GFM Naval and Civilian Career With Deep Submersibles

In 1963 after retiring from both the Under Water Demolition Team (Frogmen) and Hard Hat Diving, and resigning his Naval Warrant Officer Commission, my dad went to work for Lockheed in Mohave California as a submersibles engineer on a deep submersible called the Deep Quest project. He worked on their submersibles pressure hull and interior habitat development and other design projects and in eventually achieving a world record setting dive in the Deep Quest.

 Meanwhile in 1964 the Westinghouse people were working on a diving saucer, called the Deep Star, for Jacques Cousteau. While still in the Navy my dad had collaborated with Captain Cousteau on the development of the now famous Aqua Lung. Due to great respect for my dad and his highly skilled and experienced underwater development team Westinghouse requested he join them on loan to help with the project for 6 weeks. My dad joined the crew on the Westinghouse ship "Birch Tide" to help with the French Deep Star dives and Wil Forman joined the other team on the Calipso. 

The first American deep submersible called the Deep Jeep was also currently under construction at that time, supported by Scripps and Westinghouse funding.  Deep Jeep made over 150 dives collecting data for improved submersibles, making repairs on the cuff since this was a from scratch idea and creation. The project was eventually scraped due to continuing expensive problems.

When the French contract was complete my dad was asked by Wil Forman, the creator of the Deep Jeep, to stay on with him and Westinghouse (as a loan) to help engineer, build and pilot the Alvin. For the next two years that is what the crew of 4 did.

My dad was part of this location and recovery effort off the coast of Spain.

It was toward mid January 1966 that Lockheed asked for the return of my dad (gone 2 years longer than planned) so work on the Deep Quest could continue. Enjoy the information below about the history making dive of the Deep Quest to 8150 feet. A robotic arm was used to place the American Flag on the ocean floor on February 28, 1968. GF Minard was the chief pilot.