President's Doctor is a Diver

[Akimbo]

View attachment 442778 Here's my Patch earned it 1966 Washington Navy yard. My Avatar is helium week in the Anacostia River DC. Hoo Rah

You left out about 35 other weeks. Let's face it, explosives week at Pax River was a kick. I could have done without the week salvaging and re-sinking that piece of crap in the Potomac though (can't remember the name) -- in February. Chopping an access hole in the ice every morning sort'a sucked.

Edit: This is me at the end of helium week upriver on the Potomac.

Can you imagine how much easier, and safer, it would have been salvaging that boat in a Kirby Morgan hat and hot water suit?

 

[Bob DBF]

@Bob DBF

Here's the part that bugs me about this guy: Remember when Admirals looked like really OLD guys to us?

Hell, the Commanders were old, Admirals were antiques. Of course a lot were from WWII and had some hard miles on them, at least the submarine brass looked that way to me, still had a number of Combat Patrol Pins around in '65 on the old timers, officers and enlisted, thinned out a lot by '71 when I left.


Bob

 

[Akimbo]

Hell, the Commanders were old, Admirals were antiques. Of course a lot were from WWII and had some hard miles on them, at least the submarine brass looked that way to me, still had a number of Combat Patrol Pins around in '65 on the old timers, officers and enlisted, thinned out a lot by '71 when I left.


Bob

Wow Bob, you really know how to cheer a guy up... NOT!

 

[mdb]

Hell, the Commanders were old, Admirals were antiques. Of course a lot were from WWII and had some hard miles on them, at least the submarine brass looked that way to me, still had a number of Combat Patrol Pins around in '65 on the old timers, officers and enlisted, thinned out a lot by '71 when I left.


Bob

In Vietnam 69-70 most of the senior Marines were 3 war vets, WW11, Korea, and now, most likely, their second
tour in Vietnam.

They had been there and done that. They were often in the field with their Marines. Leading from the front.

We were fortunate to have these experienced leaders.

 

[sealark]

Small world class 16-66 how about you Akimbo? Done soo much after school some cant talk about. Panama City 67 69. Skylark in 67, I was on gas rack for Miller Sprinkle accident off of Argencia.

 

[Bob DBF]

@Akimbo, when you qualified, was the Navy still using patches for Divers, or had they changed to the metal badges? There was usage change from the sleeve badges over the metal chest badges, or discontinuing the badge, as in pointer and trainer on guns, from after WWII to late in the '60's. The one holdover I know of was the Navy E which was changed to a ribbon in '76.


Bob

 

[Akimbo]

@Akimbo, when you qualified, was the Navy still using patches for Divers, or had they changed to the metal badges? There was usage change from the sleeve badges over the metal chest badges, or discontinuing the badge, as in pointer and trainer on guns, from after WWII to late in the '60's. The one holdover I know of was the Navy E which was changed to a ribbon in '76.

Bob

Interesting question, I'm trying to remember. I have both stashed in my patch and decal collection box. The pin/badge was used on dress uniforms but I also have second class diver patches embroidered on white and blue fabric for dress uniforms. I don't have any First Class Diver patches but that doesn't mean they didn't exist. They may have been tossed with my dress uniforms.

Being an experimental group of mostly E6s and above under a Submarine Group, we were pretty loose when it came to uniforms. I was the junior man as an E4-E5. We wore civilian clothes under lightweight short-sleeve coveralls with the team patches sewn on as a work uniform. I have a photo of me in ironed dungarees getting a medal from a Captain (who I can't remember) wearing the First Class Diver pin. The chevrons were in ink.

There are a lot of patches in this thread, but none of the Navy pins and uniform patches: Historic Logos, Decals, and Patches

 

[Bob DBF]

Interesting question, I'm trying to remember. I have both stashed in my patch and decal collection box. The pin/badge was used on dress uniforms but I also have second class diver patches embroidered on white and blue fabric for dress uniforms. I don't have any First Class Diver patches but that doesn't mean they didn't exist. They may have been tossed with my dress uniforms.

It may have been that the change from cloth to metal happened at that time.

For others, this insignia would be worn on the uniform sleeve rather than as a badge worn with the ribbons as it is now.

Bob

 

[Akimbo]

It may have been that the change from cloth to metal happened at that time.

I am under the impression that the badges/pins were a new thing but I can't remember why I think that. This would have been in early 1970.

 

[tursiops]

I hope someone considers him for Surgeon General in the future.

This actually makes me nervous. I hope all his "excellent health" statements are divorced from his future career aspirations.