneering for their continued support and hospitality not to mention the great BBQ lunch, and many thanks to all the folks that helped unloading and loading the gear.

November 3 - College of Oceaneering Rally (272 S. Fries Ave., Wilmington) - 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to participate. Bring along any new gear you want to try out and plan on having a good time. The COO Rally's offer an excellent opportunity for the newer members to dive for the first time in the heavy gear, for all of us to learn or sharpen tending skills, and to try out any new gear in a relatively safe environment.

As always, help will be needed to load and unload the gear. Meet at the COO at 8:00 a.m. if you can lend a hand. The COO will be providing a lunch of BBQ burgers for everyone. If you want to dive, have new gear to try out or need more information call Charlie at (310) 834-7051.

Our day aboard the old Merchant Marine ship, the Lane Victory, started early with boarding scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. The sky was overcast with the usual early morning marine layer as the ship made it's way out of the harbor, passing through the Queen's Gate at Long Beach and sailing for Catalina Island.

The Yellow Houn' Dawg Blues Band provided music throughout the day playing many old favorites. About mid-morning the first dry dress-in demonstration was performed near the #2 forward hatch using a Mark V helmet and dress. Charlie Orr and Jocko Robinson were tenders with Capt. Ed White as the diver. Two more dress-ins were done on the way back with Capt. Ed and Harold Nething as the divers.

A delicious lunch catered by Ante's Restaurant (San Pedro) was served. After lunch it was announced that a Nazi German spy had been spotted onboard and it was feared a message had been sent out and we should be prepared for an air attack. In a short while five planes were sighted off the port bow. General Quarters sounded and the sailors manned their guns as the planes swooped down to attack our ship. Several minutes passed while the Lane Victory sailors valiantly held off the attacking enemy aircraft. A cheer went up as five American planes joined the melee. The German planes were soon leaving the area with smoke trailing their aircraft as they were hit and driven off by our own pilots.

A touching and long overdue ceremony was held during the afternoon on behalf of the U.S. Government to recognize the veterans of the Korean War. The men were presented with Commemorative Certificates in appreciation of their service in that forgotten war that wasn't considered a war but a "police action." We all proudly stood with tears in our eyes as CCED member, Harold Nething and Mark Howell's father-in-law, Paul LaVars, received their certificates.

As the Lane Victory returned to San Pedro, L.A. Fireboat #2 greeted us with a water display, pumping water simultaneously from all the hoses. For those of us who took the cruise, it was a day we will long remember.

Our Annual Dive Demonstration and Display at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum on September 1, 2001 went off without a hitch. The event was dedicated to the Pearl Harbor Survivors and WWII veterans in honor of the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Eleven divers took to the water with Jocko Robinson leading off. Dr. Pete Lee, the Museum's director, stayed on deck most of the day acting as narrator. Jim Pride was Dive Organizer with Duke Drake operating the compressor. Tenders included Harold Nething, Mark Howell, Al Perez, Charlie Orr and Jocko Robinson.

A display of WWII memorabilia with pictures of PHS, Les Ritchie, and WWII Navy UDT veteran, Harold Nething, was featured inside the Museum and is to continue through December. Outside a display of helmets, including a Mark V Helium and a Mark V helmet, dress, weight belt, and boots, drew a large crowd throughout the day. What made this event truly special were the visitors. Several Pearl Harbor Survivors were there along with Torrance Parker, Kenny Knott, Rigdon Crawford, Capt. Ed White, and Harold Nething to name a few. PHS Bill Craddock and his wife drove up from El Cajon. Eddie Brooks from Carson, who is an old friend of Commander Edward Raymer, author of "Descent Into Darkness," shared his first hand account of the December 7th bombing and soon had a large crowd gathered around him to listen to his story of that dreadful day.

Many thanks to all those who helped, loaned items for the display, loaned diving equipment, and helped to make this a special day.

September 20, 2001 - Members present: Dr. Pete Lee, Charlie Orr, Eric Simmel, Eva Trusty, Harold Nething, Mark Howell, Jim Pride, Al Perez, Jocko Robinson, Dale Eriksen, Rick Eriksen, Leslie Jacobs and a new member, Ken McElvain. We discussed the last rally and how to streamline our hoses to make an easy switch from a MKV that uses a whip, to a Kirby or Yokohama, that connects directly to the helmet. Also discussed making the Banning's Landing dive an annual event, and applications received from new members. The new HDS video, "Brass, Glass and Copper" was viewed. The remainder of the meeting time was spent swapping photos, opinions, sea stories and ideas.

The next meeting will be November 16, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. and will be held at the Maritime Museum.

For anyone who hasn't attend the Heavy Gear Workshop at Santa Barbara City College, you're missing a treat. Sponsored by the College, it's staffed by a team of volunteers that reads like a "who's who" of commercial diving. Don Barthelmes, Bob Kirby, Dr. Hugh Greer, Scrap Lundy, Ace Parnel, and Bob Christiansen to name but a few. The first day is classroom training. Each student learns how to identify the parts of a MKV and Kirby air hat and how they function. The second day everyone is divided into teams of four and each student is given a chance to tend, operate the divers phone and to actually suit up and dive the gear. And, at lunch time, everyone is treated to a terrific BBQ. The last day, everyone gets a chance to go for a "chamber run" and experience what it is like to recompress from 110 ft. If that isn't enough, Bob Kirby has his hand crank pump and abalone hat for everyone to try out in the colleges practice tank. As with every event I have attended, it's the people that make it special. This year nine of our group participated along with three from the MOAV group. For more information on future workshops, call Scrap Lundy at (805) 569-0780. ~ Charlie Orr

Banning's Landing - Good news! At the last board meeting of the Friends of Banning's Landing, Alina Bueno put forth a proposal to have our group do an annual dive demonstration at the Landing. The Board has agreed this is something they would like to see continue each year. I will keep you posted on a potential date, probably around the first of June.

"20,000 Jobs Under The Sea" - Torrance Parker has informed us that the 2nd Edition of his book has been sold out and is no longer available.

Sea Hawk Traders - The Burdick's of Sea Hawk Traders are "on the road" looking for nautical antiques and old diving gear. They are now selling exclusively through e-Bay.

Postcard Reminders - For those living in the Southern California/Los Angeles area, you will find a card enclosed with a Calendar of Events for the next three months. These cards will replace the postcards being mailed as reminders. Hopefully, the enclosed cards will be posted on a bulletin board, refrigerator, etc., to eliminate the cost of postage and the time required to print and mail the reminders.

The HDS and The California State Reserve at Point Lobos are again hosting the event to be held at Whaler's Cove. Lunch and Presentation - $18.00, Reserve Entry - $4.00, 3 person Dive Teams - $7.00. For reservations call (831) 624-8413. Get your tickets ASAP as this is always a popular event and usually fills up fast.

The annual HDS-USA Rally will be held at Santa Barbara, California on October 12 - 14. Saturday's program will be at the Santa Barbara City College Main Campus (Marine Tech facility). Cost - $25 includes BBQ lunch. A Banquet will be held at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. with guest speaker, Phil Nuytten. Tickets for Banquet are $45. Sunday will feature a Classic Diving Exhibition by the Central Coast Working Equipment Group with traditional hand pumps, helmets and more. Begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

For tickets contact HDS-USA at (805) 692-0072. All tickets are limited and are sold on a first come first sold basis.

Tonga was born to American parents living in South Africa on a cattle ranch. At the age of 13 he ran away to sea, stowing away on a freighter headed for the South Seas. He soon found a job tending pearl divers and eventually became one himself. He followed this trade until the start of WWII when he enlisted in the Navy. On completion of dive school, he served primarily in the Pacific as a diver. During this time he also did salvage work at Pearl Harbor.

CCED Members participated in the underwater memorial service for 80 year old Robert Scoles who passed away on August 5, 2001. He was an elite member of the OSS Underwater Maritime Unit during WWII. Later in the War, he was merged into UDT Team 10, operating in the Pacific Theater. Bob grew up on the beaches of southern California. He was an excellent swimmer and life guard. These skills made transition to these underwater units an easy one.

After the War, Bob earned a Master's Degree in Education and worked as a teacher, vice-principle and principle. In the early 1950s he was involved in training L.A. County Scuba Instructors and in the early 60s, he pioneered a Junior Lifeguard program that has continued to grow and is still active today.

Services were held at sea, three miles off Newport Beach. While Bob's ashes were being dispersed, five divers wearing rebreathers were staged with a wreath about ten feet beneath the surface of the water. The divers, arranged symmetrically beneath the wreath, slowly swam it to the surface. The water was clear and the onlookers from the two boats could easily see the wreath beneath the water. After breaking the surface the divers submerged and backed off a few feet. Surfacing again in a straight line, they gave a tap on the head, signaling all was O.K., then a salute to Bob. This was a fitting service for someone who loved the sea so much.

Divers participating in the services were Eric Simmel, Mark Howell, Jocko Robinson, Dr. Bob Iannello and Brian Konwel.

Robert Scoles is survived by his wife Gloria, his son Don and a granddaughter. ~ Mark Howell

1) OSS - Office of Strategic Services - forerunner of the CIA.

2) UDT - Underwater Demolition Team

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The recent terrorist attack upon the United States of America may, at first glance, seem an inappropriate subject for comment by The Historical Diving Society. Yet upon reflection this is not so. The assault was an attack on the civilized world. The study of history is a civilized pursuit. In particular the study of diving history is an appreciation of how interaction of intellect and innovation might make things better one day than they were the day before. Those who perpetrated the acts in the US are not of this civilized world that, for all its faults and failings, has attempted over the centuries to replace dictatorship with democracy, dogma with freedom of thought, and rule by threat with rule of law. Truly, by spending our time considering the historical nature of mankind's engagement with the sea, we too - in a small but vital manner - are defenders at the gates of enlightenment against forces who would envelop us in a darkness of ignorance and fear. The Historical Diving Society has always possessed a significant US membership, and we have a growing understanding with HDSUSA. As yet it is unknown whether any members of either organization has suffered, or suffered loss, in the attacks. However, our sympathy and resolve to support all victims of the outrage is both palpable and resolute.

• Antiques of the Sea, Sunset Beach - Erik Bakker Nautical items, both old and new. If you are looking for a specific item give him a call at (562) 592-1752.

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