Timeline: An Extraordinary Life

Personal Data

Born on January 19, 1931, in Tonieville, Kentucky

Education:
Sonora Grade School, Sonora, Kentucky, 1937–1946
Passed G.E.D. test in U.S. Navy, 1960
Attended Charles County Community College, Great Mills, Maryland, 1980–1982
Attended Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 1983

Died on July 25, 2006, in Portsmouth, Virginia

Dates of Navy Rates

Seaman Recruit (E-1) through Boatswain’s Mate First Class (E-6), 1948–1955
Chief Boatswain’s Mate (E-7), 1960–1966
Senior Chief Boatswain’s Mate (E-8), 1966–1971
Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate (E-9), 1971–1979

Dates of Navy Diving Specialties

Salvage Diver, 1954–1960
Second Class Diver, 1960–1964
First Class Diver, 1964–1970
Saturation Diver, 1970–1979
Master Diver, 1970–1979

Navy Decorations and Medals

Good Conduct Medal (eight awards)
Navy Commendation Medal
Navy Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
China Service Medal
Korean Service Medal
United Nations Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Occupation Service Medal

Dates of Navy Service

February 25, 1948
Enlisted in the U.S. Navy

February–May 1948
Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois
Recruit Training

May 1948–June 1950
Experimental Squadron One, Key West, Florida
Officers’ Mess; PBM Beachmaster Unit

June 1950–November 1951
USS Palau (CVE 122)
Deck Division; Motor Whaleboat Coxswain

November 1951–March 1955
USS Tripoli (CVE 64)
Second Division Petty Officer; Master-at-Arms; Temporary Additional Duty at Salvage Diving School

March 1955–June 1956
USS Opportune (ARS 41)
Deck Division; Salvage Diver; Section Leader; Repair Party Leader

June 1956–June 1958
Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, Rhode Island
Leading Petty Officer; Salvage Diver; Escort for President Dwight D. Eisenhower

June 1958–July 1960
Ship Repair Facility, Guam, Marianas Islands
Salvage Diver; Skipper of Yard Salvage Derrick

July–September 1960
Deep Sea Diving School, Washington, D.C.
Student, failed the first class diving course

September 1960–March 1961
USS Nereus (AS 17)
Deck Division Chief Boatswain’s Mate

March 1961–April 1962
Fleet Training Center, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Chief Master-at-Arms; Requalified as Second Class Diver; Temporary Additional Duty with Joint Task Force Eight

April 1962–October 1963
USS Coucal (ASR 8)
Ship’s Chief Boatswain’s Mate; Second Class Diver; Underway Officer of the Deck; In-Port Duty Chief

October 1963–June 1964
Deep Sea Diving School, Washington, D.C.
Student, graduated as First Class Diver

June 1964–September 1965
USS Shakori (ATF 162)
Ship’s Chief Boatswain’s Mate; Leading Diver; Underway Officer of the Deck

September 1965–March 1966
USS Hoist (ARS 40)
Ship’s Chief Boatswain’s Mate; Acting Master Diver; Underway Officer of the Deck; Repair Party Leader; In-Port Duty Chief

May 1966–March 1967
Naval Regional Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia
Treatment following the amputation of left leg below the knee

March 1967–March 1968
Harbor Clearance Unit Two
Under Evaluation at Diving School for return to full active duty and diving

March 1968–December 1969
Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia
Leading Chief Petty Officer; Leading Diver

December 1969–June 1970
Navy Experimental Diving Unit, Deep Sea Diving School, Washington, D.C.
Saturation Diver; Master Diver Evaluation

June 1970–May 1971
USS Hunley (AS 31)
Master Diver; R-7 Division Officer; In-Port Officer of the Deck; Minority Affairs Officer

May 1971–June 1975
USS Recovery (ARS 43)
Master Diver; Work Center Supervisor; Command Master Chief; Repair Party Leader; Underway Officer of the Deck; In-Port Command Duty Officer

June 1975–June 1977
Naval Safety Center, Norfolk, Virginia
Master Diver

June 1977–October 1978
USS Recovery (ARS 43)
Master Diver; Work Center Supervisor; Command Master Chief; Enlisted Watch Officer; Repair Party Leader; Underway Officer of the Deck; In-Port Command Duty Officer

October 1978–March 1979
Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity, Norfolk, Virginia
Master Diver

April 1, 1979
Retired from the U.S. Navy as a master chief petty officer and master diver

Dates of Civilian Employment Following Navy Retirement

April 1979–August 1980
QED Systems, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia
Diving Study for the Royal Saudi Navy; USS Forrestal (CV 59) Service Life Extension Program

February–November 1982
CDI Marine Company, Chesapeake, Virginia
Engineering Specialist

November 1982–January 1993
Naval Communication Area Master Station Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia
Environmental Protection Specialist; Energy Conservation Specialist

January 1993
Retired from government service in the grade of GS-11