REMEMBERING MY SHIPMATE JOHN MICHELWe met in January 1959 when I became the first Officer in Charge of the Navy’s newly acquired Bathyscaph Trieste and John was the first USN enlisted man to be assigned to the project. We were based at the Naval Electronics Laboratory in San Diego. Trieste was unique as there were only two deep diving manned submersibles in the world.
During the Maritime Awards Gala in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Kommer Damen was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his achievements, methods and contribution to the Dutch maritime industry. Damen (78) is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Damen Shipyards Group and is still internationally active in the company that he took over from his father and uncle in 1969.
For many, the ocean is life. It provides transportation, work, commerce, food, recreation—tales as old as time and shared by people across the globe. These stories are lived day to day, passed down between generations, and shared with the public through various media. Maritime museums assume responsibility to share these histories while honoring the communities shaped ocean exploration and