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Ride ’em, Cowboy

Alvin pilot Valentine Wilson sits atop the research submarine, shown in its earliest incarnation in 1966 (the external shape and design have been altered a bit over the years). After Wilson came back from a trip to the Bahamas sporting a red beret, the hats were adopted as a badge of camaraderie among the members of the Alvin group. (Photo courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Archives)