April 2, 2003
Wilmington, CA -- Retired Navy Divers Ken McElvain and Herald Nething will celebrate the 60th anniversary of an authentic Mark V diving suit by putting it on and taking the plunge on Saturday morning, April 5 at the College of Oceaneering in Los Angeles Harbor.
The Mark V diving suit, a combination of canvas, rubber and brass, was standard issue to Navy divers in World War II. Mr. McElvain, now 74 years old, will wear a slightly modified suit with the original helmet, boots and weights that were first used in 1943. Mr. Nething, who is 80, will serve as his tender, managing the air hoses and topside equipment for his colleague.
Mr. McElvain, a former Navy salvage diver, and Mr. Nething, who served with an underwater demolition team in World War II, both belong to an organization of retired divers called the California Classic Equipment Divers. The organization makes public appearances in Los Angeles every few months to showcase antique gear, much of it still functional.
The California Classic Equipment Divers serve to inform the public how much the equipment and technology currently utilized by Navy divers has evolved since World War II. The diving equipment Navy divers currently use is far superior to the equipment Mr. Nething and Mr. McElvain used in their heyday. Nevertheless, the profession still requires proper training and strict adherence to safety guidelines.
Saturday's commemorative event will also salute the excellent training and courage of Navy divers currently deployed to the Persian Gulf. The dive begins at 10 a.m. at the COO diving tanks, located at 272 South Fries Avenue in Wilmington. Mr. McElvain will be diving with a steel birthday cake to celebrate his Mark V suit. The event will end at 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact the College of Oceaneering at (310) 834-2501.
The College of Oceaneering (COO) is a non-profit institution accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Association of Commercial Diving Educators (ACDE). It is approved by the United States Department of Education to participate in Title IV Student Financial Assistance Programs, approved by the Department of Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for international student enrollment, and approved to enroll veterans for the purpose of receiving educational benefits. Founded 1967, COO has educated more than 6,900 students and graduates close to 300 entry-level diving professionals per year in the fields of hyperbaric medical technology, non-destructive testing technology, underwater welding technology, and marine technologies. Its Los Angeles Harbor facility is considered one of the most respected diver training centers in the world, educating a educating a workforce that is in high demand among offshore energy exploration, marine development industries and engineering firms throughout the world. It is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Council on Education, the International Diving Schools Association, the American Welding Society, and the American Society for Nondestructive Testing, the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technologists, the Historical Diving Society and the Association of Diving Contractors. COO is affiliated with the National University System. For more information, visit the COO Web site at www.natpoly.edu or call Hoyt Smith at (858) 642-8111.