Retired United States Marine Corps
Jim Roos found the Dive Pirates through the Denver Divers chapter and couldn’t wait to get certified after a Try Scuba session. His wife and dive buddy Joanne is a PADI certified diver and has helped Jim get into diving. A strong swimmer all his life and with a love for travel, Jim is already on his way of being a pirate.
Jim joined the United States Marine Corps in 1966 during the Vietnam War, at a time when any young man not currently enrolled in college was prime material for the draft. He chose the Marines rather than wait for a draft notice and served for 5 months in Vietnam until his injury. During an operation, his unit had inadvertently moved directly into a minefield and wasn’t aware until Jim triggered one. He was swiftly evacuated and received immediate medical attention, but medical personnel had no choice but to amputate his leg above the knee.
After Vietnam, with help from the VA, Jim went back to school and received a degree in Business before being accepted into the University of Colorado. He studied American History in pursuit of a future in law but decided to switch gears and earn a Master’s Degree in International Business on account of his love for traveling. Jim worked in international sales management and then operated his own export business until retirement.
Today, more than 50 years after his injury, Jim remains active in volunteer work and family life. He wears a prosthesis to walk and remains an active swimmer to this day, averaging two to three visits to the pool a week. He has three children, sons Michael and John and daughter Elisabeth; who has two children of her own. Jim and his sons were all Eagle Scouts and love the outdoors, and now he hopes to join them under the water.
