Printer Friendly Page
ARMY DIVERS DIVE INTO MEMORIES -- "What's
unique about
Army divers is that we can be used by anyone
else. They throw
us all over the place to do whatever has to be
done."
World War II Army diver
Story here...
http://savannahnow
.com/node/338132
Story below:
-------------------------
Army veterans dive into memories
Amy Morris
In the early days of World War II, the military realized the need for
salvage divers to repair damaged harbors.
The first wave of Army divers, fresh from spending 14 grueling weeks
learning underwater welding and burning from the Navy, arrived at Fort
Screven in 1943 to top off their training at the newly established U.S.
Army Engineers Diving and Salvage School.
Jim Kennedy, 83, and Regis Phillips, 84, were part of that first
graduating class. They are the guests of honor at the U.S. Army Divers
Reunion that is taking place in Savannah this weekend.
The duo held court at the North Beach Grill on Saturday, swapping
stories and thumbing through a lovingly preserved album of wartime
photos.
Divers from the past four wars in which the United States has been
involved attended the reunion with their families. The U.S. Army Divers
Association began organizing the get-togethers in 1996.
Same mission, different wars
The locale of this year's reunion is in keeping with its theme:
"Returning to Our Roots."
"This is where it all started," said Jim Heimbach, co-chair of the
event.
He gestured to Kennedy and Phillips sitting nearby.
"It started with them," he said, "and continues with the guys in Iraq.
The equipment has changed. The ships have changed. But the mission
remains the same."
That mission is to clear waterways, rebuild ports, maintain offshore
pipelines and spearhead underwater construction projects.
John Breazzano, 76, the reunion's only Korean War vet, was happy to
recall his half-dozen amphibious landings and his time toiling behind
enemy lines. He keeps attending the reunions because he enjoys the
camaraderie of others who have "been there."
Becoming a U.S. Army Diver is no easy feat, and those who make it
through training share a bond - no matter when or where they serve.
However, Breazzano wished today's lighter diving suits had been
available to him in Okinawa during the Korean War.
"It's the difference between driving a Model A Ford and driving a
Cadillac," he said.
Generations of divers
This is the first reunion for Tyler Dodd, 25, a second-generation diver.
During his deployment to Iraq in 2004, he completed a variety of salvage
operations for all branches of the military, including recovering bodies
from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
"What's unique about (Army divers) is that we can be used by anyone
else," he said. "They throw us all over the place to do whatever has to
be done."
He decided to become a diver because "there was nothing else in the
military I wanted to do."
Heimbach said many divers feel the same way.
"If it wasn't for Army diving," he said, "they wouldn't have joined or
stayed in."
Dodd said one of the highlights of the weekend was getting to meet World
War II vets Kennedy and Phillips.
"It's amazing to look at where we are now and where they were then and
still be able to connect with them," he said.
Kennedy and Phillips, in turn, were impressed with the way today's
divers are able to function all over the world.
"People are interested in us, but we're interested in them," Kennedy
said. "These guys go all over the world - Korea, Afghanistan. I'm really
proud of them."
Phillips almost didn't make it to the reunion. His wife died in March,
and he said he just didn't feel up to making the trip from Pittsburgh.
His two daughters persuaded him to attend, however, and he's glad they
did.
"The first time (Kennedy and I) were here, we were just kids," he said.
"Hearing these guys talk like we used to ... it's really something," he
said.
-------------------------
Larry Scott --
