BUSINESS EDU
Forgotten Heroes, Overlooked Dive Customers by John Christopher Fine, J.D. , Instructor Trainer, Boynton Beach, FL
W HEN MY UNCLES RETURNED from World War II, their attitudes were very different. The U.S. Army veteran could not wait to take off his uniform, bundle up everything, and throw it away. The U.S. Navy veteran kept everything. Many years later, he gave me his uniforms. His jumper fit me perfectly, though we enjoyed a good laugh when he tried to put it on again. Those memories speak to the complexity of military service, especially during wartime. Every person reacts differently to the trauma, discipline, and demands of service. Some leave the military eager to move on. Others hold tightly to the identity, skills, and relationships formed during those years. No matter the nation or branch of service, military experience leaves a mark. Discipline becomes part of behavior. Wounded veterans may carry physical injuries for life. Psychological scars may be even more difficult to understand or discuss. For many veterans and active-duty service members, diving can offer something powerful: focus, calm, purpose, and a return to confidence in the water. The ocean does not erase what people have experienced, but it can provide moments of peace, connection, and accomplishment. Anyone who has helped a veteran or service member return to diving, learn to dive, or dive with family members understands how meaningful that experience can be. Over the years, I have trained many divers and guided many more in the U.S. and around the world. On the island of Truk in Micronesia, now commonly known as Chuuk La- goon, I was filming and taking underwater photographs for a book about the Japanese shipwrecks sunk during American air attacks in 1944. One day, a U.S. Navy veteran stopped me on shore after I finished working. He told me he had been part of the task force that attacked Truk Lagoon. He wanted to know what I had seen below. I asked if he would like to see it for himself. “No, I can’t dive,” he said. “I’m too old now and in no condition.” That did not end the conversation. I assured him that the next day I would get him a mask, a life jacket, and take him to a shallow wreck site we called the bow gun wreck. All he had to do was float on his stomach and look down. That simple experience lifted his spirits and gave him an unforgettable moment. It returned him to a place connected to his past, but in a way that brought peace instead of danger.
I write this after taking a U.S. Navy EOD, Explosive Ord- nance Disposal, diver out aboard Kyalami , a dive boat operating from Jupiter, Florida. It had been years since he had been diving. He had just gotten his teenage daughter certified and looked forward to diving with her in the future. Despite his prior Navy experience, this was his first civilian dive experience in a long time. Diving is not always like riding a bicycle. Returning to open water after years away requires reestablishing comfort, confidence, and the habits learned in training. Some former military divers may not want to be treated like beginners. Some may even resist civilian instructor supervision. Their experience may be extensive, but the transition back into recreational diving still requires care, respect, and profession- alism.
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