Charles Bowers Momsen
Vice-Admiral, United States Navy
June 21, 1896- May 25, 1967

United States Naval Academy Class of 1920

This web site is dedicated to my grandfather, Charles Bowers Momsen, who left the world a better place when he passed away in 1967. He dedicated his life and his imagination to the United States Navy and the submarine service. The rescue of 33 survivors from the USS Squalus in 1939, a boat that malfunctioned and sunk to the bottom of the ocean in over 200 feet of water, can be directly attributed to the pioneering work that he did in pursuit of safety for the men who served in the Silent Service. His legacy lives on today in safer deep sea diving procedures as well as in the inventions that he developed for the Navy's Submarine Force.

THE TERRIBLE HOURS, the most recent work of best-selling author Peter Maas, tells the tale of how the Squalus survivors were brought back to the surface of the sea against incredible odds and the salvage of the USS Squalus. It is also the story of my grandfather and the events that inspired him to give his all - against incredible odds of a far different kind - to the Navy that he loved.

With this website, I hope to share with the world my memories of the man I called 'Grandie.' I have heard from many who served with my grandfather during his years in the United States Navy, and will add their memories to mine to tell the tale of a man who, although bigger than life in many ways, was father, grandfather and friend to many.

I also dedicate this site to another Momsen, my father, Charles Bowers Momsen, Jr.,   who attended the Naval Academy and graduated in 1942. He received the Elmer Sperry Award from the Department of Transportation of the United States Government for his part in the development of the Alvin submarine.

These men are the yardsticks with which I learned to measure dedication, bravery, honesty, humility and humanity.

If you have a story to tell about my father or grandfather, please write me at HelenHart@embroideryline.net and I will add it to this sea story - and it will make the telling all the better.

Helen Hart Momsen