DIVE FLAG--One man's involvement

[jskeys]

Great article. I remember a number of the events you addressed, but was only a teenager in the early 60s and was introduced to the issues by my dad, one of the old mossbacks from the South Pacific. We need posts like this to help us all remember where we came from and how far we have (or have not) come. Thanks

 

[ReeferBen]

http://www.coleenbondy.com/professional/flag.pdf

Anyone read that, in that artical it qoutes Doc as saying "Ted Nixon and I made up that damn flag."

 

[The Kraken]

I've no dog in this hunt, but I must say that I've had some long and in-depth conversations with Doc down at Vortex.

It is without a doubt that he is a most enterprising and inventive man. Some of the mechanical devices, contraptions, engines, machines of mass destruction, or whatever other epithets you wish to subscribe to them, that he has devised give proof to his inventive nature.

So, given due consideration, I think it would be but a bump on a gnat's rump for him to have come up with the concept of the diver down flag.

Often times he that says the least, says the most.

the K

 

[Sam Miller III]

Mr. Miller, thank you for staying on top of this.

If you have a digital camera, could you photograph page four from the September 1957 issue? Another option would be to take it to a copy shop or library for scanning. Short of that, even transcribing here exactly what Nixon and the editors wrote would be a great help.

Thanks again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear sir,

I apologize for the tardy response, but it was June and now July; a time of the year that still beckons me under the water and away from the computer.

The respectful of the title "Mr" is acknowledged and appreciated. FYI I have had the title of "Doctor" for more years than I care to admit. This is an earned title not an acquired name.

Your advice regarding the use of a digital camera is also appreciated, However since returning from the NAUI 50th Anniversary Celebration my digital camera has some serious problems and needs work, therefore I can not comply.

As I recall I sent you a PM stating that I would dissemble one of my dive flag files which is held together by Chicago Book Binding posts, reproduce the pages and send them to you to reproduce and as an uninvolved third party post. Sadly you did not give me the courtesy of a response.

Therefore you have several options;
1) Accept my short synopsis quoting the present and many future SDM articles
2) Contact Mr. Dockery for his file and SDM articles
3) Contact your local LDS for copies
4) Purchase copies of the SDMs on E bay for verification

The sun is up in California; even though I am older than Mr Dockery it is time for my morning jog therefore I must depart from the computer.

More responses in turn later,

 

[Sam Miller III]

Sam, I've been trying to email you with an address, but your spam blocker prevents my getting through.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep trying and ID your self..

It is summer and I don't spend too much time in side at the keyboard

sdm

 

[cwhitten]

Dr. Miller did indeed send me a private message way back in early June. It's my fault for not seeing it until now. (My only sorry excuse: I don't use Scuba Board regularly and didn't know to check my messages folder.)

I've e-mailed Dr. Miller to accept his offer to scan the SDM article(s) and anything else he sends me.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Dr. Miller did indeed send me a private message way back in early June. It's my fault for not seeing it until now. (My only sorry excuse: I don't use Scuba Board regularly and didn't know to check my messages folder.)

I've e-mailed Dr. Miller to accept his offer to scan the SDM article(s) and anything else he sends me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Never received it!

Nor did I receive Thal's

Suggest that you try the father of the flag --certainly he will have a file

SDM

 

[Sam Miller III]

This discussion (and the one from 2007, pointed out by Mike S.) has been fascinating! I am so glad that Doc Dockery himself is contributing.

Mr. Dockery, I know this is really a long shot, but would you happen to have any paperwork -- contracts, receipts, cashed checks -- showing that Ted Nixon was selling flags for you on commission?

Or maybe any records or advertisements that would show you were manufacturing the dive flag before February 1958? This would refute the timeline that Mr. Miller offers in his article "The Diver's Flag - The Genesis" at portagequarry.com/legendarticles/miller_072005.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recall your previous post?

What have you received from Mr. Dockery?

sdm

 

[cwhitten]

Mr. Dockery hasn't scanned anything, but I asked about paperwork from the 1950s so I knew it was a long shot.

Dr. Miller, I'm chris (at) interesting.com. I don't know why you didn't receive my e-mails, but perhaps you could e-mail me. I am happy to scan the magazine you offered to send, and any other documents you'd like to send.

 

[Sam Miller III]

1957

Month page authors subject

Sept 4 Ted Nixon editorial comment - 2 sentences

Oct 11 Ted Nixon Thanks for mentioning Dive Flag
Oct 11 Don Tait Use seven flag

No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Continuing on...1957 -- November

Month page authors subject

November: No responses
No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?



Continuing on...1957- December

Month page author(s) subject

Dec Page 6 Greg Platt ( Cal) Kelp Kippers 20 members ; 18 voted for USN 7 flag, 2 for Red & white flag

Dec Page 6 Donald Fair (Canada) Accept the Red & White flag in Canadian recreational diving


Dec Page 6 John Wysong (Texas)
Lone Star Dolphins Club Unanimously voted for the USN 7 flag

Dec Page 6 Donna Blewitt (Florida) Three votes for Red & White flag
John Amsden
Tom Ladd
Donna Blewitt


Dec Page 6 Carl Harris (Ohio) Mansfield Skin Divers Adapt the Red & White flag

Dec Page 6 ???? (Massachusetts) Massachusetts Sea Loins Adopt the Red & White flag


Dec Page 6 Gino Gemma Romaine Zacharias ( Canada ) Vancouver Sub Aquatic club
Designed a flag for Canadian use; discovered same flag as Canadian fisheries
therefore adapt the Red & White flag

Dec Page 6 Will Jacobs Connecticut Connecticut council of Divers voted to accept the Red & white divers flag.

It should be noted that Will's response was 3 paragraphs -- the longest respose printed to date

At this time in my life I was also dating a girl whose home was only a few blocks away from SDM's original office, so before, after and on occasion during our dates I would visit SDM to catch up on the latest dive news

Around that time Will and I began a correspondence relatioship that lasted to his passing many years ago. Sorry to say we never met in person




No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

Continuing on...1957- December

Month page author(s) subject
Dec 7 Gene Parker The flag:
Its Purpose and Problems

Gene, who has often been refereed to as the "east coast father of the dive flag" wrote a one page article complete with a number of Gene's fine line drawings illustrating the uses and pit falls of the red and white flag. A very well written article...

Gene Parker as many of you know authored a number of articles on the flag and a variety of other subjects for SD. He also published a very informative book "Gene Parker's Complete Handbook of Skin diving" in 1965 (382 pages Avon books) and was honored as the editor of the 1963 edition of "Dive" by Rick & Barbara Carrier (296 pages HB LCCC # 63-9014) both are great books and a must for all serious divers

Still....No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stay tuned