"Danger is My Business"

[Couv]

I just found this:
http://home.att.net/~EnRada/books.htm
VHS VIDEO CASSETTES:

9802. WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF: The Treasures of the Plate Fleets. Sequel to above takes up where the other leaves off. Much new footage. Features the Fisher Family, Kip Wagner, Bob Marx, Art McKee, Real-8, others. COLOR. 30:00 minutes. COST: $20.00 plus $4.00 Postage & Packing.

9803. ART MCKEE: DIVING WITH A LEGEND! Episode from the TV series Danger is my Business starring Colonel John D. Craig, 1957. Melodrama about treasure diver Art McKee working the 1733 El Capitana in the gin-clear waters of the Florida Keys. Plus his trip with the Links, the Criles, and Freddy Logan to Port Royal and Pedro Banks in search of La Genovesa. B/W & Color. 37:00 minutes. COST: $20.00 plus $4.00 Postage & Packing. (Combined and edited version of our former 9415 + 9416.)

 

[Couv]

Col. John D. Craig was the host of Danger is my Business, and it had a lot of diving in it. Col. Craig was a hard hat diver, and once showed how to get out of a hard hat outfit underwater (with a knife, of course), if air was cut off to the helmeted diver. Google Col. John D. Craig for books, etc. Here is the Amazon.com address for his book:

http://www.amazon.com/Danger-my-business-John-Craig/dp/B00085QITE

http://www.amazon.com/s/102-2900457-0414526?ie=UTF8&index=books&rank=-relevance%2C%2Bavailability%2C-daterank&field-author-exact=Craig%2C%20John%20D

I was of an age at that time where this show made a very good impression on me (about 10 years old).

John

Hello John, et al,

I just finished reading this excellent book. It was written when John D. Craig was still pretty young. (1938) I can recommend this book to anyone in this forum.

He had some wonderful adventures and personally, I think he did a lot for diving. If his accounts in the book are accurate, he was one of the first to use mixed gas. Also, he and another chap were very instrumental in the design of what is now DESCO equipment.

I am disappointed that I can find almost no historical diving awards given to this man other than a NOGI award. Perhaps I am missing something.

couv

 

[tonka97]

Hello John, et al,

I just finished reading this excellent book. It was written when John D. Craig was still pretty young. (1938) I can recommend this book to anyone in this forum.

He had some wonderful adventures and personally, I think he did a lot for diving. If his accounts in the book are accurate, he was one of the first to use mixed gas. Also, he and another chap were very instrumental in the design of what is now DESCO equipment.

I am disappointed that I can find almost no historical diving awards given to this man other than a NOGI award. Perhaps I am missing something.

couv

I just ordered my copy...hardbound, first edition 15.00.

Thanks for tip!

 

[Sam Miller III]

John D Craig

I do not recall John making producing or starring in a TV program titled 'Danger is my business." Evidently he did...? However, at that time John was on a lecture tour.

I do recall him in the TV program "Kingdom of the sea" which aired in the 1950s. His co-host was a young good looking young lady by the name of Zale Parry

He wrote "Danger is my business" , which was published in 1938 by Literary Guild of New York and a second issuance which is the rare edition by Garden City publishing
company of New York in 1941.

John was a good friend and occasional diving buddy --on November 1,1962 he inscribed Danger is my business to me as follows "To Sam Miller--with best wishes-From one lousy diver to another! John D Craig, Nov.1,1962"

We remained in contact for many years via telephone calls and occasional chance meetings. After he retired to Phoenix we corresponded ocasionally. In 1990 he had a debilitating stroke and could not correspond, but I continued sending him tidbits of who, what, when, and where and since I was publishing in several magazines I always made certain he had copies of my articles.

He passed away on August 30th 1997 in Phoenix at the age of 97, he was burried at Rose hills in Whittier California.

John was married 2 times --the marriage to "Gloria" mentioned in his book didn't last long and he never ever mentioned her. His wife was Millie Day Craig, they had two daughters, one Cathy lives in Texas and is probaly in early 60s, I have lost track of the youger one..

Millie was known for her baked beans---they were are and will always be her legacy. She always brought them to the parties during the early days of recreational diving. Some years ago she gave me a copy of the recipe...I shared it with only a few members of the tribe. The last time I had any was at the induction of the Fathers of Free Diving and Spearfishing in 2000--one of the tribe members brought it to the party!
Lots of memories for all of us!-- John & Millie and all the good times past.

There are many many stories about John--I could go on and on but this is enough...

sdm

 

[Couv]

Dr. Miller,

Thank you so much for this update. Like you, John was a pioneer. As I mentioned in a previous post, I can find little or no mention of this man anywhere in diving history. If one is to believe what he has written in "Danger is..." and I have no reason not to, then this man has been seriously short changed.

He was one of the first to use helium to combat N2 narcosis. Helped develop the helmet that later kick started Desco. Built movie and still camera housings...etc.

I would love to hear more about your adventures with this man.

Thank you,

couv

 

[tonka97]

John D Craig

I do not recall John making producing or starring in a TV program titled 'Danger is my business." Evidently he did...? However, at that time John was on a lecture tour.

I do recall him in the TV program "Kingdom of the sea" which aired in the 1950s. His co-host was a young good looking young lady by the name of Zale Parry

He wrote "Danger is my business" , which was published in 1938 by Literary Guild of New York and a second issuance which is the rare edition by Garden City publishing
company of New York in 1941.

John was a good friend and occasional diving buddy --on November 1,1962 he inscribed Danger is my business to me as follows "To Sam Miller--with best wishes-From one lousy diver to another! John D Craig, Nov.1,1962"

We remained in contact for many years via telephone calls and occasional chance meetings. After he retired to Phoenix we corresponded ocasionally. In 1990 he had a debilitating stroke and could not correspond, but I continued sending him tidbits of who, what, when, and where and since I was publishing in several magazines I always made certain he had copies of my articles.

He passed away on August 30th 1997 in Phoenix at the age of 97, he was burried at Rose hills in Whittier California.

John was married 2 times --the marriage to "Gloria" mentioned in his book didn't last long and he never ever mentioned her. His wife was Millie Day Craig, they had two daughters, one Cathy lives in Texas and is probaly in early 60s, I have lost track of the youger one..

Millie was known for her baked beans---they were are and will always be her legacy. She always brought them to the parties during the early days of recreational diving. Some years ago she gave me a copy of the recipe...I shared it with only a few members of the tribe. The last time I had any was at the induction of the Fathers of Free Diving and Spearfishing in 2000--one of the tribe members brought it to the party!
Lots of memories for all of us!-- John & Millie and all the good times past.

There are many many stories about John--I could go on and on but this is enough...

sdm

Thanks Sam for your continued excellent contributions to this forum.

I am finding "Danger is my Business" to be excellent.

Here is a quote:

"When I slip below the surface of the water in a diving dress, I do not think that I will die. If it comes I will meet it with whatever weapons are at hand, and do my best to stave it off. I do not believe, somehow, that it will come soon. I have a fanciful idea that I will be fairly long-lived. But one way or another, I already have more than a nodding acquaintance with death. It has only two possible things to offer--the lady or the tiger--sleep or a new adventure. Either may be attractive".

Another quote:

"Fear is a destroying thing. We regard it--my men and I--as a form of nervous shock which increases respiration, perspiration, and pulse count. Living with it we treat it as a problem, a problem which can be overcome by rhythmically breathing and by the application of the logic of comparison. We have known great fears and less fears, and by comparison the lesser fears are not important".

 

[Jctopgun]

John "D." Craig was our uncle I am his youngest nephew John A. Craig the "D." was taken from our Dads middle name David his was youngest brother born in 1914. Uncle John did not have a middle name but used it for artistic/stage name. He had 4 brothers oldest was Tom born in New York in 1901. Uncle"Jack" or John was born in 1903 he and I are named after his Dad our grandfather John Craig born in Dalry Scotland in 1868. My uncle and his 4 brothers grewup in Long Beach California and had a Tom Sawyer childhood of mischef. It was fun and made us laugh to listen to all 5 talk about their boyhood adventures. I tried even to find video on youtube but found nothing. Uncle "Jack or John D. Craig was born in 1903 died on labor day weekend same as Princess Diana in 1998 or 1997 age 93-95. He was Col. in Army Air Corp during WW2 took pictures of Ploesti Raid in 1944 and after the war the Bikini Atomic bomb test.

 

[Jctopgun]

Cathy is the younger 1 and lives in Texas. Sharon the older daughter lives in or near Phoenix, AZ.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

John,

Thank you for your update. Col. John D. Craig's shows gave me a lot of adventures when I was a child, and helped me get into diving. I looked forward to every one I could see.

It would be interesting to many of us to hear a bitmore about the photos your uncle took during WWII, and the Bikini Atomic bomb tests. This part of history needs further documentation.

Thanks again,

SeaRat (anothe John)

 

[james croft]

I bought a copy of Danger Is My Business a few years back and have not gotten around to reading it yet. I am going now to dig it up and get started on it.