A Memorial Day Message HMC Pedro Gonzales

A Memorial Day Message.  HMC (FMF/SW/DV) and Diving Medical Technician Pedro J. Gonzales reported to the Consolidated Divers Unit, now known as the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center Dive Locker, in December 1999. The Petty Officer's Mess knew Pedro as "Pete."  In the fall of 2000, Chief Gonzales was one of the dive team members who assisted with pushing the RC 6500 recompression chamber inside the newly reconstructed chamber medical room.  Pete led the oversight team that monitored contracts to install two diver compressors and all the associated piping for the recompression chamber.  Chief Gonzales applied for a temporary duty assignment with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Hawaii.  Pete met up with his specialized medical team to recover missing prisoner of war remains in Vietnam in February 2001.  Tragically, Chief Petty Officer Gonzales and his medical team were killed in action on 7 April 2002 when their helicopter crashed while in transit to a POW-MIA excavation site in Quan Binh, Vietnam.  Navy Divers at Consolidated Divers Unit dedicated the RC 6500 recompression chamber to Pete shortly after the chamber obtained initial certification in August of 2001.  Consolidated Divers Unit became the hub for Navy Divers, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians, Navy SEALS and other service members suffering from diving-related illnesses and other illnesses requiring recompression chamber therapy.