As hard as it is to believe, the last dive day of ALVIN for this cruise is upon us! It is an engineering dive, with one of the most exciting objectives being taking one of my co-workers in the electrical shop on his first dive. The theme: Scott Dive. The scientific rationale: to answer a question that has plagued the minds of the masses since man first walked upright in the sun: what if Scott Dove? I know that someday (tomorrow) the sun will shine on a world where we know the answer to that question. For now, I complete my daily tasks to prepare the sub for its noble mission with its brave observer (Scott), knowing that I join ranks of history’s greatest support staff. Was it the same determination, the same pride that took root in the hearts of the laborers that nailed the planks of the HMS Beagle? The same professional poise on the brow of the uber driver that drove the Wright Brothers to the airport? During a visit to NASA in 1962, President John F. Kennedy walked up to a janitor and said “Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?” to which the janitor famously responded, “Well, Mr. President, I am helping put a man on the moon.” Well, Mr. President I am helping put a Scott in a sub.
