- Ira C. LaFever, BMC
- Mobile Diving Salvage Unit Two
Virginia Beach, VA
I was born and raised by great parents, Ira and Joann on a farm in up state New York. I graduated from Watkins Glen High School and Pauline Garbo Bush votech school for welding. My instructor and friend Larry Latini encouraged me to work hard and not to except no for something I truly desired in life. After joining the Navy and being stationed in Coronado, CA, I desired to pursue the Navy diving program and was told no. So on to Diego Garcia for a year and the continued struggle to get what I wanted. Upon leaving there, I received orders to the Naval Diving and Training Center Pearl Harbor, HI and on to Underwater Construction Basic School for further training. I took orders to UCT–1 where I learned to put my new skills to work. Shortly there after, I married and we had a pair of twin boys, which required a lot of attention. So I got out of the Navy to raise a family and after 16 years my wife and I decided that Navy diving is really what I wanted to do. So with the twins nearing graduation, I came back in the Navy to pick up where I left off, spending 4 years at Sima Dive Locker working on ships, and one year at MDSU–2. I requested to participate in saturation training and did so. Upon graduation we have been blessed by being allowed to participate in the Aquarius working sat dive.
I want to thank Capt. Helmkamp, Capt. Wilkins, Capt. Murray, and LCDR Daubon for their interest in the Navy’s Saturation Program and for their sponsorship
