That Master Diver Qualification Badge
U.S. Navy / Marine Corps / Construction / Underwater Welding /Salvage Operation /
U.S. Navy SEAL's/UDT / Harbor Clearance Diver , Sea Bee Construction Divers/ Ships Repairs , etc.
When one enters this area of being a diver, it starts out with the
(Scuba Badge), then one can move into other areas of this kind of diving.
Second Class ( E4, E5 ) rating is the next stage, then into the First Class (E6-E8 ) area.
There is also a Officers Badge too.
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This Badge is worn on the ....... " Navy Tunic ", and then it is worn
as a ........ " Breast Badge " .
This a Masters Ultimate Diver Qualification Badge that's awarded
to one that has gone to the top of the diving ranks.
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All Navy SEAL's have this badge awarded to them.
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As of 2006 the training is done in ( Panama City, Florida at the ( NDSTC ) facility. Training is a period of .........( 8 - 10 ) months now.
Also there is a Medical Corpsman Diver Badge they can qualify as.... ( DMT ).
Sea Bee's get them to ....( UCT Badges ).
A Special Warfare Specialist Badge is another one ......... ( DSWS ), and that one takes....... 1-2 years to get and complete.
During the Vietnam Era many have gone through the part of a major service in their duty , especially in .......... " Da Nang " and a major part on the .... " Mekong River " for the purpose of ..... " Clearance of areas ", set up by the Viet Cong with ..... Mines, Debris, Obstacles etc. and so on to effect the U.S. Forces from getting their places situated.
The Task Forces on the Mekong River were highly effected by this ( Viet Cong activity ) , where two Hospital Ships called ....
" APO's ) , anchored on the river as stations for assistance for casualty for American and Civilian and South Vietnamese Forces.
One mainly that was one of these was the ...... ( U.S.S. Nueces, River Hospital Ship and it was a floating Barracks ship and it looked like a
LST with a square top for living quarters and ( Hospital work ). The other one was the ....... ( Garret County LST ), a Major repair and supply ship for many of what went on there on the river. PBR Boats tied up to it as a mooring while being supplied , fixed, or living time
These ( APO's ) also served as the home bases for many ....... ( PBR boats for repairs and supplies ).
These divers did a fabulous job clearing away especially Soviet mines set in the rivers by the V.C. . They also raised what was sunk and got them salvaged to be fixed and used again. They had a diving barge like boat that delivered them up the river for their work. They worked , lived , and did everything on the river and along the South China sea coast when needed. They also trained ... South Vietnamese Navy Personnel to be divers and do similar work also.
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David the one you have there is similar to the one I have here, it was issued little after the Vietnam War, because of the ..........
( 1/20 SN FILLE , H-24-N ) stamping on it. ( That one is a Authentic Issued Badge ), not a remake copy.
That one has gone through some time, because it was made to have a Silvery/Goldish color that is very faint and vanishing right now on it.
It had gone thorough some service in its days.
Hope this helps a little.
