As the Navy Supervisor of Salvage, Searle was responsible for the planning and buildup for the salvage and harbor clearance forces in South Vietnam, as well as many major salvage and deep ocean search and recovery projects such as the location of the sunken nuclear submarine USS Scorpion. He was also responsible for coordinating the recovery of the H-Bomb lost off Palomares, Spain as a part of Technical Advisory Group (TAG), Chaired by RADM L. V. Swanson.[1][6] Speaking on the H-bomb recovery, Searle noted that "When you think about what we did, it had never been done before".[7]
In 1968, Searle co-authored the first National Oil and Hazardous Materials Pollution Contingency Plan.[1][8]
The Legion of Merit was awarded to Searle on February 24, 1970, by RADM Maurice H. Rindskopf with a citation that states "... CAPT Searle contributed more than any other individual since World War II to the high state of readiness which now exists in the Navy's salvage and diving organization.".[1][10]
Civilian career
Following his retirement in 1970, Searle founded a consulting firm, Searle Consortium Int. In 1971, Searle served as a special consultant in charge of removing shipwrecks from waterways during United Nations operations in Bangladesh.[2]
The Searle Consortium changed its name to MacKinnon-Searle Consortium in 1990 when Rear Admiral Malcolm MacKinnon USN (ret) joined the team.[1] Searle also remained an active member of the marine salvage community by serving as an adviser on several committees.[11][12]
The Harold E. Saunders Award was presented to Searle by the American Society of Naval Engineers in 1985.[14]
Searle was awarded the 1986 Lockheed Martin Award for Ocean Science and Engineering by the Marine Technology Society.[15]
In 1988, Special Recognition was awarded by the Undersea Medical Society for his continuing support of physiological and medical research in undersea development.[1]
The potential for release of PCB in the salvage of the barge Irving Whale prompted the Canadian Government to contact Searle for evaluation of the aft lift cradle in 1996.[16]
Death
Searle died March 31, 2009, at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, of complications from Parkinson's disease.[2] Searle's two marriages both ended in divorce.[2] His survivors include three daughters from his first marriage, two stepdaughters from his second marriage, eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.[2] Searle is scheduled for interment with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on August 10, 2009.[17]
^Searle, Willard F. (editor) (1980). "Proceedings of the International Symposium on Marine Salvage, New York City, October 1–3, 1979". Marine Technology Society: 323 p. {{cite journal}}: |author= has generic name (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)