U.S. Coast Guard Diving Program
U.S. Coast Guard History ProgramU.S. Coast Guard Diving ProgramA History of Coast Guard Diving OperationsCOTP, San FranciscoBy Robert WertEdited by Scott PriceEditor’s NoteThe following information and photographs were provided by Coast Guard Diver and veteran BobWert. In his article he describes his tour while stationed at COTP San Francisco from May, 1958 untilMay, 1961, during the height of the Cold War. He noted that there were two other divers there for ashort time that he did not mention in the main text of his article: DC3 Charles Pierce and DC3 EdHanson. Although he wrote that he was “never sure” if the service had divers in any other location,such a program had existed during World War II. In fact, the Coast Guard had trained “frogmen” withthe Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II in teams referred to as OperationalSwimmer Groups. But the program lapsed at the end of the war with the rapid demobilization thatconsequently occurred. For more information on this pioneering effort see Michael Bennett’s website“Guardian Spies” at guardianspies.com. Although they were not the first, Petty Officer Wert records animportant milestone in Coast Guard history—the development of a permanent dive program for theservice.1
We would like to thank Petty Officer Wert for taking the time to preserve this little-known aspect ofCoast Guard history.Robert Wert:The United States Coast Guard initiated a permanent diving program in San Francisco because ofthe Cold War. We were never sure if the Coast Guard had divers in any other locations at this time.[Note: Coast Guardsmen were trained with the OSS as frogmen during World War II.]Any vessel in a Communist port or carrying Communist cargo was inspected in the first U.S. portit visited by the Coast Guard and Customs. Divers were instructed to search the hull for anythingsuspicious or radioactive. Because of an incident in Portsmouth, England (conduct an internet searchfor Lionel “Buster” Crabb”) all hull searches were called off. Instead of abandoning the diving program,it was decided to have divers perform underwater maintenance and repair. This included changingpropellers and making any other repairs to keep from having vessel haul-outs to commercial yards.The Twelfth Coast Guard District did not have any government service yards. All haul-outs were doneat commercial yards, including those for the weather patrol cutters.Our other duties included the recovery of buoy and anchor chains and locating and recoveringsunken aircraft and boats. The Divers at Captain of the Port [COTP] San Francisco when I cameaboard were: Bill Edison, DC1 Holstrum, GM1 (I don’t remember his first name) Marvin Larson, DC3 Robert Wert, SNWe were all graduates of the U.S. Naval Underwater Swimmers School in Key West, Florida.Our unit developed a gear (screw or propeller) puller and a hydraulic ram to change damagedpropellers on Port Security Unit 40 footers. On one occasion, with two 40-footers, side-by-side, wechanged all four propellers in eleven minutes. This amounted to a savings of 125 per boat, the feethat would have been charged by a commercial boat yard for hauling the boats.On another occasion we made a cofferdam for the sea chest on the CGC Taney or CGC Dexter(I’m not sure which one it was). We thought it would be a “put it on, take it off job” but we were told itwould need to stay on overnight. The cofferdam was made out of ¾ inch ply, lined with gasketmaterial and attached with J-bolts to the grid. That dam was all that was holding back the sea waterfrom sinking the 300-plus foot cutter. As it turned out, it was needed for two days (which gave ussome concern), and there was very little seepage. When we removed the cofferdam, the cutter’s COsaid “we’ll keep it in case we need it again.”2
Photographs:Photo #1: My graduating class from U.S. Naval Underwater Swimmers School at Key West, Florida. I am in thefirst row, far right.3
Photo #2: The equipment we used. We used “dry suits” since “wet suits” were no in common use yet. The longhandled underwear, two sets for each diver, was not so much for warmth as it was to keep one’s skin from beingsqueezed in the folds when the air was purged from the suit.Photo #3: The diving dress. Marv Larson is on the left, Bill Edison is in the middle, and I am on the right.4
Photo #4: The diving dress. Marv Larson is on the left, Bill Edison is in the middle, and I am on the right.Photo #5: The diving dress. Marv Larson is on the left, Bill Edison is in the middle, and I am on the right.5
Photo #6: The diving dress. Marv Larson is on the left, Bill Edison is in the middle, and I am on the right.Photo #7: Divers entering the water. The building in the background was COTP San Francisco. The buildingis no longer there.6
Photo #8: The three of us in the water.Photo #8: The three of us in the water.7
Photo #10: Bill Edison coming out of the water.Photo #11: Me and Bob Wert coming out of the water.8
Photo #12: Marv Larson and me performing a helicopter pickup. This was a demonstration for the CoastGuard Auxiliary and Power Squadron.Photo #13: Marv Larson and me performing a helicopter pickup. This was a demonstration for the CoastGuard Auxiliary and Power Squadron.9
Photo #14: Marv Larson and me performing a helicopter pickup. This was a demonstration for the CoastGuard Auxiliary and Power Squadron.10
The following is a copy of the U.S. Naval Underwater Swimmers School instructions, which were received onthe first day.11
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Estimated cost and savings brought about because of the Coast Guard’s Diving Program (1956-1960):15
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Letter of Commendation:17
Jun 27, 2017 · U.S. Coast Guard Diving Program A History of Coast Guard Diving Operations COTP, San Francisco By Robert Wert Edited by Scott Price Editor’s Note The following information and photographs were provided by Coast Guard Diver and veteran Bob Wert. In his article he describes his tour w
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