Daniel Stabbert
When I saw the email about Mr. B’s Book, it immediately caught my attention, reminding me of Mr. B’s daily devotionals that he so faithfully handed out in front of the school—something I’ll never forget. Back then, he also offered an AutoCAD class during lunch, and that simple opportunity set me on a path that would shape the rest of my life. It led me into the world of maritime design, engineering, and subsea robotics.
A journey that’s taken me from helping locate Apollo 11 booster rockets for Jeff Bezos, to supporting Victor Vescovo’s record-setting dives aboard the Pressure Drop, to conducting oceanographic surveys in the Arctic and Antarctic, and countless other deep-sea expeditions.
But today, I want to pause and give credit where it’s truly due—to Mr. B and the school that helped launch this journey. Since 2016, through STEP Ventures and our “Search for Those on Eternal Patrol,” we’ve been able to locate the final resting places of over 250 Navy servicemen from WWII, including seven submarines lost for decades. Each discovery provides long-awaited closure to families, with sites officially designated as Naval Burial Grounds. None of this would have been possible without the influence of Mr. B’s guidance all those years ago.
The grey vessel in the photo, Ocean Guardian, located the USS Harder last year—and with hope and determination, we aim to find two more submarines this season.