WHY DOES EVERY U.S. MILITARY BRANCH HAVE DIVERS?

The Delta Divers are proud to announce their inclusion in the Military Diver’s Branch Exhibit at the Man In the Sea Museum in Panama City Beach, FL.

The Man in the Sea Museum was founded to preserve and tell the history of military, commercial, and scientific diving — especially the pioneering work that took place in nearby Panama City, Florida, long considered one of the centers of U.S. Navy diving and underwater research.

The museum grew out of the efforts of former Navy divers, underwater pioneers, and members of the diving community who wanted to ensure the story of undersea exploration and military diving would not be lost. Its exhibits cover everything from early hard-hat diving and salvage operations to saturation diving, Navy SEALs, submarine rescue, and modern underwater technology.

For military divers, the museum has become something of a gathering place and unofficial historical archive. Veterans from the Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and commercial diving world have contributed artifacts, photographs, equipment, and personal stories over the years.

For the Delta Divers project, the museum carries added significance because it helps place the Army Divers of Vietnam into the larger military diving lineage many Vietnam-era Army Divers never fully understood at the time they served.

After rushing from training into war, many Delta Divers would later discover that they had been part of a much broader and deeply respected military diving community — and the Man in the Sea Museum became one of the places where that connection finally came full circle.

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