DIVE FLAG--One man's involvement

[cwhitten]

Dr. Miller,

Thanks for transcribing all this. Could you also transcribe the two sentences from Ted Nixon in the September 1957 issue where he first mentions the flag?

I took your suggestion of looking for this issue on eBay so you wouldn't be inconvenienced any further, but one hasn't come up yet.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Sam Miller III]

1957

Month page authors subject

Sept 4 Ted Nixon editorial comment - 2 sentences

Oct 11 Ted Nixon Thanks for mentioning Dive Flag
Oct 11 Don Tait Use seven flag

No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Continuing on...1957 -- November

Month page authors subject

November: No responses
No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Continuing on...1957- December

Month page author(s) subject

Dec Page 6 Greg Platt ( Cal) Kelp Kippers 20 members ; 18 voted for USN 7 flag, 2 for Red & white flag

Dec Page 6 Donald Fair (Canada) Accept the Red & White flag in Canadian recreational diving


Dec Page 6 John Wysong (Texas)
Lone Star Dolphins Club Unanimously voted for the USN 7 flag

Dec Page 6 Donna Blewitt (Florida) Three votes for Red & White flag
John Amsden
Tom Ladd
Donna Blewitt


Dec Page 6 Carl Harris (Ohio) Mansfield Skin Divers Adapt the Red & White flag

Dec Page 6 ???? (Massachusetts) Massachusetts Sea Loins Adopt the Red & White flag


Dec Page 6 Gino Gemma Romaine Zacharias ( Canada ) Vancouver Sub Aquatic club
Designed a flag for Canadian use; discovered same flag as Canadian fisheries
therefore adapt the Red & White flag

Dec Page 6 Will Jacobs Connecticut Connecticut council of Divers voted to accept the Red & white divers flag.

It should be noted that Will's response was 3 paragraphs -- the longest response printed to date
At this time I was also dating a girl whose home was only a few blocks away from SDM's original office, so before, after and on occasion during our dates I would visit SDM to catch up on the latest dive news

At that time Will and I began a correspondence relationship that lasted to his passing many years ago.

No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

A new year....

Continuing on...1957- December

Month page author(s) subject
Dec 7 Gene Parker The flag:
Its Purpose and Problems

Gene who has often been refereed to as the "east coast father of the dive flag" wrote a one page article complete with a number of Gene's fine line drawings illustrating the uses and pit falls of the red and white flag. A very well written article...

Gene Parker as many of you know authored a number of articles on the flag and a variety of other subjects for SD. He also published a very informative book "Gene Parker's Complete Handbook of Skin diving" in 1965 (382 pages Avon books) and was honored as the editor of the 1963 edition of "Dive" by Rick & Barbara Carrier (296 pages HB LCCC # 63-9014) both are great books and a must for all serious divers

Still....No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A NEW YEAR ---1958

Continuing on...1958- January

Month page author(s)

No comments -- No letters to the editors, no articles!

Still....Not even a comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

Stay tuned
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Sam Miller III]

1957

Month page authors subject

Sept 4 Ted Nixon editorial comment - 2 sentences

Oct 11 Ted Nixon Thanks for mentioning Dive Flag
Oct 11 Don Tait Use seven flag

No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Continuing on...1957 -- November

Month page authors subject

November: No responses
No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Continuing on...1957- December

Month page author(s) subject

Dec Page 6 Greg Platt ( Cal) Kelp Kippers 20 members ; 18 voted for USN 7 flag, 2 for Red & white flag

Dec Page 6 Donald Fair (Canada) Accept the Red & White flag in Canadian recreational diving


Dec Page 6 John Wysong (Texas)
Lone Star Dolphins Club Unanimously voted for the USN 7 flag

Dec Page 6 Donna Blewitt (Florida) Three votes for Red & White flag
John Amsden
Tom Ladd
Donna Blewitt


Dec Page 6 Carl Harris (Ohio) Mansfield Skin Divers Adapt the Red & White flag

Dec Page 6 ???? (Massachusetts) Massachusetts Sea Loins Adopt the Red & White flag


Dec Page 6 Gino Gemma Romaine Zacharias ( Canada ) Vancouver Sub Aquatic club
Designed a flag for Canadian use; discovered same flag as Canadian fisheries
therefore adapt the Red & White flag

Dec Page 6 Will Jacobs Connecticut Connecticut council of Divers voted to accept the Red & white divers flag.

It should be noted that Will's response was 3 paragraphs -- the longest response printed to date
At this time I was also dating a girl whose home was only a few blocks away from SDM's original office, so before, after and on occasion during our dates I would visit SDM to catch up on the latest dive news

At that time Will and I began a correspondence relationship that lasted to his passing many years ago.

No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

A new year....

Continuing on...1957- December

Month page author(s) subject
Dec 7 Gene Parker The flag:
Its Purpose and Problems

Gene who has often been refereed to as the "east coast father of the dive flag" wrote a one page article complete with a number of Gene's fine line drawings illustrating the uses and pit falls of the red and white flag. A very well written article...

Gene Parker as many of you know authored a number of articles on the flag and a variety of other subjects for SD. He also published a very informative book "Gene Parker's Complete Handbook of Skin diving" in 1965 (382 pages Avon books) and was honored as the editor of the 1963 edition of "Dive" by Rick & Barbara Carrier (296 pages HB LCCC # 63-9014) both are great books and a must for all serious divers

Still....No comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Continuing on...1958- January

Month page author(s)

No comments -- No letters to the editors, no articles!

Still....Not even a comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

Stay tuned
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Continuing on...1958- February

Month page author(s)

Letters to the editors;
Feb 1958 8 Stan Kennedy, Vancouver Sub aquatic club.
Club voted to adapt.. Approved by BC Safety council -- Submitted to BC department of transportation for approval.

Feb 1958 page 8 C.B. Davis Underwater club of Canada,Toronto
Adapt the Red & white divers flag over the seven flag -- "Divers flag as good as any" What is the official size of the flag?

Feb 1958 page 8 C.K. Sherill, Pioneer Skin diving club of Virginia
( C.K. was also known as "Rusty" was later a manufactures rep for diving companies)
The club voted to adapt the red & white dive flag...Suggested that brochures be printed for distribution to boaters.

Feb 1958 page 8 Johnny Logan Venice California
( Johnny was well known California diver in the late 1950s early 1960s)
... Johnny was disturbed and certainly concerned about Ted Nixon's account of using Dive Flags to block off one half of a lake
... He questions the visibility of a 12 inch by 12 inch flag or board
... He suggests that all skin divers and boaters be educated before the flag is respected
... He suggests a large balloon in place of a flag (recall the one made by Healthways???-- Who was Healthways???)

Still....Not even a comment from Doc Dockery!
Agreed?
Comment?

Stay tuned....
Even more in 1958

 

[bwade]

 

[Tom Smedley]

It's kind of a no brainer - If Sam ever admitted that Doc is the flag inventor it would mean he had to change all the stuff he wrote. He still refuses to interview Doc which casts a severe doubt upon his story..... Man - I'm glad I'm not an expert on such things.....

 

[Sam Miller III]

Tom,
An expert on the dive flag you are not..

Stay tuned for the article by Ted Nixon...Page 6, 7 & 8 of the Feb 1958 SDM-- Still no "DOC' Dockery...........

SDM

 

[cwhitten]

I was finally able to purchase a copy of the September 1957 issue of Skin Diver magazine.

This is what it says: "Ted B. Nixon of the Great Lakes Diver sent two copies of his Michigan newspaper and made special note of the articles on a divers flag .... As Michigan has taken the lead on this project let us have your suggested designs for a flag that would be accepted nationally. We will help publicize the flag and design to all boat people and other divers."

Here's the scan: Skin Diver magazine, September 1957, page four

I'm happy to send the original issue to anyone who wants. I don't need it.

 

[Thalassamania]

That only confirms that Ted Nixon was out flogging the flag, something that everybody agrees to. It sheds no light on Doc Docery's role or lack of role.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

I was finally able to purchase a copy of the September 1957 issue of Skin Diver magazine.

This is what it says: "Ted B. Nixon of the Great Lakes Diver sent two copies of his Michigan newspaper and made special note of the articles on a divers flag .... As Michigan has taken the lead on this project let us have your suggested designs for a flag that would be accepted nationally. We will help publicize the flag and design to all boat people and other divers."

Here's the scan: Skin Diver magazine, September 1957, page four

I'm happy to send the original issue to anyone who wants. I don't need it.

Maybe that's why Mr. Miller couldn't get it to you. Proves nothing at all.

 

[R8]

So nothingnew since november?
Personally I'm rooting for Doc, because I don't like Dr.Mr.Cpt. Sams arrogance.. also kevin makes a good point..
It very strange that no one could email you back.. besides I have this article that I just wrote, it says that Sam Miller is a greek god. Any one want a copy? Pm me I won't answer..