History of Diving Museum’s “Immerse Yourself” lecture series welcomes Mark “Sharky” Alexander on Wednesday, Dec. 20 for a talk on the search for the last missing female Air Force pilot.
An HDM board member, Explorers Club member and PADI master instructor, Alexander started diving more than 30 years ago as a public safety diver in Illinois. Over the years, he served on multiple diving expeditions around the world. One of his fondest memories was in 2009 when he served on a team that searched for the last missing WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots), Gertrude “Tommy” Thomkins Silver. The WASP organization trained female civilian pilots for military use during World War II. Alexander will discuss efforts made by the team to locate Silver and the P-51 Mustang she piloted.
Before the lecture at 6:30 p.m., a Merry Divemas celebration will be held at 5:30. Festivities include cookie decorating, holiday crafts, photos with Scuba Santa, a holiday-themed scavenger hunt for kids and extended hours to view exhibits. The last admission will be at 6:15 p.m., followed by the presentation.
No reservations are required for Merry Divemas. Those interested in attending the lecture can reserve a seat by calling the museum at 305-664-9737 or emailing the community outreach team at programs@divingmuseum.org. Those unable to attend can visit DivingMuseum.org to get a Zoom link. This session will also be recorded and posted to the HDM YouTube channel. The Hazelbaker family and Hammerhead Marine Services LLC are this month’s Immerse Yourself sponsors.
