Telegram-Tribune April 25, 1964
His father was a pioneer icon of aviation. His older brother arguably the most famous kidnap-murder victim in history. Jon M. Lindbergh could have faded into a quiet life but found his own pioneering path under the waves. The second son of Charles, explored world underwater as a commercial diver.
The same single minded concentration that enabled Charles Lindbergh to fly solo from New York to Paris in 33.5 hours was shown in his son who was among the leaders in deep water diving.
Local second generation diver Steve Rebuck said a new era in diving dawned in the 1950s as divers pushed the limits of what could be done to new depths. California had large numbers of divers harvesting abalone and many took their expertise to the new field of underwater construction for the oil industry and other clients. Rebuck cites the book “20,000 Jobs Under the Sea” by Torrance Parker as a good history of the pioneers who invented equipment and procedures to do things that had never been done before. Jon Lindberg was not resting on a famous name, his name is one of the hundred names listed as a pioneer diver in Appendix D of the book.
This story is from the April 25, 1964 Telegram-Tribune.
Lindbergh explores S.L.O. ocean floor
By Ken Morris
Staff WriterOceanographer and diver Jon M. Lindbergh helped complete an underwater inspection Friday of the ocean off Morro Bay Beach State Park in preparation for laying of a submarine telephone cable to Japan.
Lindbergh, and his associates made the inspection for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. which has constructed the cable through the Baywood Park area from a Los Osos Valley terminal in preparation for linking lto the submarine cable in August.
Lindbergh dived to 120 feet a half mile off the south edge of the state park. He was looking for the best route for laying the cable in order to avoid rocks and other obstructions which might cause damage in the tidal area.
Lindbergh, son of the famed flyer, Charles A. Lindbergh, operates an underwater construction firm in San Diego and will complete work for Pacific Telephone in the Morro Bay area in July.
The cable coming from Japan is officially designated as the San Luis Obispo-Yokohama co-axial cable and is expected to be completed late in July. Ceremonies marking the linkup are expected to be held Aug. 3, Lee Balatti, manager of Pacific Telephone’s San Luis Obispo operations, reported.
Meanwhile, the Boston-San Luis Obispo overland cable is also expected to be completed late in July. When the final connection is made, the cable will be over 10,000 miles in length and represent a $200 million project of the American Telephone and Telegraph Co.
Balatti said the tow cables will be linked in a $3.5 million, two-story underground building at Los Osos Road in its journey from Yokohama to Boston.
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Ive just turned 76 years of age and began writng my experiences thru a rather varied life. One of my highlites was working on the San Diego ocean outfall. I was the timekeeper for the project and Jon worked for the city and also woried for San Diego Const.(the company I worked for. I had occasion to go to Jon’s home a couple of time to submit his time while diving on the project. I recall that most of the other hard-hat divers were amazed at his ability to dive in just a wet suit. I also had occasion to meet his mother on one of the evenings we worked on his billing the city and San Diego Const.