If you get down to it… This page is the most important page on this site.
It would be nice to have a “Completed” Roster of the names of every U.S. Army Diver that served in Vietnam between 1966 and 1973.
That Ain’t Gonna Happen…
Too much time has gone by
Incomplete Records
Lethargy
This roster stated over ten years ago when I started my memoir, The Delta Divers of Vietnam.
At the time, I thought it would have been fantastic if I could come up with 20-30 names. As you can see, the list is approaching 100 names.
It will never be a perfect list, but let’s see what we can do with this. Please contact us with any corrections or additions….
The “known” larger Dive Units in Vietnam
497th Engineers (PC)
41st Engineers Disbanded Fall ’70 523rd Engineers (PC)
536th Engineers
MMAV/1st Logistics Command
The Roster
Jim Ainsworth
? Alexander
Ed Allen - 41st - Injured in boating accident Mede- vaced Home
Jim Anderson - 536th - USN 2nd Class
Charles Armstrong - USA Salvage
Michael Bachelor - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12”
Mr. Branham
SP-5 Thomas Banaszak
Braithwaite - USN 2nd Class
Clair Calkins - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12”
CO Carlisle
Bill Catalina - 41st Long Binh, 523rd Can Tho - 3/69 - 6/71 41st
Dave Claxton - USN SD - ’67 - 523rd Qui Nhon ’68
Chris Chulamanis (D) - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12” - 523rd Divers
Bobby Colgan (D)
Master Sgt. Nathaniel Cooper (D) - 41st William Coker - USA Salvage
Ulmer Crosby - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12” - Vietnam (Unit/Yr ?)
Gary Cummings - USN 2nd Class - Vietnam (Unit/Yr ?)
Jim Davis - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12”
Spec. 5 Dean "Deekson' Dixson
Spec. 5 Bruce Dobranski - 41st
Bill Drake
Danny Draper - (USN SD - ’67) - 41st - Awarded a Bronze Star for "Action Against Hostile Forces in Viet Nam.
Alan Dutcher USN SD ’67 - 523rd Qui Nhon/Vung Tau ’68 - Rumor has it that he was the liaison between the Army and Navy Dive School after returning from Viet- nam.
John Feather
Lt. Doug Gallant
Mike Garver - 523rd Qui Nhon/Vung Tau ’68 - ’69
Dennis Germovsick
Lt. ? Gram
Mr. ? Green
Lt. ? Gross
? Hamilton - 41st
Spec 4 Steve Hampton
Jeffrey Haun
Robert Hurchalla - (USN 2nd Class) 536th
John Jones - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12”
William Jones (same as below ?)
Sgt “Jonsey” - 523rd Qui Nhon ’67- ’68
SFC Joe (Big Joe) Kahikina (D)
W4 Keck - Army Master Diver with the 1st Logistics Command
Paul Krashoc
Lt. ? Kuhn 41st Engineers - USN ’69 Ron Locatti
John Lorenzini (D) (USN SD - ’67) MMAV CRB ’67 - ’68
Lonnie Lowery
John Madigan (D)
John May
Mike McCann
Frank McCormick - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12”
Bill McFarlane - USN SD - ’67 - MMAV CRB 2/68 -
Brigadier General Daniel McHale (Training ?) 523rd ’70?
Art McKinley - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12”
Gary McMahon
Spec 5 Paul McNeil - 41st Engineers ’68 - ’69
Charles Mitchell - 18th MP Brigade / PBR 50 CAL?
John Mulvihill - 41st (USN SD - ’67)
Arther Nichol
Spec 5 Don Olsen ?
Oneal - 41st
Peter Page
Ric Polzin (SD-’69) - (D) 2025: Agent Orange - Cancer
Bill Pugh
Paul Perkins - Dive Officer 77th
Steve Pugsley
Jackson Quigley (USN SD - ’67) 523rd Qui Nhon/ Vung Tau 12/67 - 11/68
Bud Rankin
1st Lieutenant John “Flipper” Reeves (D)
Charles Romero - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12” - 536th
Selvester “Richie Richardson
Paul Ridley
Spec 5 Dewey Right (could this be Wright?) - e-enlist- ed for Green Beret training. Returned to Vietnam late 1969 killed south of the DMZ two weeks after arriving in country.
Sgt Ronal Ruby 41st Engineers ’67 - ’68 - OJT Vietnam
John Sagan Frank Samuals
Mike Saxton (D)
Gerry Schegelimich
Harry Schmitz (USN SD - ’67) 523rd Qui 2/67 - 6/68, 497th CRB 6/68 - ?/69
Spec. 5 Victor Silverea (D) 41st Engineers ’68 - ’69 Spec. 5 John Sine (D) 41st ’68 - ’69 - OJT/NAVY?
Larry Smucker (D) (Training?) 497th ?
William Spengler - Dive Officer 497th
Dana Storts - USN SD ’67 - MMAV CRB 10/67 - 8/68, 523rd Vung Tau 8/68 - 10/68
Pete Sullivan
Mike Taylor
SSF Taylor
Sgt. Paul Thatcher Mst Dvr 523rd Vung Tau ’68
Randy Thompson - USN SD ’67 - Placed in Steavedor Co. on arrival. Then ended up in MP PBR Co. - Voluntarily served with the 523rd on many occasions.
Steve Ticehurst
Tom Twitty
Roger Vandale Vietnam Yes/Unit ?
Lt. Luis Villafana (D)
Gary Wells ?
Robert Whitehead - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12”
Bill Weaver
Paul Winger - 523rd
Ronnie Wooten
Allan Yanaros - USN 2nd Class ’69 - “The First 12”
NOTES:
Honorable Mention
Mike Mascola , for all intents and purposes, should be on this list—but Mike (along with Dave Bird/Byrd, who had worked at his father’s Miami salvage diving service) never made it to Vietnam.
He was not only handsome... He was lucky (especially for a Draftee). He came through Fort Eustis between ’66 - ’67 and somehow avoided Vietnam. But his huge personality and perfectly manicured handlebar mustache made a huge impact on every Delta Diver that passed through Ft. Eustis during 1967.
During my four months with the 73rd Transportation Co. at Ft. Dustiss, he had a huge impact on me... When you look back on it, Mike was the one that got me ready to face the stress of War.
We had been diving a plane crash on the Patomac River (Oct ’67) for about two weeks, and I was leaving the next day for my 30-Day pre-deployment leave prior to leaving for Vietnam. Mike took the responsibility of getting me ready for Vietnam by taking me for a drive in the ’67 VW Van he had finagled from Steve Ticehurst and getting me loaded for the first time (the whole story is in my book, of course). For that... I will be eternally grateful to Mike.
That’s why I’m his dedicating this Delta Dive Duty Roster to Mike Mascola... You Glorious Bastard, You.
FIELD NOTE: I would finally meet Steve Ticehurst 56 years later at our 1st Annual Delta Diver’s “Hey, Hey, We’re Not Dead Yet” Reunion - 2025.