That’s My Boy!
You no doubt know of the huge treasure trove of coins discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration and brought back to the States. My youngest, Brett, is an Odyssey employee. As a side scan sonar technician/operator, he searches for such treasures from Odyssey’s ships.
I am proud to say that I can’t write anything about this stupendous find other than what you have already learned from the media because I don’t know anything that the media haven’t covered. Brett is sworn to secrecy, and, by golly Brett is an ethical person. He won’t tell us squat. Gail and I wanted to raise ethical kids but it is a mixed blessing. When the news was made public, the stock went up 58%. This took place while we had money set aside for a house down payment. We could’ve made a small killing, had we but known. Brett didn’t say a word. Truth is, we’re proud of that—proud as punch.
During the time the treasure ship was found in the Atlantic, Brett was searching the Atlantic, and that’s all I know. Of course, in my heart of hearts I know that he was not only on duty when the wreck was discovered, but also that he is the one who first spotted it on the sonar screen. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it until somebody convinces me otherwise.
Now, I’m supposed to tie all this to aviation so let me point out that once they recovered this huge treasure, they flew it back to the States in a chartered 767. If that sounds like an excessive expense, tell me what you would do with a huge fortune (some say a half billion dollars) in coins?
Charter always makes sense when there is a time-critical job, the job is more important than the cost of charter, and there’s no other way to get the job done.
We’d love to post your comments. Please click the comment tab at the top.
Betty–
Thanks so much for your kind words. And, dadgummit, I miss Alabama, too.
Ralph Hood
Like father , like son. Be Proud! Alabama misses you….
David–
I sm delighted that an old aviation pro like you is reading the blog.
Brett is, indeed, the same son who was for years one of the–if not the–youngest real circus ringmasters in the country.
Interesting thing about that boy…
Brett joined the circus for a fling one summer, primarily because I did that for a summer when I was a college student. He was the newest employee on the labor crew. He was also the only one who did not speak Spanish and the only one who did speak English. The very next year he was the ringmaster.
He went to work for the treasure company as an able bodied seaman. Within a year he was a side scan sonar technician.
I said I was proud, didn’t I?
Thanks for commenting,
Ralph Hood
Ralph - is this the same son who was a circus ring master? Treasure sounds almost as exciting.
Tom Vawter–
Well, thanks so much. In case anybody wonders, I did not solicit this commwent, and don’t know Tom Vawter. But I do appreciate him!
Solomon, you never cease to amaze me with you negativity. The folks at Odyssey Marine have always proven to be above board. With more treasure from this wreck still to be recovered, I wouldn’t give the location either.
Our friends in Spain have good cause to be suspicious of Odyssey and its success of late. Fine, Gregg Stemm has stated that he will invite Spanish archaeologist to Tampa to investigate the recovered artifacts, so that they can see for themselves. He has also stated that this wreck is not near Spanish territorial waters. If Spain wants to recover any treasure in its waters they should give OME a call, I am sure they would be more than happy to enter into a contract with them for a share of the booty.
You continually attack OME as being a bunch of scoundrels and modern day pirates just because you don’t know all the facts. Or is it because you just don’t like Treasure Hunters, and think them incapable of providing good archaeology?
The academic archaeologists should try working with the Treasure Hunting community instead of vilifying them.
Tom Vawter
Hey everybody–heads up. The program messed up the comment of Capn Randy Sohn. Here’s what he MEANT to say…
Sir Ralfus - re>>Write me back when one of those investigations is found to be correct<<
Methinks that you’ll be waiting a l-o-n-g time for that letter - but then again, I sure dunno.
Best, Randy
Randy–
I don’t know either, but it surely seems to me that once somebody goes out and gets something done everybody wants to share the rewards. Remember the “modern” version of the Little Red Hen?
Thanks for commenting,
Ralph Hood
Mr. Key–
Write me back when one of those investigations is found to be correct.
Thanks for writing,
Ralph Hood
Seems like a good lad and you are right to be proud.
I would be less proud, though, of the secrecy used by his employer on matters unrelated to the location of their sites.
Spain has cancelled its arrangement for the HMS Sussex salvage, suspecting that this cloak of secercy is hiding something nasty.
None of the ‘history’ offered by the company for the Sussex adds up. Worse, the company refuses to reveal any of this history, even though its documents came from public archives. It cannot even offer a rational explanation for its refusal.
How ethical is looting historic sites? Destroying archaeology? Every institution in this field is against your son’s employer. Did you know this?
So flying the loot to the USA from that offshore tax-shelter was a great idea? Why was this necessary if all was above board? Why didn’t the company use a port and airport closer to the supposed site? If they were frightened of an English court, why not France? Or did they need the shelter of Gibraltar to hide something?
Odyssey Marine swims in murky waters. I know of three international investigations underway into its activities, one on your side of the Atlantic.
Forewarned is forearmed. A nod to the wise.