June 2011 - Supervisor of Salvage and Diving

Darrell Williams passed away on August 1, 2010 after a long period of fighting bone and lung
cancer. Darrell joined the Navy December 1959, and was first stationed on the USS BENNING-
TON as a boatswains mate. He became a First Class Diver in May 1965, and transferred to the Fleet Submarine
Escape Facility. In 1969, he was assigned a Vietnam tour of duty aboard the USS VESUVIUS and
suffered combat injuries. Darrell had a break in service until 1975 when he re-enlisted and was stationed
on the USS GILMORE in La Maddalena. In 1976 he was stationed aboard USS SIMON LAKE, and in
1979 Darrell was stationed at the Naval Submarine Base in Kings Bay, GA. Later that year he qualified as
a USN Master Diver and eventually transferred to the USS ASKARI in Little Creek, VA. He had a short
tour at Solomon’s Island, Maryland Naval Base, and in 1982 he transferred to the Trident base in Bangor
Washington. Darrell spent his last active duty tour at the Naval Diving School Panama City, Florida 1983-
1985, retiring as BMCS(MDV).
In 1986, Darrell joined NAVSEA 00C4 (Diving System Safety Certification) as a civilian. His extensive
diving experience and love of working with and helping all the USN Divers was a perfect match. Before
he retired from 00C4 in 1998, he came up with a number of innovations including the concept of teaching the young Navy Divers about
their Diving Systems, how they operate, and why we have various maintenance requirements. This philosophy and passion culminated
in the development of the 00C Top Side Tech Notes. Today Navy Dive Lockers use these publications for plain language essential
knowledge needed to maintain their diving systems. In September 1995 Darrell retired from SEA 00C and moved to Morganton, NC
where he refined his woodworking skills in building furniture.
Always caring about his passion, Navy Divers, he worked hard to make all of our lives better. If you actually had the benefit of
meeting, or better yet getting to know him, you knew Darrell was a man you could count on, as a mentor and a friend. He was one of
those few very special people who have a lasting positive influence on all who met him. He was that true “Renaissance Man” that all of
us have heard stories about, but few have met. A Navy Master Diver, a Warrior, a Peace Officer, a Catfish Farmer, a furniture maker, a
golfer, a cartoonist, a teller of very tall tails, a consummate prankster and most of all a real family man whose wife, Pat, and two daughters,
Tammy and Rachel, were always in his thoughts. He had a passion for life, and doing things right and safely that was infectious.
He was one of our best. We all will deeply miss him.
Written by: Gary Crawford and Robert Warren
R
obert B. Moss CAPT. USNR (Retired) passed away in January 2009 at the age of 79. Bob
Moss graduated from Washington State College in 1952 with an engineering degree, and enrolled
in OCS in Newport, RI. Upon commissioning he attended the US Naval School of Diving and
Salvage in Bayonne NJ. He served aboard the USS Mender (ARS(D) 2 ) from 1953 to 1955 engaging
in salvage operations in Korea and the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll. From 1955 to 1957 he was on the
staff of the Commander Pacific Reserve Fleet. Bob was released to the inactive reserve from 1957 to
1967 and during this period he worked as a test lab engineer for General Dynamics and as the head of
the Naval Architecture branch of the Supervisor of Ship Building, San Diego. In 1967 he was recalled to
active duty and posted to the Naval Repair Facility Subic Bay, PI as Repair Officer. In 1970 he reported
to the Naval Sea Systems Command in the office of the Supervisor of Salvage where he served as Deputy
Supervisor of Salvage, becoming the Director of Ocean Engineering in May of 1976 and serving in that
capacity until June 1979. During this period he participated in the salvage of the Great Lakes Freighter
Sydney E. Smith near Port Huron, MI in June 1972. Captain Moss recognized the untapped resources
available to the salvage force from the Naval Reserve. His successful efforts to bring the Reserves fully on
board resulted in the establishment of the Reserve Salvage and Diving Units which now support the Supervisor of Salvage. His work in
defining the declining Salvage posture of the US Navy to his superiors and the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Board resulted in
program development and funding which greatly improved Navy Salvage capability. In August of 1973 the Pisces III manned submersible
operated by Vickers Oceanics Limited sank in 1,600 feet of water off the coast of Ireland. Captain Moss, as the Supervisor of Salvage
on-site representative, was a key figure in the rescue of the crew and the recovery of the submersible.
In 1975 he was one of the principals in the operation to clear the Suez Canal. Following his tour as Supervisor of Salvage, Captain
Moss assumed the duties of Inspector General of the Naval Sea System Command retiring from the Naval Service in 1985. Written by:
Captain William N. Klorig
June 2011 27