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Figure 3: Captain William M. Nicholson, SEALAB III Project Manager, (left) his hand on the model habitat’s main umbilical cable. Cmdr Jack M. Tomsky, On-scene Commander, and

Cmdr M. Scott Carpenter, Deputy On-Scene Commander are to the right.

Figure 4: Senior Chief Torpedoman Paul “P.A.” Wells on deck with his dive buddies. P.A. received a Purple Heart for wounds received as a U.S. Marine in World War II. He spent the bulk of his Navy career working with explosive ordnance and in diving.

Figure 4

Of? cial U.S. Navy photo the responsibility for the decision be- longs to that person alone.”

Responsibility for the failure of the

SEALAB III experimental habitat rests with Captain William M. Nicholson,

SEALAB III Project Manager.

It is reasonable to conclude that Paul “P.A.” Wells had no culpability in the abrupt end of SEALAB III.

Conclusions

There is greater evidence that Berry

Cannon died from electrocution than

CO2 poisoning.

Paul “P.A.” Wells should be formally exonerated, now posthumously, by the

United States Navy, if only to clear its own name, and restore honor to both.

Epilogue

Following SEALAB III, the U.S. Navy regrouped and considered the applica- tions of saturation deep diving in co- vert operations. It was carried forward with astounding results, in particular the clandestine projects known as “Opera- tion Ivy Bells” in the Sea of Okhotsk,

USSR, 1970’s-1981.

A presentation by the author will be made at the SEALAB 60th Reunion,

July 2024, at the Man-in-the-Sea Mu- seum, Panama City. https://maninthesea.org/sealab-60th- anniversary/ www.marinetechnologynews.com 15

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