Don Walsh, deepest sea diver, 92

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Sure, by 2023 there have been fully a dozen brave souls who have dared to take the Challenger Deep dive.

But for decades there had ONLY been two who pulled it off---the late Walsh, a Navy man, along with his submerging partner, the late oceanographer Jacques Piccard. The pioneering pair plumbed the depths of Earth in the white-and-maroon-striped Trieste on Saturday, January 23, 1960. (It's not widely known they elected to not abort their unprecedented plunge even AFTER a crack appeared in a pane of window glass of their tiny compartment during their descent!)

I wouldn't start kindergarten until September 1960, so I at that time couldn't read more than the most basic words. But during the spring I nonetheless visually devoured National Geographic's cover-story treatment of the expedition; so glad my folks were enlightened enough to not merely subscribe to NG, but also leave each issue lying about the house for their two ever-curious sons to absorb.

I know, I know: Titanic director James Cameron followed down there (solo) too--but many, many years later, as also have eight other courageous folk by now. So as far as I'm concerned, sailor Walsh--who died at 92 in Oregon on Sunday--and scientist Piccard remain before all of history in a class by themselves.

(Well, Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay climbed their way into in that extremities-of-the-planet class, too. But THAT was in May 1953, a year prior to my birth, whereas I LIVED through the Trieste feat, I'm so gratified to declare here in the 21st Century.)

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida
===================
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Walsh

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I couldn't find a photo that National Geographic cover, but that's okay, as this is even better: The retired Walsh remembering, right in front of the retired Trieste.

STYBLE/Florida
=============

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Here's a more complete version of the Walsh interview in front of Trieste, augmented with many photos from the expedition plus a diagram or two.

It's important to remember that though it sure RESEMBLES a submarine, Trieste is NOT a submarine, but rather a submersible. Or more specifically, a bathyscaphe (a word which sent the still-shy-of-kindergarten me to a dictionary when I saw it in that NatGeo piece back in 1960--and which six decades later, this longtime radio guy STILL is uncertain how to pronounce precisely. ("BATH-es-kafe", right?)

I once read a detailed breakdown of the many reasons Trieste did not employ submariner technology, but given that my naval-engineering knowledge is even more sparse than, say, my familiarity with Taylor Swift's set-lists from the ongoing global Eras tour, I didn't understand a lot of what I read. (Don't understand much of the undeniably-talented Swift's grip on the planet's musical audience, either.)

Nor do I understand why it was vital to fill Trieste up mostly with gasoline, though it had to do with its density compared with salt water, and of course was related to the remarkable craft's buoyancy.

And (as a Jeopardy! clue the other day reminded us all) it's Anchors aweigh!, not Anchors away.

STYBLE/Florida
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[A Friend]

Post by ***@gmail.com
Here's a more complete version of the Walsh interview in front of Trieste,
augmented with many photos from the expedition plus a diagram or two.
It's important to remember that though it sure RESEMBLES a submarine, Trieste
is NOT a submarine, but rather a submersible. Or more specifically, a
bathyscaphe (a word which sent the still-shy-of-kindergarten me to a
dictionary when I saw it in that NatGeo piece back in 1960--and which six
decades later, this longtime radio guy STILL is uncertain how to pronounce
precisely. ("BATH-es-kafe", right?)

BATH-escape

[Louis Epstein]

Post by A Friend

Post by ***@gmail.com
Here's a more complete version of the Walsh interview in front of Trieste,
augmented with many photos from the expedition plus a diagram or two.
It's important to remember that though it sure RESEMBLES a submarine, Trieste
is NOT a submarine, but rather a submersible. Or more specifically, a
bathyscaphe (a word which sent the still-shy-of-kindergarten me to a
dictionary when I saw it in that NatGeo piece back in 1960--and which six
decades later, this longtime radio guy STILL is uncertain how to pronounce
precisely. ("BATH-es-kafe", right?)

BATH-escape

Why spell with "ph" if the sound is "p"?

-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

[A Friend]

Post by Louis Epstein

Post by ***@gmail.com
Here's a more complete version of the Walsh interview in front of
Trieste, augmented with many photos from the expedition plus a
diagram or two.
It's important to remember that though it sure RESEMBLES a
submarine, Trieste is NOT a submarine, but rather a submersible.
Or more specifically, a bathyscaphe (a word which sent the
still-shy-of-kindergarten me to a dictionary when I saw it in that
NatGeo piece back in 1960--and which six decades later, this
longtime radio guy STILL is uncertain how to pronounce precisely.
("BATH-es-kafe", right?)
BATH-escape

Why spell with "ph" if the sound is "p"?

Why spell it "-stein" when the sound is "-steen"?

[Adam H. Kerman]

Post by A Friend

Post by Louis Epstein

Post by ***@gmail.com
Here's a more complete version of the Walsh interview in front of
Trieste, augmented with many photos from the expedition plus a
diagram or two.
It's important to remember that though it sure RESEMBLES a
submarine, Trieste is NOT a submarine, but rather a submersible.
Or more specifically, a bathyscaphe (a word which sent the
still-shy-of-kindergarten me to a dictionary when I saw it in that
NatGeo piece back in 1960--and which six decades later, this
longtime radio guy STILL is uncertain how to pronounce precisely.
("BATH-es-kafe", right?)
BATH-escape

Why spell with "ph" if the sound is "p"?

Why spell it "-stein" when the sound is "-steen"?

Do you also say Froderick?

[A Friend]

Post by Adam H. Kerman

Post by A Friend

Post by Louis Epstein

Post by ***@gmail.com
Here's a more complete version of the Walsh interview in front of
Trieste, augmented with many photos from the expedition plus a
diagram or two.
It's important to remember that though it sure RESEMBLES a
submarine, Trieste is NOT a submarine, but rather a submersible.
Or more specifically, a bathyscaphe (a word which sent the
still-shy-of-kindergarten me to a dictionary when I saw it in that
NatGeo piece back in 1960--and which six decades later, this
longtime radio guy STILL is uncertain how to pronounce precisely.
("BATH-es-kafe", right?)
BATH-escape

Why spell with "ph" if the sound is "p"?

Why spell it "-stein" when the sound is "-steen"?

Do you also say Froderick?

Sorry? Why would I?