Dr. Darlene Iskra has been volunteering at the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum since 2010, when she moved to Kitsap County. She began volunteering at the museum in order to meet new people and get involved in the local community. Her roles at the museum have included...
People
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Bonnie
Bonnie Thomas is originally from Alaska. Her family moved to Poulsbo in 1954 when she was in 7th grade, when her father took a job building roads at the Navy installation at Bangor. She left for a short time to go to college at Washington State University but stayed...
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Steve
A self-proclaimed type A personality and entrepreneur, Steve Grether is a man of many talents and interests. Originally from a small town outside of Detroit, Michigan, he attended Michigan State University via a training program through General Motors. He received his...
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Don
It is interesting to learn how different people come to volunteer at the museum. For Don Tjossem, it started with his interest in naval covers. No, not the Dixie Cup, Combination Cover, or ball caps. A naval cover is any envelope, postcard, or other postal medium that...
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Harry
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Harry Retired Master Chief Machinist Mate (N) Harry Gilger loves people. He also likes to talk, and mentor and help people along the way. That is why he loved his job as Chief of the Boat during his last 10 years in the Navy, and which...
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Dawn
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Dawn Dawn Daily began her work at the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum (USNUM) as a contract Museum Education Specialist. From June to September 2019, she worked with Valerie at USNUM and Carolyn of the Puget Sound Navy Museum to develop and...
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Cathy
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Cathy Cathy Wedelstaedt comes to us from Dow Chemical Corporate R&D in Michigan. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, she attended the University of Notre Dame, majoring in chemistry. Upon graduation, she joined Dow Chemical’s Analytical...
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Meet Charles
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Charles Charles Gundersen has been involved with the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum since 1980, before it opened. He was first a charter member of the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation, and then in 2007 began as a volunteer in the museum’s...
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Bruce
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Meet Bruce Bruce graduated from college in 1958 and was at a point in his life where he was not sure what he wanted to do (we have all been there I am sure). He entered Officer Candidate School at Newport, RI, that fall and after four months was...
Donna Tobias: The Navy’s First Female Deep Sea Diver
HMCS (DV) Chris West was the Senior Instructor of the COMNAVSURFLANT Second Class Diving School in 1974 when his friend Del Strode asked him to speak with a young hull technician who wanted to go to dive school. Strode had been highly impressed by the young...