November 8, 2003
The November rally at the College of Oceaneering was one of the best yet. We had a variety of equipment, even Harold and Ken's "baby", the 1943 Schrader MKV.
We were honored to have as guest John Spence, the first Navy Frogman (see page 3), our favorite "Lady Diver" Norma Hanson, and new member Joe Winkler from Olympia, Washington who flew down to dive with us.
Mark Howell was the first in the water in his new Aquala
suit, followed by "Big" Al Pilkington with a Chinese TF
12. Several COO students were introduced to heavy gear,
including Corinna Conrad. Lucky Corinna had her picture
taken (hero pose) with none other than Norma Hanson and
was tended by Ken McElvain.
At lunch, the COO staff provided lunch for everyone with
their now famous BBQ hamburgers followed by a raffle of
diving related prizes. After the rally, most of the crew met
a Charlie's house for "decompression" and refreshments.
Next COO Rally - March 27, 2004
Setup 8:30 a.m. and diving to continue until about 4:00 p.m. Call Charlie @ (310) 834-7051 for info.
After many months of waiting for the tank to be completed and problems with class scheduling, we received a call "to come on down." A rally was held at the new COO San Diego campus on December 6. The new facilities with its large tank and dive platform is ideal.
Those who attended included Ken McElvain, Kevin & Rhyce Monahan, Harold Nething, Bill Kurka, Jocko Robinson, Carol Gross, Al Pilkington, Mom Orr, Dorothy Barstad, Charlie Orr, Paul & Hiromi Thetreau and the Monahan's friends who were visiting from Houston, Texas.
Many thanks to Ken, Kevin, and Harold for taking charge of the dive, setting up and hauling all the gear. Harold even pulled his 5th wheeler down and spent two nights camping out in the parking lot. Everyone had a great time, enjoyed a great lunch of BBQ'd hamburgers, and we hope this will be only the first of many events at the beautiful new COO San Diego campus.
Next San Diego Rally - February 28, 2004
Setup 9:00 a.m. and diving until about 3:00 p.m. Please let Charlie know if you plan to attend as we need a head count for this one. Charlie - (310) 834-7051
HELP IS NEEDED to haul gear, setup the dive stations and cleanup at all our dives. This chore has been falling on the shoulders of the same few dedicated people. I can't count the number of times that my only help in setting up has been 73 year old Ken McElvain. And, it seems to be the same crew time after time who stay for the cleanup. It's a dirty job - but, if you plan to dive, please make time in your schedule to lend a hand with the gear.
Portside Neighbors
October 12, 2003
The Portside Neighbors event was held at the Ft. MacArthur Military Museum in San Pedro with displays from 17 different museums and historical groups. Participants were dressed in period costumes which ranged all the way from a Spanish conquistador to styles of the 1940s. Charlie Chaplin strolled around the grounds twirling his cane and tipping his hat to the ladies, while a seafaring man strummed a ukulele and sang songs of the sea.
The Fashion Show was a huge success. The audience gave a surprised gasp as Bill Kurka stepped up onto the stage in full heavy gear and he received a loud round of applause as he posed with his 18 lb. boot tipped up onto the toe in true fashion show "runway" style. Displays circled a large grassy area with cadets dressed in WWII uniforms guarding the gates and directing traffic. A large group of "Swing" dancers performed during the afternoon dressed in the 1940 styles and military uniforms of WWII.
Each group went all out to provide entertainment, interesting displays and beautiful, authentic period costumes. All in all, those who were there had a great time. However, everyone was disappointed by the poor turnout as far as the public was concerned and the absences of the expected food venders which was caused by a delay in obtaining the proper permits from the City of L.A. In spite of this, the Pacific Gateway Treasures coalition has already started to discuss plans for next year with their eye on the use of a different historic site, better publicity, and enough advanced notice to give local food venders a chance to get the necessary permits.
Chinese Hats - A new shipment of Chinese gear was received in November and distributed to those who had placed orders some eight months prior.
Travis Robinson - Travis is attending classes with hopes of graduating in June. He is gaining strength and continues to have an upbeat, positive attitude. Cards and notes of encouragement are greatly appreciated by Travis and his family. Address: 412 Fountain Valley Way, NE #101, Salem, OR 97301
Banning's Landing - Arrangements are being made for a June Rally. This will be a low key event with probably just our members. More information as it becomes available.
Across the street from the L.A. Maritime Museum, on the bottom floor of the old city hall building, is the new Los Angeles Fire Department's Museum. Located at 638 Beacon St. in San Pedro, this location was once Fire Station 36 which closed it's doors in the early 1970s. The Station has been restored to it's original splendor including brass slide poles.
The center of attraction is the 1923 Seagrave Pumper that was stationed there when No. 36 was opened in 1928. The Seagrave has been restored to better than original condition and is in perfect running order. Artifacts tracing the history of the Fire Department are well displayed around the apparatus.
Look around and in the back corner is a display tracing the LAFD's scuba diving teams history. They were formed up in 1960 to help fight wooden wharf fires. Divers with hose streams could attack wooden wharves from underneath more effectively than firemen from above. A manikin in divers gear is wearing the same scuba gear the dive teams wore in 1960. Photos of famous harbor fires surround the display.
Opening hours will be Saturday from 10 a.m. till 3: p.m. While you're in the San Pedro area don't forget to stop by the Maritime Museum and check out the excellent display tracing the history of diving on the West Coast.
~ Mark Howell
Carol, whose father was a US Coast Guard diver, became interested in diving at a very young age. As a child, her favorite TV shows were "Diver Dan" and of course every ones favorite "Sea Hunt." With her father in the military the family moved around a lot, but she finally settled in the Los Angeles area. She was scuba certified in 1980 and is also NAUI certified.
Carol was a member of the Santa Monica Blue Fin Club and has done most of her diving along the Southern California Coast. Carol says she really enjoyed the Blue Fin's because for the most part they would meet, then individually hit the water to explore and dive on their own. No buddy system here.
Carol is one of only three women in the group who actually dives the heavy gear. She is an enthusiastic member and seldom misses an event.
A short time back, I had the chance to talk to Torrance
Parker. One of the topics that came up was diver safety.
Torrance said that on occasion, a divers non-return valve
had malfunctioned because of tiny bits of leather gasket
material from the air hose connections.
The non-return valve is something that most of us take for
granted. It is a good idea to check it out before each dive.
It should be periodically bench checked for debris and the
condition of the seals or valve seat (depending if you have
the older or newer style valve). The condition on the
leather hose gaskets should also be checked. Some divers
eliminated the gaskets altogether and used a metal to metal
seal.
It's the little things that we sometimes take for granted that
usually cause the biggest problems. ~ Charlie Orr
Dennis Lampson, son of Wayne David Lampson is seeking information about his father. Dennis was only seven years old when his father died from a fall down a flight of stairs so never really had a chance to know his father. Dennis would like to make contact with anyone who may have known his father or served with him in WWII.
Wayne David Lampson was born on March 8, 1918 in
Iowa. He enlisted in the US Navy on October 9, 1943 at
Chicago, Illinois and completed training at Camp Peary,
Williamsburg. Virginia. As a member of UDT Team Six,
he received a Bronze Star - "For meritorious achievement
as a Member of Underwater Demolition Team SIX, in
action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault
and capture of Saipan and Guam Islands, June and July
1944. 
Braving intense enemy rifle, machine-gun and
mortar fire, LAMPSON assisted in preparing the way for
the operations of combat troops and contributed materially
to the success of our campaigns against these heavily
fortified Japanese strongholds. His skill and devotion to
duty throughout were in
keeping with the highest
traditions of the United
States Naval Service."
Mr. Lampson was honorably discharged on October 25, 1945 as a Chief Carpenter's Mate at the Naval Personnel Separation Center, Shoemaker, California. Returning to civilian life, he became a union carpenter in Illinois, married, and had several children.
Anyone who might have information about Wayne David Lampson, may contact Dennis Lampson by calling Tracy Howard @ (773) 445-6220.
John Spence
Copied from the Yahoo Groups Antelope Valley
Information website
This story appeared in the Antelope
Valley Press December 3, 2001.
PALMDALE - Most Americans have heard of the Navy
SEALs, the elite Navy special forces unit. But before there
were SEALs there was Antelope Valley resident John
Spence, America's first frogman. Spence was the first
person recruited and assigned as an underwater combat
swimmer at the beginning of World War II. How that
came to pass was classified top secret until 1987.
"My life has changed a lot since people found out," he
said. "Before, I couldn't tell anyone about what I'd done,
but now I'm getting a whole lot of recognition. It's very nice."
Spence did his first tour of duty in the Navy as a ship's
gunner and was trained as a diver with the old brass
helmet Mark V diving rig. For the extra duty and training,
his monthly service paycheck was $10 fatter. He mustered
out of the Navy in 1940 after a four-year tour.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Spence went to
the recruiter to step back into the thick of things as a
gunner protecting merchant ships. The recruiter told him
that there was a special request for a Navy diver. The
recruiter didn't know much about the request, but Spence
fit the bill and the recruiter told him: "I'm going to send
you down to the Navy yard in Washington, D.C."
Spence spent weeks at the Navy yard, in the dark about
what he was doing there. He knew something was going on
when he received a letter from his mother worried that he
was in trouble because some men were in his hometown
asking former teachers and classmates about him. It wasn't
until later that he learned he had been recruited into the
Office of Strategic Services, an espionage organization.
He was trained in espionage, sabotage and related matters
at a secret location on the Potomac River, then sent to the
Shoreham Hotel in Washington. There, Spence was the
combat swimmer who first tested the United States' first
bubbleless rebreather aqualung, the predecessor of the
rebreather that the Navy SEALs use today.
The unit was designed by medical student Chris
Lambertsen. The tests were conducted at night under
secret conditions in the hotel swimming pool. Lambertsen
and Spence are still friends and see each other from time
to time. Lambertsen cobbled together the unit in his
garage. The face mask was a converted World War I gas
mask.
He was sworn to such secrecy that he couldn't even tell his
medical school dean why he had to take time off from
school to make so many trips to Washington.
"He kept getting into trouble because the OSS guys would
call him up and tell him to fly to Washington and he wasn't
able to tell the dean why," Spence said.
At the end of the tests, the government ordered four of the
units at $235 each, a considerable sum in 1941.
Spence became the first member of the United States' first
five-man combat swimming unit. The unit trained
extensively and, although it was sent to the European
theater during the war, its members were never allowed to
deploy and use their skills. They were sent to train on an
island in the Bahamas, where they made many refinements
to the equipment.
The OSS, a civilian agency formed by President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, lasted three years before being
dissolved by President Harry S. Truman at the end of
World War II.
Spence finished his career in the Navy, retiring in 1961 as
a chief gunner's mate first class.
A limited number of CCED T-Shirts are still available. Colors include navy blue, black and grey shirts. The shirts are Hanes Beefy T's, with a Mark V Helmet on the back encircled with the name "California Classic Equipment Divers." The printing is a combination of black, grey, white and gold. On the front, left side, is a double-hose with twin bottles, also encircled with the group name. Sizes Medium to XX-large. Cost is $15.00 plus $4.00 for mailing - total $19.00 if mailed. State size & color desired and send with check to Charlie Orr, 1036 Gulf Ave., Wilmington, CA 90744 or by phone (310) 834-7051 (E:mail: Neverbent@aol.com