Mark Robert Ansnes -
4Jun1951 - 3Dec2023 (Age 72)SP5 - 00B30 Salvage Diver - 86 th Engineer Detachment (Diving) Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060 (1975-ETS) 1978)https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/269823798/mark-robert-ansnes
Reported by/Recollections of David W. Webb
Lest we forget …
In putting together this remembrance, I note a couple of corrections/amplifications needed. Mark actually died on 3Dec2023 (early reports had a later date due to unavoidable issues). I found the funeral home in California and posted comments and photos in remembrance of Mark. Very shortly thereafter, I learned that at the request of Linda (Mark's second wife), his obituary had been removed from the funeral home's website. On Mark's grave marker photo, he's incorrectly shown as being an SP4 (he separated active duty as an SP5).
Some of Mark's diving history reported from Rick Gardner in his 15Dec2023 USADFB post:
"Mark was in the last US Army Salvage Divers’ Course held at Fort Eustis, Va. (July-Dec 1973) before the school closed and the program was moved to the Navy School of Diving & Salvage, Washington DC. Some of his classmates were Randy West, Rick Pifer, Jim Leveille, and Ron Turner."
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I first met Mark Ansnes when in was assigned to the 86th at Ft. Belvoir around Nov, 1975. He was a product of California who loved to verbally "channel" a famous Disk Jockey named Wolfman Jack - who routinely called John Wayne "a effing communist" - and as a child who had been born with a cleft lip that was later surgically corrected, particularly delighted in engaging anyone similarly challenged but who had not been surgically improved in what a politically incorrect person might call "hare lip" affected speech patterns. Mark recounted several episodes where he would engage in affected speech with such an individual, and once they mistakenly believed they'd found a compassionate "kinsman", would launch into his normal voice, chastising the unsuspecting victim with a "And why don't you get that $hit fixed you effing harelipped ba$tard!". I bring all this up, because if you only witnessed one such moment in time, you would never have known the real Mark Ansnes.
When I started with the 86th, Mark was in charge of maintaining diving equipment in the equipment locker - it was a function I would take over before I left the Detachment, and Mark had set high standards. He took great pride in his work, and our equipment was always ready to go at a moment's notice. In those days, the main building the 86th was housed in was a metal building at the bottom of the hill where Warren Road ran into Tompkin's Basin/Pohick Bay waterway, the 511th was housed in a building at the top of the hill. Both units shared the old 77th Motor Pool building which was further South off Johnston Rd. At that time, both 9-man detachments had authorized TO&E that included one Schramm 55CFM low pressure compressor for MKV's and one MAKO 19.5 CFM 3,000PSI compressor which serviced SCUBA gear (and later on, a trailer mounted air bank system). Some of you may remember the blue one man "portable" recompression chamber that was painted blue. I believe it came from an Italian manufacturer, and perhaps its' greatest claim to fame was the time it housed a treasure trove of Coors beer (at the time unavailable east of the Mississippi River) which was claimed in conjunction with a dam inspection job in Oklahoma (that's a different story). I make note of the different areas because Mark's main focus was on SCUBA and KMB-9's in the main building. He ran an especially tight ship on gear housed in our main building.
I'll share a "uniquely Mark" story that happened shortly after I checked into the 86th. At that time, both the 86th and 511th were 9-man detachments attached to the 902nd Float Bridge Company. We stood morning formations on the opposite side of Post from our daily work areas - in front of then very new 3 story enlisted barracks housing complex and the 902nd Admin areas off Goethals Road. All 18 of the divers would line up on the extreme left flank of the Company formation in front of the 902nd admin offices. We had a black First Sergeant whose name I can't remember, who was not at all fond of the divers. Best of my recollection, most of his lectures offered in our direction began with "You Godd@mned divers …" and went rapidly downhill from there. It was December, 1975 and the Virginia weather was cold. Uniforms were Green fatigues, field jackets, gloves, and the old style ball caps (on which we were authorized to wear Diver Rating Badges along with Rank). On the morning in question, all was normal … no wait … what the hell? … Mark is wearing an O.D. Green ballcap that appears perfectly normal except for the fact that the front bill/visor portion is at least three (3) feet long! As the formation was called to attention, we snapped to, but it was all we could collectively do to keep grins minimized and boisterous laughter from erupting! As Top launched into his morning speech, he eventually cast a disparaging gaze in direction of the diver ranks, and his speech continued momentarily until his visual processing loop engaged his brain - speech halted - and all hell broke loose! Orders of the day be damned, Top was now physically charging towards an entirely different mission - that seemingly being to Court Martial Mark Ansnes on the spot! How Mark was able to maintain nearly perfect military bearing in the face of such a vehemently upset First Sargeant delivering a high-volume, curse-laden, saliva spitting verbal ass-chewing remains a vague mystery in my mind to this very day. As I recall, Top didn't buy Mark's explanation that he had drawn the cover in question from uniform supply and while it seemed a bit unusual, he thought it to be within acceptable U.S.G.I. standards (extended bill being designed to protect divers vision from harsh sunlight encountered on the water.) Back in the day, uniform elements (including O.D. Green Ball Caps) could be had with added flair of Korean customization.
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I was on a TDY job when Mark ETS'd in 1978, and I never got the chance to properly say goodbye to him in person. He was one of the very first people to welcome me to the FB Diver community when I stumbled into the group in 2013. I did speak to him on the phone several times and was crushed when our plan to reunite at the 2024 Diver's reunion in Branson, MO died with him. If you've seen or heard the Army Engineer Diver Prayer poem, know that I originally wrote it in Mark's memory. I'm very pleased that it may find expanded use in honored remembrance of all Army diving brothers and sisters who have gone on beyond this life.
Mark Ansnes - you were a hard-working, fun-loving diver whom I could always count on both professionally and personally. It was a great honor to serve with you, and I'm privileged to share a tiny bit of what made you so special with those who come after. Rest In Peace my friend!
David W. Webb - 00B30 - 86th Engineer Detachment (Diving) Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060 (1975-1978)
