Mary Bonnin

Mary Bonnin enlisted in the United States Navy in 1976. She graduated top of her class, and later became the first enlisted female diver certified in both air and gas diving. While stationed in Puerto Rico with her husband Ralph, who also served as a Navy diver. She continued diving through the 8th month of her pregnancy, and named her first child Mark after the Mark Five brass diving helmet system."Meet Mary Bonnin". U.S. Naval Undersea Museum. U.S. Naval Undersea Museum Foundation. Retrieved 2025-09-26. During her tour she trained over one-thousand divers, and worked in various posts around the ship. She also served as the leading diver safety authority. Mary Bonnin eventually retired from the Navy in 1996.^[2]

Over the course of her military years, she has won many awards and honors. She was added into the Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) in 2000.^[3] The WDHOF was designed originally to give tribute to the most notable divers, however it quickly developed into a tribute of women that helped the exploration of the sea. Many notable women have been inducted into the WDHOF such as: Dr. Eugenie Clark, U.S. Chief Scientist Kathy Sullivan, and many others.^[2]