Page Seventeen

Send Photos to “Doc” Riojas

 

 

Robert Shouse  R.I.P.
1926 – 2016

From: Rosalie Shouse
To:     Doc Riojas
Subject:   Robert “Bob” Shouse passed away Friday 15 April 2016 

I have some very bad news, My Bob has passed away Friday.  Bob was 89 years old.  He fell and hit very hard on the a concrete stone at the V.A. parking lot. He damaged his brain because of the severe bleeding and in several hours he passed away.   He will rest at the VA hospital Cemetery and one half of his ashes will be sent to sea at the museum in Fort pierce, Fla. where all the UDT men are laid to rest. 
love  Rosalie

Folks wearing the white T shirts with Bob's picture are either family or shipmates of Bob. Woody Woodward, Doc Riojas , Rosalie Shouse, at the top: Lourdes Tolentino
Robert Wayne Shouse R.I.P. Erasmo "Doc Riojas" SeaDaddy

standing:  John Hobbs, Ernie Caltenbach, Erasmo Riojas, Bob Shouse sitting We all were instructors at the UWSS, Key West FL. at the same time.

Bob Shouse was one of my Sea Daddies,  may he rest in eternal peace.    Erasmo “Doc” Riojas


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Rudy Bosesch
Rudy Bosesch
Jeff Nichols
Mike Day
Mike Day ; I believe holds the SEAL record for getting shot 27 times and is still alive
NDCQ: "Mack" Machowicz
Richard "Mack" Machowicz
https://www.sealtwo.org/seals/William J. Raycox William R. Raycox R.I.P. 1926 - 2018
Fred M. Buker II

     From Salesianum to Navy SEALs command 

James Fisher, 
A Wilmington native and Salesianum graduate is about to become the top commanding officer of the Navy SEALs. 

Rear Adm. Timothy G. Szymanski will be assigned as commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command in San Diego, Calif., the Department of Defense announced Monday. The assignment moves Szymanski from Fort Bragg, N.C., where he is assistant commander of the military’s Joint Special Operations Command. The Navy Times reported Tuesday that Szymanski has also been the deputy commander of the storied and secretive SEAL Team Six. 
                                                        A high school photo of U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Timothy 



A high school photo of U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Timothy G. Szymanski, who graduated from the Salesianum School in 1980. (Photo: Courtesy of the Salesianum School) 

“Leadership takes practice, discipline and sacrifice,” Szymanski told a crowd at the Wilmington Country Club in the 2011 remarks. Leaders invest in their people, lead by example, train themselves out of a job and “delegate until you are uncomfortable,” he said. 
The commander Szymanski is replacing atop the SEALs is Rear Adm. Brian Losey, who has been under investigation for retaliating against whistle blowers in his command.

From: Tom & Janet 
To: Hi Doc Rio,
Tom Boyhan here. Please keep me on your email list. BUD/S class 45 west coast graduated Jun 68 UDT-13 Deployed Dec 68 – Apr 69 SEAL One, Charlie Platoon Dec 69 – Jun 70 (you guest-operated with us on Dung Island) & Romeo Platoon Dec 70 – Jun 71 (unfortunately the last SEAL killed on the ground in VN was my point man Lester Moe) 

Attached are a couple of pictures to jog your memory. 

VC Flag – Long Phu Base, Dung Island – Charlie Platoon L to R: Rich Solano, R.E. Doyle, Lou DiCroce, Tom Boyhan, Mike Thornton and Barry Enoch. Sitting in front Joe Tvrdik 

Thanks for all your work on your website to keep the memories, pictures & stories alive. 
Tom Boyhan

John Roat
Arles Nash
Bill Holloway
Tom holloway
Moki Martin
Art Streeter
Dean Cummings
Bill Goines
Moki Martin
Phillip Gardner howe III

REAR ADMIRAL P GARDNER HOWE, III ASSISTANT COMMANDING OFFICER, JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND 
Rear Adm. Howe is a native of Jacksonville, Fla. He was commissioned in 1984 following his graduation from the United States Naval Academy. 

Howe’s operational assignments have included a full range of duties in SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Teams and SEAL Teams. He commanded Naval Special Warfare Unit Three in Bahrain, and Naval Special Warfare Group Three in San Diego. His service overseas includes multiple deployments to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf, and participation in Operations Earnest Will, Provide Promise, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. 

His key staff assignments include current operations officer at Special Operations Command, Pacific; chief staff officer, Naval Special Warfare Development Group; assistant chief of staff for Operations, Plans and Policy at Naval Special Warfare Command; and director of Legislative Affairs for U.S. Special Operations Command. He assumed duties as assistant commanding officer, Joint Special Operations Command in August 2010. 
Fort Bragg admiral, JSOC assistant commander, is headed to Hawaii 

New ORDERS:


Fort Bragg Rear Adm. Philip G. Howe will become commander of Special Operations Command-Pacific, the Navy announced today. 

Howe is assistant commander for operations of the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg. 

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, the chief of naval operations, announced the assignment. 

In his new job, Howe will be in charge of special operations for U.S. Pacific Command at Camp Smith, Hawaii. The command has more than 1,200 special operations personnel, the website said. 

The Pacific Command’s area of responsibility encompasses about half the earth’s surface, from the waters off the West Coast of the United States to the western border of India and from Antarctica to the North Pole. 

Other subordinate commands include U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Army Pacific, and U.S. Marine Forces, Pacific. The component commands have headquarters in Hawaii and have forces stationed and deployed throughout the region.


Howe graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1995 with a Master of Arts in National Security Affairs (Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict), and from the National War College in 2002 with a Master of Arts in National Security.

Phillip Gardner howe III
Richard "Mack" Machowic
Rick Powers
Don Mann
Riojas Larry Bailey at Doc's home
Seal Team FOUR Grenada
Paul With ST-6 Panama
ST-6
H.E. Wasdin
SEAL Chapter Presidents

To: Erasmo Doc Riojas
Cc: Bill Garnett; Jerry Todd; Bo Burwell; chuck detmer; Alvin McCoy;jim Finley; Larry Rich; Denny Johnson; Gary Wilson; Mark Baum
Subject: Re: SEAL 2 rosters 1967-1971

Doc Riojas,
Here are the platoon rosters you requested. Names and ranks are per Vietnam-era documents I hold; should be accurate.
Rick  “Ranger Rick” Woolard

THIRD Platoon, SEAL Team TWO, Naval Base Nha Be, South Vietnam, June-December 1968:
LT(JG) Richard P. “Rick” Woolard
ENS John C. “Bubba” Brewton
ENC Solomon D. Atkinson
BM1 William A. Garnett
BM1 Jerry L. Todd
HM1 Paul (PT) Schwartz (returned to CONUS early, replaced by Burwell)
HM1 Lowell E. “Bo” Burwell
BM1 Charles “Chuck” Detmer
GMG1 Ronald Fox
BM1 Carl D. “Skip” Isham
ADJ2 Gerald R. McClure
SM3 Julius Ramos
MM2 Leroy P. Delaine
ADJ3 Alvin F. McCoy
AE3 James H. Warmack
————————-
THIRD Platoon, SEAL Team TWO, Advanced Tactical Support Base Song Ong Doc, South Vietnam, October 1969-April 1970:
LT Richard P. “Rick” Woolard
LT(JG) Anthony J. Mihalic (returned to CONUS early, not replaced)
BMC William A. Garnett
BM1 Jerry L. Todd
HM1 Lowell E. “Bo” Burwell
BM1 James F. Finley
SM2 Michael D. Kelley
GMG2 Dennis H. Johnson
SFP2 Frederick J. Keener
BM2 William A. McCarthy
BM3 William F. Beebe
QM3 Laurence F. Rich
YN3 Gary S. Wilson
CYN3 Robert H. Gammell
EM3 Mark T. Baum

x

 

Statue to honor fallen South Sioux City  sailor and his K9

Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal

Chan Follen, sister of fallen U.S.Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Douangdara, stands Tuesday with a stature honoring her brother and his K9, Bart, at the South Sioux City Public Works offices.  The Statue, created by California sculptor Susan Bahary, will be officially unveiled during a ceremony Monday at the city’s John Douangdara Memorial War K9 Park. Douangdara and Bart died in a 2011 helicopter crash in Afghanistan.  Douangdara was one of 29 warriors lost during a helicopter attack by the Taliban in Afghanistan in August 2011. 

 

Navy SEALS sacrificed to political correctness? Families say insane rules of
engagement cost their sons’ lives
  Published: 05/09/2013


Jonathan H. Kaloust, US Navy SEAL Killed And At Least Five Others Injured In Training Accident      Paul Szoldra and Michael Kelley | May 17, 2013, 

 

Widow of ‘American Sniper’ Navy SEAL speaks at NRA convention 
Published May 05, 2013
142nd NRA Convention
Dave and Rio…Something for your archives: Winning PAC Fleet 1985 SEAL Team 5 Small Command Rifle and Pistol Team Pictured right to left: PO 2 Gordon Evans PO 2 Jerry Parnin Lt jg Dave Courtney PO 3 Mike Bay LCDR RJ Thomas PO 3 Jerry McCaully (KIA Iraq) SCPO Chuck Miller PO 3 Jessie

 

 rt-lt:  Gordon Evans , Jerry Parnin, Dave Courtney, Mike Bay, R.J. Thomas, Jerry McCaully, Chuck Miller, Jessie

As you can see I wasn’t wearing my Distinguished Pistol badge despite having distinguished with the short gun the year before (as far as I know, I’m the only Double Distinguished Navy shooter who Distinguished with the Rifle as Enlisted and Pistol as a Lt) it took them two years to get me the DP Badge. I was the first UDT/SEAL to Distinguish and the first to Double Distinguish. I made the Olympic trials with the Shotgun (Bunker was my chance to triple Distinguish) but had to deploy with my platoon…wouldn’t have mattered anyway…we boycotted the Olympics that year. We have had several guys in the Teams Distinguish with the Rifle and Pistol and a couple Double Distinguish.. .I like to think that is my legacy at the Teams…I taught those fine young men how to shoot. 

Out here, RJT


 

  Pete Slempa was the MCPOC at ST1 when I arrived as an FNG. He was tough but fair. He the epitome of the Quiet Professional.              John Chalus

 


SEAL Team 6 Member Brett ‘Shady’ Shadle Killed, Another Injured in Freefall Training

John Darlowe Boswell, a true American folksinger, died Saturday, March 23, at the age of 69, from complications of pneumonia. John was born March 2, 1944 in Lubbock. He attended Lubbock High School and Texas Tech University. He was an assistant band instructor. John served in the Navy in Vietnam from 1967 to 1970 on Underwater Demolition Team ELEVEN as a frogman, and later was on the Apollo Ten capsule recovery team. John spent several years in Hawaii as a scuba diving instructor. John volunteered for duty with the Underwater Demolition Teams and underwent the training during 1967-1968. He then took advanced diving training with mixed gas; in 1968 he graduated from the US Army Airborne Training at Fort Benning Georgia and two survival schools including “JEST” (Jungle Environment Survival Training). During 1968-1969 he was the Officer-in-Charge of a swimmer reconnaissance group that conducted clandestine reconnaissance missions in enemy territory. He led as many as four missions in a single day. During this time he earned the respect of men and of commanding officers of the commands he interacted with. He retained the loyalty and friendship of the men he led throughout his life. When members of the Underwater Demolition Teams and SEAL Teams gather, John’s name is mentioned with high regard. John spent over 30 years traveling the entire U.S. and half of Canada making his living as a folksinger and doing “odd jobs” while living in his truck Old Blue. In his


On Thu, Nov 10, 2011  Mark Lookabaugh   mailto:     mark_lookabaugh  [at] att.net  wrote: 

Hi Doc, 
Hope you are well. 
Was updating my USS Brewton site today, looking at the pictures and re-reading again about all the things you two went through together in Vietnam. 
Just wanted to say thanks again for everything you have done for our country, and for everything you’ve done to help everyone learn about and remember those times. You’ve given a lot, more than your fair share, and it is appreciated. 
Our country is very lucky to have men like you who are willing to serve hard and give everything to protect us. I consider myself lucky to call you my friend. If there is ever anything I can do for you to help repay the debt in any small way, please let me know. 
Hope you have a wonderful Veteran’s Day. 

Your friend,           Mark Lookabaugh     http://www.ussbrewton.com/book. 

Doc Rioja’ Note:
Thank you for your service. And let me know when the next BREWTON reunion and if it is not too far, i may attend. Doc Riojas Thank you very much Mark. 
Tom Keith was on that Patrol, he remembers a lot and he also collaborated with some of the SEALs that are still alive before writing his book. 

On 11/11/2011  Erasmo “Doc” Riojas wrote: 

thank you Mark.] I am so pleased that the USS Brewton is still being celebrated. I turned 80 yo this year. I never thought i would live this long. LOOK: the story of Bubba Brewton in ‘nam: SEAL Warrior: The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B005CDV5OA/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link


J. David Heward, 96 SCARBOROUGH —

 J. David Heward, 96, of Sebago Lake and South Paris, passed away on April 3, 2013. He was born on June 24, 1916, in Yarmouth, the son of Albert and Angeline Heward. Dave served in WWII and the Korean War. He was very proud of being in Naval Combat Demolition units that later became the Navy SEALs. 


Who is Al Horner?.. 
.BUD/S 45-East Coast, UDT 21, 
Team Leader Leap Frogs (UI with Hershel and Norm Olson), 
OIC first SDV Group East Coast (UI with Tom Winter) ,
now Pres North Central UDT/SEAL Chapter. 

Dick Payne 
to me Chief 
Thanks for your reply. You mention posting some pictures and story. Did you find my Picasa web site? 

That is an open site with anybody free to see it (although I originally prepared it for my family) so you have my OK. There is not much information available on the Internet about the Korean War. I like to spread the word about it. Pretty soon there will not be many of us left to do that. 

Did you know Lt. George Van Sant? He was a big, tall guy, maybe 6’5″–pants legs always above his field shoe tops. He was my 2nd Plt. Leader when I arrived in Korea in July, 1952. I just heard he had passed on a few days ago. He wrote a book, his memoirs, “Taking On The Burden Of History”, which does an excellent job of describing the fighting in 1952 for the Marines. My memory of events differs from his in some instances but, all in all, an interesting account. He really slams the Battalion commander for needlessly getting Marines killed. 

Sadly, too many of our Korean War comrades are leaving us. I attended services today for a former Dog 2/1 Marine. About ten years ago I organized bi-monthly luncheons for the former members of 2/1 that live in the Puget Sound region. We started with about 15 to 20 Marines and Corpsman. Now we are really lucky to get five and usually have just three or four that meet due to deaths and the loss of mobility. 

I appreciate having your phone number, but my hearing is very bad–too many artillery and mortar shells too close plus a hand grenade which exploded just next to me caused the problem according to the VA. My VA hearing aids do not work well with telephone receivers. 

Where did you end up after the 3rd MarDiv went to Japan? 

The last entry Ancestry.com shows for you is: 
Name: Erasmo Riojas Muster Date: Aug 1953 Rank: E4 Station: Transients 2D Prov Cas Bn Force Troops Fmf Pac Camp Pendleton Calif, Mri Camp Pendleton 

We are both listed on the same page of the muster roll for the outfit. 

Did you also end up at Camp Lejeune? Or as I always think of it, “Swamp Lagoon”. Although I ended up with some good duty there (TAD to Sick Call at the Camp Dispensary) and had been promised the next Med Cruise, I was sure happy to be sent to a ship home-ported at Brooklyn Navy Yard. Prior to my FMF time I had been at St. Albans Naval Hospital so was familiar with the area. 

A quick story. I served on a Hydrographic Survey Ship, the USS Maury, AGS 16–a part of the working Navy. I think I was the only sailor on the ship with combat experience. During the first inspection I stood on ship the captain said, ” I see you have a Purple Heart. How did you get that?” I replied, ” I served as a Navy Corpsman with the 1st Marine Division in Korea, Sir.” He smiled, nodded his head and walked on. Every inspection after that he always nodded his head and smiled at me as he walked past. Normally he was a real stickler at inspection. I pushed things. I used to go without shaving for a couple of days, wear an unpressed uniform, un-shined shoes, etc. Always a nod and smile to me while other sailors were having their names taken. I did not push him too far, but played the game of staying at the edge. 

I had many interesting experiences with the Navy and enjoyed my time there, but since I primarily tell Marine stories, go to Marine Reunions and events, visit with Marines, wear a Marine cap, and so on my wife thinks of me as being a Marine. I do not know how she will react if they hold a US Navy service for me at the national cemetery when my time comes. I need to check into that. 

Regards 

Dick Payne


Hi Doc, 

I saw this call for help for Minh and I thought I better respond. I spent my 2nd tour in My Tho where I had the good fortune to have Minh as my interpreter and friend for 6 months. I sent some money when the teams called for assistance to get Minh and his family over here so that they could live out their days in the comfort of America and among friends.

 I was disappointed, as I’m sure everyone was, that the red tape of immigration services got in his way. He was a patriot and a great friend to all SEALS. I am going to send you some money for Minh but I need an address and information as to how to make out the check. 

Frank Cleary told me your great story that you got out of the Navy/Teams and went to med school and now your are practicing medicine – what an absolutely great story!. What type of medicine are you practicing? Now that I am in my “later years” I may need your services. 

I hope to hear from you soon 

Bill Bishop 


to wjdsfm, jhojr, Pbrvet6869, PBR534, RivDiv534, amay, Linecmdr, Lobstafish, MarvinMcFeaters, cpolynch, patrick.lee, Chinhle, jconnorton, tpac, richard.g.morg., sfbwr, rfriedman, geoleo, gsd.hawaii, peter, frank.sands, thodsdon, debra.mcguire, bnaples, johnmerson 

Loving House Project 
Everybody deserves a home 
Dear friends, 

I recently returned from My Tho, Vietnam where I participated in the dedication of ten more new homes for poor veteran families. The families, the local government, Joe Hursey and I once again thank you for your meaningful donations–every penny of which went directly for labor and materials! 

Like our trip in 2012, the project was highly successful. All of the families chosen were extremely poor, yet dedicated to working hard. Most had family members with health issues that had led to their not being able to afford decent living conditions. Attached are a few pictures of some of the new homes, the families and the local government. There were many touching moments during these dedication ceremonies: •One new home now has four generations living together, finally, under a solid roof. The grandmother and grandfather are both in their 90s. •During three of the dedications, poor neighbors humbly came forward with small envelopes containing cash donations. •One family member, Dien, built the entire house himself. Your contributions provided all the materials. •Cam shook my hands with tears in his eyes. His hands, like most working family members’, were hard and callused from years of labor in the rice fields and at construction sites. •

With grateful tears in his eyes, the District Leader in Go Cong asked me to thank you all, personally, for your generous contributions. We built eight of the new homes in his District–one of the poorest in the province. 

We want to build ten additional homes in 2014! Mr. Tinh, National Assembly member in My Tho Province, has asked us to build ALL of the new homes in the District of Tan Phu Dong, a group of several narrow islands at the mouth of the Mekong River that have been affected by climate change. This is the poorest district in the province and one of the poorest in the entire Mekong Delta. 

We once again ask you to give generously to provide some of the poor of Tan Phu Dong with solid roofs, electricity, running water and safe shelter to help strengthen and sustain their families. We will be in touch in the months ahead to give you more details and remind you of this opportunity to give back to the poor of Vietnam. 
Please specify that your gift is for “Vietnam housing” and mail your tax deductible contribution to: 

The Loving House Project 

With countless thanks and warmest regards, Cám on, 

John J. Donovan


On Tue, Apr 16, 2013 at 8:15 PM, Dave Rogers <daver1235711@yahoo.com> wrote:

Doc Rio,

I do not believe we have ever met, but as I do occasionally I googled my own name just to see what is floating ‘out there’ about me and stumbled upon your page, on which my picture appears four times (two of me, on of class 150 and my platoon in Panama during invasion.)

Just wanted to say thanks.  Strange to find myself there, but looking at the company I am keeping on your page, I am highly honored to appear there, even if it was just random chance that you came across my pictures. 

Dave Rogers

Chris Bent and Ray at Tortugas
Navy Frogman, Need an ID !

REALITY CHECK 

This information is presented on other web sites, both official and unofficial, at various sites around the Internet. It is gathered here in one place for those who have not had the time or opportunity to chase it all down. 

MANPOWER – The REAL Numbers 

Since 1943 (during World War II) there have only been about 17,800 men who have served in “operator” billets within the Naval Special Warfare community. This number includes approximately 2,200-2,400 men who are currently serving on active duty, as well as all of the men who served with the various units that were precursors to today’s SEAL Teams, going all the way back to the earliest days of WWII and the Naval Amphibious Scouts and Raiders (S&R), the Naval Combat Demolitions Units (NCDUs), the Underwater Demolition Units (UDUs), and the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs). 

In addition to the men currently serving on active duty, there are only about 7,000 living “former” SEALs. Our nation’s population is roughly 330 MILLION. That means that there is one (1) living “former” Navy SEAL for every 47 THOUSAND American citizens. Although there are higher numbers of “former” Navy SEALs residing in urban areas closest to east, west, and Gulf Coast Naval bases and stations, it is still highly unlikely that you will encounter a real Navy SEAL in person. You have far greater chances of meeting or working beside a former professional NFL football player, a professional “big league” baseball player or a famous politician than you have of ever encountering a real Navy SEAL. 

BUD/S TRAINING – How Many, How Often, How Long 

First and foremost the only men who can serve as US Navy SEALs are members of the US Navy. With the exception of a scant few specially selected foreign military men, the only people who may attend SEAL training are US Navy sailors. Those foreign military men do NOT participate in any supplemental or secondary SEAL training, they NEVER receive a designation as a US Navy SEAL, and they are NOT authorized to wear the US Navy SEAL insignia. Those foreign military men return to their home nations and carry the lessons they learned in SEAL training back to their comrades in arms. Despite false claims made by countless imposters to the contrary, members of other branches of the US Armed Forces have NOT historically been eligible to attend SEAL training. In 2008 a decision was made to open up access to the SEAL program to select members of the US Coast Guard. By the end of 2008 only five (5) men had been selected for the training – four (4) officers and one (1) enlisted man. In 2011 the experimental “exchange program” was shut down by the USCG, with only a handful of USCG men making it through training into the SEAL Teams. Having the training program, those successful USCG graduates will serve in the US NAVY as members of a SEAL Team for the duration of the obligated service (4yr 4 mos) which is a part of that training program contract. Thereafter they will have an option of returning to the USCG. 

Navy Basic Training (Boot Camp) takes about 3 months. After boot camp, a man who is destined for SEAL training may be sent to rate training – formal schooling in one of numerous areas of technical specialization that lasts from 5 to 14 weeks – prior to his reporting to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training at the Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC) in Coronado, California. Many sailors who wish to attend SEAL training, and who have passed the rigid prerequisite screening test, still spend a year or more in the regular fleet before they are transferred to the NSWC for training. Only about 2 men out of every 100 who take initial physical screening tests for the SEAL training program manage to complete it with scores sufficient to result in assignment to BUD/S. 

BUD/S training classes are very limited, with only about four classes convening each calendar year. Each class normally convenes with 150 or more men. Training lasts for 28 weeks, and the attrition rate is usually between 65% and 80%. While successful completion of BUD/S training is an absolute prerequisite to becoming a US Navy SEAL, graduation from BUD/S does not automatically qualify a man as a SEAL. Those who voluntarily drop out of the program or who are disqualified for any reason will return to the regular Navy fleet and be assigned duties in the skill rating which they acquired prior to attending BUD/S. 

Following BUD/S training, graduates remain attached to the NSWC in Coronado while they complete a secondary training program currently known as SEAL Qualification Training (SQT). During the first decade and a half of the SEAL Team’s existence that secondary training was actually conducted under the direction of the SEAL Team to which a man had been assigned upon completing training. After a new BUD/S graduate reported to the SEAL Team he underwent additional training which lasted approximately six months. During that time period the new man was “on probation” and did not officially hold full SEAL credentials. At the end of that supplemental training program and period of probation, the new man was evaluated by his superiors. If deemed physically and mentally suited for SEAL Team duty and if he had successfully completed all of the secondary training program, the new man was officially granted SEAL status. An entry was made in his Personnel Record designating him as a “COMBATANT SWIMMER (SEAL)” and his Naval Enlisted Classification (NEC) code was changed to reflect that new status. At that point he was a fully-credentialed Navy SEAL. 

SEAL QUALIFICATION TRAINING (SQT) 

The ‘old way’ of handling secondary training caused new BUD/S graduates to be listed on the manpower roster of the SEAL Team, but prevented them being utilized by that Team until they had successfully completed the full secondary training program, and the probation period. The SEAL Team manpower roster may have been full, but not all of the men listed there could be deployed as fully-trained SEALs. This handicapped the SEAL Teams and effectively left them shorthanded, despite a full manpower roster. To remedy this situation, the secondary training effort was relocated to the Naval Special Warfare Center (where BUD/S is conducted). The new BUD/S graduates would now complete their secondary training and probation period, and became fully-credentialed SEALs before ever being assigned to a SEAL Team. This meant that every man assigned to a SEAL Team was fully qualified and could be utilized by the command without waiting. 

The 15-week SQT program includes Basic Airborne (Parachute) Training at the US Army’s Fort Benning, Georgia, as well as numerous other courses involving specialized skills and equipment. Like BUD/S, there is no guarantee that all of the men who enter SQT will successfully complete the program. At the end of SQT training, each graduate receives his SEAL Trident breast insignia, and his personal military record is updated to show he is officially designated as a US Navy SEAL. Each man’s skill rating is then changed from whatever it was when he entered training to SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR or “SO”. Each graduate then receives an assignment to one of the various SEAL Teams within the US Navy. 

Many SEAL imposters claim to have attended “secret SEAL training” and offer this as a reason why there are no records of their claimed service. In reality, the BUD/S training program is completely unclassified. While there are other training steps (as described above) that must be completed on the path to becoming a fully qualified US Navy SEAL, BUD/S training is the first and most vital, and that training course is totally unclassified. 

Without having first completed BUD/S training, a man cannot go on to attend SQT or any additional courses, and absolutely cannot become a US Navy SEAL. There are no exceptions and no “special cases”. There are no special “tests” that a man can take in order to bypass BUD/S training, there are no “short courses”, and no one is sent directly from the regular Navy fleet to the SEAL Teams. Every man who wishes to be a SEAL must successfully complete the entire BUD/S training program, and then must successfully complete the entire SQT program. 

Before any secret missions are undertaken every man who participates in “classified ops” has to have already successfully completed BUD/S training, and SQT, including Jump School, SERE School, Winter Movement training, Close Quarters Combat, and dozens of other physical and technical training courses. The Navy maintains records of ALL of the men who go through BUD/S and SQT, and ALL of the classes that these men attend, and the units to which they are ultimately assigned. Specifics about combat operations are not normally a part of a man’s military record (unless as description of some particular action is included in an award or commendation). Regular military personnel records accurately track what schools a man has completed and what rank he has achieved. These records are readily available from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri and may be obtained under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA). 

From the day he first reports for BUD/S training to the day a man is ready to deploy as a fully trained, fully integrated member of an operational SEAL platoon, requires a bare minimum of 18 months. Depending on the amount of time between various training classes and schools, it can very often take two full calendar years or more to complete the process. Having spent considerable time and money to train a man for duty as a SEAL, the Navy expects a return on the investment. Therefore, once a man has successfully graduated from SEAL training, he is contractually obligated to serve for a specific number of years as an active duty SEAL before he may elect to leave the Teams and return to the fleet, or opt to leave the Navy entirely. This obligation may be shortened, of course, by injury or medical circumstances. 

SECRET “SEALED” RECORDS – A Movie Myth 

Anyone claiming that their records have been “sealed” because they contain information about their “classified missions” is making a completely false statement. As noted above, individual “missions” or combat assignments are NOT normally recorded or referenced in any man’s service record unless they form part of a commendation or award statement. There may be notations relating to “deployments” (these are often referred to as “tours”), but NEVER to any individual “missions”. Deployments take the form of a collective assignment for all members of a given SEAL platoon and generally last 4 to 6 months. These deployments amount to temporary assignments, either to a particular area of operations or aboard a naval vessel. 

Anyone claiming that records of their service as a SEAL have been destroyed “to protect them from repercussions” or that portions of their records pertaining to SEAL service have been deleted “to uphold National Security”, is making a completely false statement. Such claims are invariably used in the motion picture industry to heighten the “secret agent” aspects of a movie, but such claims bear little or no resemblance to the factual world of the real US Navy SEALs. 

The Navy doesn’t seal personnel records to prevent revelation of their classified contents – that only happens in pulp fiction – or the movies! NO records of SEAL training have been purposely or accidentally destroyed by fire or other means. If you are told that records were burned up in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center, you should know that there was a fire at that facility in 1973, however, the fire only burned a relatively small number of Army and Air Force records. You can read about this fire and the damages which resulted at: 

www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_records/fire_1973.html 

THE SEAL DATABASE 

The SEAL Database currently lists slightly more than 17,900 men, of whom (as noted above) about 2,400 are currently on active duty. That SEAL Database is a product of the Naval Special Warfare Archives, and while it is not “classified”, it is most certainly considered to be “extremely sensitive” information and is not available for general distribution or public dissemination. The SEAL Database spans the time from early 1943, during WWII, to the present day. Information related to the Naval Special Warfare units which served in the very earliest days of WWII is held by the Naval Special Warfare Archives and the UDT-SEAL Association. There is no other more complete resource regarding the men who have successfully completed UDT/SEAL training, and it is certainly the best and most accurate method of verifying an authentic, genuine US Navy SEAL. This is the same database that SEALs use for authentication among themselves when they are not known to each other, and it is recognized by the UDT-SEAL Association, the UDT-SEAL Museum, and the US NAVY as a complete and comprehensive listing of Naval Special Warfare members available. 

The SEAL database is thoroughly researched and based on original US Navy records and documentation dating from the present back to the early 1940’s. Principal in the compilation of the database are the graduation records for the Navy’s UDTR/UDTRA, the older acronyms for the training program which is now known as Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training program. As each new class graduates from BUD/S training and the subsequent SQT training course, their names are added to the database. 

The SEAL database was created by a private, non-governmental organization (the Naval Special Warfare Archives). While a copy of this database was presented to the US Navy for their own use, and they have expanded upon many of the information fields in that file, the original database is still held in private hands, and has never been subject to any manipulations by the Department of Defense. SEALs who have been removed from the Teams or who have had their SEAL status revoked are listed in the database along with those men whose service is exemplary. Records are never deleted or altered, and they are not subject to any control or censure by US government or US naval authorities. The SEAL database contains the names of those who have successfully completed the BUD/S program and SQT; if a man’s name is not listed in the database, then he did NOT complete SEAL training… and he is not a US Navy SEAL. The SEAL database is regularly updated with the names of those who have successfully completed training, and who are subsequently assigned to duty with one of the SEAL Teams. 

It is important to note – and it cannot be overstated – that it is possible for a man to successfully complete BUD/S training and still NOT be a US Navy SEAL. Although the vast majority of men who complete BUD/S training do, in fact, go on to successfully complete the supplemental SEAL QUALIFICATION TRAINING course (SQT) and all of the additional training courses needed to achieve SEAL status, there have been and will continue to be a very few men who have not completed all of those programs/steps, and who never become SEALs. The last step to becoming a SEAL is the peer review and the award of SEAL OPERATOR status. For enlisted men this includes a formal assignment of the skill rating SO (Special warfare Operator), and the associated Naval Enlisted Classification (NEC) code. For officers this includes a formal designation as a Navy Special Warfare Officer, and the assignment of the associated Naval Officer Billet Code (NOBC). 

VIETNAM 

Although there were a very few individual SEALs acting as military advisors in Vietnam as early as 1962, the FIRST deployment of SEALs as combat forces did not take place until February 1966. 

The last full SEAL platoon deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in 1971, and returned to the United States about 6 months later. Thereafter, only seasoned, experienced SEAL combat veterans were sent to Vietnam, singly or in pairs, acting as military advisors. 

The LAST SEALs serving in Vietnam were returned to the US in November 1972. The Paris Peace Accords were signed in January 1973, stipulating a mutual cessation of hostilities, and an exchange of POWs. The last US combat troops (from all branches of US armed forces) left Vietnam and returned to the United States on 29 March 1973. Thereafter the only US military forces in Vietnam were the mere handful of US Marines officially assigned as the security force at the US Embassy in Saigon. The Vietnam War was at an end for all US combat forces. Only a small diplomatic embassy staff remained in Saigon. 

On 30 April 1975 – two full years after all US combat forces left Vietnam – the North Vietnamese forces invaded Saigon (in direct violation of their agreements as stipulated in the Paris Peace Accords). With the imminent threat of being overrun by NVA forces, the US Embassy was evacuated… officially ending the US diplomatic presence in Vietnam. 

There were a grand total of no more than about 250 SEALs sent to Vietnam, and only about 750 UDT “Frogmen” who served in the Republic of Vietnam or the coastal waters immediately offshore during the entire time span of the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1973. The Platoon designations, dates of deployment, and duration of deployments are known factors. Anyone claiming to be a SEAL during the Vietnam conflict should be able to easily provide this information. While specifics about duty activities during such deployments may be considered “sensitive”, the facts regarding a deploying unit’s identification, deployment start and end dates, and duration of deployment are NOT classified and can be quickly verified. 

POST VIETNAM ERA 

From the end of the Vietnam War (for US forces) in January 1973 until the military actions conducted on the Caribbean island of Grenada in October 1983, there were very few Navy SEALs who saw any sort of combat. BUD/S Training continued to turn out graduates, secondary training was conducted to create credentialed SEALs, and additional, supplemental training programs in various specialized skills were carried on continuously. Funding was greatly reduced, and SEALs often paid their own travel expenses in order to attend supplemental training programs around the country. An entire decade of Navy SEALs was fully and completely trained for war, but there was no war to carry out. Some few Navy SEALs were tasked with assignments in foreign locations, assisting other branches of the military, but the steady platoon deployments of the Vietnam era were at an end… at least temporarily. 

IMPOSTER’S CLAIMS 

As noted above, it is quite common for those making fraudulent SEAL claims – especially claims involving extraordinary combat heroics – to cite a “secret” training class or “secret mission” as an explanation for the lack of military documentation to back up their stories. Not being satisfied with SEAL claims alone, these imposters often make additional claims of other very specialized skills or assignments (sniper, courier, martial arts instructor, etc), or of participation in covert operations for the CIA or other “shadowy” government agencies. These totally bogus claims are made in order to emphasize the “ultra-secret” nature of the work they claim to have done, to underline their supposedly exceptional value as an “elite” service member, and to underscore their claims regarding the “extremely classified” and “inaccessible” nature of their military records. 

The overall intention, of course, is to convey to the listener the idea that the person making the statements is not only an “extraordinary and deadly warrior”, but also one of the select few persons the government has decided to trust with the most sensitive, highly classified information… all in an effort to make the storyteller appear “better” or “superior” to those to whom he tells his tall tales. 

SEALS ARE NOT SPIES 

Readers are reminded that the acronym “SEAL” is a composite of three words – Sea, Air, and Land – the three environments within which the men of the SEAL Teams are trained to operate. Contrary to what many SEAL imposters would like you to believe, the acronym “SEAL” is NOT a composite of the words “Secret” “Agent” “Lad”! SEALs are military men, generally operating as a cohesive unit – a TEAM – assigned to carry out legitimate (although often covert) military assignments. They are not running around individually, acting like spies, playing at being “James Bond in uniform”, or carrying out any of the outrageous crap depicted on TV and the movie screen. All too many of the bogus stories told by SEAL imposters are based upon themes played out in spy novels and movies – tales of daring lone operatives functioning as spies and/or assassins far behind enemy lines. The SEAL imposters are counting on the idea that civilians don’t know the real truth about SEAL duty, and they are desperately hoping that listeners will believe stories which sound like those depicted in thrilling and sensational movies. 

INDISCRIMINANT KILLINGS – Another Myth 

A huge number of the tales told by imposters include claims of having performed heinous acts such as killing innocent women or children. Invariably such claims are intended to convey a mixed message to the listener… the story teller describes himself as being “sickened by what he was required to do”, and often cites his personal disgust as the reason he was “thrown out of the Teams”… and the reason that all records of his service were erased. At the same time, by telling such stories, the SEAL imposter communicates to his listeners the idea that he is a violent, dangerous, and cold-blooded individual, that he (supposedly) WAS willing to kill innocent women and children when called upon to do so, and that because he is such a dangerous and efficient killer, he is a person to whom great deference and respect should be shown. 

-SEALs ARE sailors serving in the US Navy – not soldiers, not airmen, not coast guardsmen, and not marines… 

-SEALs ARE highly trained, highly intelligent, extremely physically fit warriors… 

-SEALs ARE quiet, extremely self-confident professionals, not generally given to bragging or threatening… 

-SEALs ARE military men, subject to the restrictions and stipulations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)… 

-SEALs ARE NOT CIA “James Bond” super spy type operatives single-handedly carrying out hair raising ultra-secret “missions” against enemy governments and forces… 

-SEALs ARE NOT indiscriminate killers, standing knee deep in grenade pins and spent cartridge casings, wielding bloody combat knives, assuming theatrical martial arts poses, and insisting that people call them by insipid nicknames, supposedly official “code names”, or ridiculously fabricated “call signs” such as “Creeping Death”, “Death Merchant”, “the Angry Gorilla”, “Avenger”, or “Lone Wolf”… 

-SEALs ARE NOT war criminals committing indiscriminate mayhem and heinous acts of mass murder at the ultra-secret behest of their government, or piling up “body counts” in the hundreds or even thousands. 

WEEKEND MISSIONS and SURGICALLY IMPLANTED MICROCHIPS 

Many SEAL imposters have convinced their listeners that they are actually secret operatives for the US government, participating in exciting, life-threatening covert actions around the world… but only on the weekends! Many claim that while they go about their normal work-a-day jobs they are also in weekly or even daily contact with government authorities, waiting for crucial assignments that will take them to far lands and high adventure. They often cite the names of government officials currently mentioned in the news media as a way of adding a sense of realism to their false claims. These tall tales generally include claims of “leave-on-Friday-return-on-Sunday” secret missions that make James Bond movies look like gentle nursery tales. Several SEAL imposters have even added fantastic claims of the government surgically implanting microchips and or long distance communications devices in their bodies, ostensibly so they are never out of touch and can always be located by their “government handlers”. Of course they also claim that the surgery was so skillfully accomplished that no scarring or evidence of the surgeries remains to betray their existence. 

There have been speculative documentary shows about the idea of implanting microchips bearing emergency medical information in people who have unusual medical conditions or who are under high health risks, but this is not routinely done with US Navy SEALs. Real Navy SEALs don’t have “GPS locator chips” surgically tucked away in the muscles of their body against the possibility that they become separated from their unit behind enemy lines. It happens in the movies, but not in real life. 

The truth is that only fully active duty members of the US Navy can be Navy SEALs. They go to work at a military base or location on a daily basis. They muster and train daily, follow a military schedule, wear military uniforms, stand rotating military watches, and suffer through regular uniform inspections… just like all the other members of all the other branches of the US military armed forces. 

The only “civilian SEALs” in existence are member of the US Naval Reserves. They attend regular reserve unit drill weekends once a month, and spend two weeks a year on Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA). If a SEAL is serving in harm’s way, it’s because he is on active duty. If he is a reservist, then he must first be called to active duty BEFORE he is sent into harm’s way. 

He will have printed orders to report for duty, uniforms and equipment allotments, and very specific schedules to which he must adhere. If a member of a SEAL reserve unit is called to active duty, it won’t be for just a weekend, it will be for an extended period of time (6 months, 1 year, 2 years, etc), and it will be as a result of a MOBILIZATION order affecting most or all of the members of his reserve unit. 

“SADDAM IN THE GUN SIGHTS”… and WHAT MAKES A SEAL DIFFERENT 

One of the most frequently offered stories told by SEAL imposters is the claim of having had Saddam Hussein, or Osama bin Laden, or Mohammar Quadaffi (or some other high profile, newsworthy dictator) in their gun sights, but not being given “green light authorization to shoot”… as if SEALs in combat situations somehow need to “phone home” for permission to pull a trigger! 

More than half of what separates SEALs from other military men is what is between their ears. SEALs are highly intelligent, and their training emphasizes a reliance on their intelligence and initiative to do their jobs without having to call for decisions from higher authority. The situations under which SEALs operate often make such contact with higher authority virtually impossible. 

In war movies a constant dialog takes place between the main characters, either through verbal discussions between buddies or constant radio calls to “HQ”. This is unrealistic, but it is necessary to keep the audience informed about what is going on, and to move the plot forward. In contrast to such an artificial situation, real SEALs hardly ever speak when on an operation. Hand and arm signals used by the SEALs carry as much information as sign language for the deaf. The primary mission of the SEAL Teams is intelligence gathering; absolute stealth and silence is required under such circumstances. Many SEAL assignments are carried out without a single word ever being uttered… or a single shot being fired. 

AWARDS AND CITATIONS 

To date there have only been three (3) living members of the Naval Special Warfare community who have been awarded the Medal Of Honor (sometimes called the “Congressional Medal of Honor”). All three of those men served during the Vietnam War. Those three men are Robert Kerrey (a former US Senator for the state of Arizona and former Presidential candidate), Thomas Norris, and Michael Thornton. In fact, Mike Thornton’s Medal Of Honor was the last one awarded to any member of any branch of the US Armed Forces for combat action in Vietnam, and it is also the most recent Medal Of Honor awarded to any living member of the US Navy. 

Since the end of the Vietnam War there have been two (2) Medals Of Honor awarded POSTHUMOUSLY to US Army Snipers who gave their lives while attempting to save the life of a downed flier during the famous “Blackhawk Down” event in Mogadishu, Somali 

There were no Medals Of Honor awarded to any member of any branch of the US Armed Forces for actions during operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-1991). 

Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P Murphy was awarded the Medal Of Honor POSTHUMOUSLY for his actions during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (Afghanistan) in June 2005. The CMOH was presented to Lt. Murphy’s parents by President Bush on 22 November 2007. 

Navy SEAL Petty Officer Michael Monsoor was awarded the Medal Of Honor POSTHUMOUSLY for his actions during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in September 2006. The CMOH was presented to Petty Officer Monsoor’s parents by President Bush on 8 April 2008. 

There is no such thing as a secret award ceremony. At the present time (2008) there are fewer than 140 living recipients of the Medal of Honor. All awards of the Medal Of Honor are a matter of public record. The detailed citations for all Medal Of Honor awards may be viewed online at http://www.history.army.mil/moh.html. 

Under Title 18, Section 704, of the United States Code, an amended by the provisions of the STOLEN VALOR ACT of 2005, it is a federal offense to falsely claim to have received the MOH or other medals of valor. This includes the making of false VERBAL claims. The penalties for violation of this statute include fines up to $10,000 and/or up to one year in prison. 

Second only to the Medal Of Honor is the Navy Cross. Only a handful of awards of the Navy Cross have been made since the end of the Vietnam War. 

In the years following the end of the Vietnam War, a Navy Cross was awarded posthumously to Navy SEAL Engineman Chief Petty Officer Donald McFaul who was killed in combat in Panama in December of 1989. 

No Navy Crosses were awarded for actions in operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-1991). 

Several Navy Crosses have been awarded to Navy SEALs for actions taking place during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (Afghanistan) and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. 

POW CLAIMS – Completely False 

Another popular claim made by SEAL imposters is that of being a former prisoner of war. Often such claims are accompanied by claims of being the “only survivor of my unit”. Of course this particular tactic is intended to elicit extreme sympathy for the person claiming to be a SEAL POW, and at the same time it is intended to eliminate any possibility of there being someone who can deny the claims. 

The names of all US military personnel who have ever been held as a Prisoner of War are a matter of record, and the POW Network (www.pownetwork.org) can quickly and accurately verify or deny ANY claims of POW status. The absolute truth is that there have NEVER been any UDT Frogmen or SEALs captured, detained, or held as prisoners of war… not in ANY war, not EVER! 

In March 2002 during OPERATION ANACONDA in Afghanistan’s Shahikot Valley, an a ridge designated as Takur Ghar, Navy SEAL ABH1 Neil Christopher Roberts was blown out the back of a helicopter during an aborted attack when the aircraft was struck by several Rocket Propelled Grenades. While the aircraft managed a ‘controlled crash’ many hundred of yards down the mountain, the occupants were initially unaware that Roberts was missing. When a head count revealed his absence a rescue effort was undertaken involving US forces from several branches of service. The incident was observed by an overhead platform – an unmanned aerial vehicle with cameras (but no armament). Via that UAV’s cameras Roberts was seen to engage the enemy for a time before being killed by them. His body was dragged some distance to a location where it seemed obvious that the enemy hoped it would act as “bait” for rescuers. At least two enemy combatants were seen to stand over Robert’s body, desecrate it with knife slashes, and shoot it in the head. The initial reports offered by the news media included claims that an American military man had been captured and then executed. The truth is that ABH1 Roberts was KILLED IN ACTION before the enemy combatants could reach his location. His dead body was subsequently mutilated after the fact and dragged to a location where it was could more conveniently act as bait for would-be American rescuers. Some media organizations continue to reprint or reissue the wording of their original press releases from 2002 wherein it was erroneously reported that Roberts was captured, held as POW, and then executed. Presumably these statements are intended to garner greater shock from readers than the actual horrific details; the motivations for repeating these stories appear to vary – some are motivated by anti-war intentions, some by political agendas. Some actually appear to be motivated by inter-service rivalries which paint the SEALs/Navy personnel as less professional than members of the other service branches involved in the Operation. 

SEAL TEAM SIX and RED CELL 

Many SEAL imposters have claimed they were either current or past members of SEAL Team SIX and/or RED CELL. Some have even claimed service with SEAL Team SIX in Vietnam, while others have claimed service with that unit in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), or Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

In actuality, SEAL Team SIX didn’t come into existence until 1980. Iranians had taken the US Embassy in Tehran in the spring of 1979, and were holding Americans hostage. The US military staged a rescue attempt called Operation Eagle Claw in April 1980. Three US aircraft on the way to a desert staging and refueling waypoint called “Desert One” were damaged in a sandstorm. Other aircraft did successfully make it to the “Desert One” waypoint – a section of desert roadway used as a landing strip. Loss of aircraft in the sandstorm made continuing the rescue effort impossible and the attempt was aborted. In the refueling and departure from the waypoint to return to US territory a collision occurred, several aircraft were damaged or destroyed, and lives were lost. SEAL officer Richard Marcinko was serving in the Pentagon at that time and was dismayed by the loss of life and aircraft in the effort to rescue Americans being held hostage. He enlarged upon an existing idea (“Mob 6”) and proposed a unit of Navy SEALs which would be specifically tasked as an anti-terrorist unit. The proposal was accepted and Marcinko was made the Commanding Officer of the unit. He was also given the option of naming it, and opted to call it SEAL Team SIX. 

Marcinko began selecting SEALs for the unit in the summer of 1980, the unit itself actually came into being on paper on the 15th of August of 1980 (12 years and 6 months after the end of the Vietnam War), and the SEAL Team SIX commissioning party was held in November 1980. Six months later the unit was fully operational, but it did not hear a shot fired in anger until its participation in Operation Urgent Fury on the Caribbean island of Grenada in 1983. By that point in time Marcinko was no longer the Commanding Officer. 

RED CELL was a small contingent of men who were specifically tasked with evaluating the security capabilities of various US military bases from the viewpoint of a potential Soviet threat. Red Cell, although formed by SEAL Richard Marcinko and principally manned by ST-6 individuals, was not part of ST-6. It was actually the Navy Security Coordination Team (NSCT) and was mostly based out of the Pentagon. It’s relationship to ST-6 was principally because of its founder and the majority of its members. Red Cell no longer exists. 

The popularity and wide availability of author Richard Marcinko’s ROGUE WARRIOR books has put a lot of information about those particular SEAL units into the hands of the general public. Marcinko, as described above, was a real US Navy SEAL, and his books vividly portray an exciting and dangerous sequence of military actions. Armed with this apparent “inside information” a continuing floodtide of phonies has developed, claiming personal acquaintance with Marcinko, or claiming operating experience with SEAL Team SIX or RED CELL. Many imposters even go so far as to falsely claim that notable incidents (or slight variations thereof) from Marcinko’s books are actually their own personal experiences. 

As a function of making his tales enjoyable for his intended audience, Marcinko’s form and style of writing are akin to a thrilling movie script, concentrating heavily on the exciting moments of training and/or deadly dangerous moments of SEAL operations, rather than on the more mundane and normal day-to-day life of a Navy SEAL. No other SEAL Team has been so widely described to the civilian public. In fact members of the general public have little, if any, specific knowledge about any other SEAL Team except Team SIX. Most don’t even know how many SEAL Teams actually exist. 

The tall tales of SEAL imposters generally follow the same heavy focus on action and danger as presented in Marcinko’s books, and ignore the mundane aspects of day-to-day training and non-combat life. Any descriptions they may offer related to “down time” between combat actions generally seem to focus on drinking and partying, bragging about their bedroom conquests, and always always always bragging about their many claimed heroic combat accomplishments… and these rarely bear any resemblance to the realities of SEAL duty. 

The publicity which resulted from publication of Marcinko’s ROGUE WARRIOR book was entirely contrary to the Navy’s desire to maintain a low public profile regarding SEAL Team SIX. It was felt that the great amount of publicity effectively made SEAL Team SIX’s anti-terrorist operations far more difficult, if not impossible. As a result SEAL Team SIX was decommissioned “about 1989” [this date is intentionally vague]. The officers and men were reassigned within the SEAL Teams; many of them were specifically tasked with continuing their anti-terrorist operations as a part of other SEAL units with far less public profiles. 

TATTOOS 

Many SEAL imposters offer tattoos as evidence that they are actually members of the US Navy’s SEAL Teams. They take advantage of the fact that most people would not begin to give serious consideration to obtaining such a tattoo without having legitimately earned the right to display or wear the symbol. Upon displaying their tattoos, SEAL imposters often claim to their listeners that “all of the men in my class got this same tattoo when we graduated from training”. Others have claimed that a particular tattoo was one that all the members of their individual SEAL platoon got after completing a particular deployment, operation, or “mission”. 

Time and again reports surface of individuals offering or displaying a SEAL Trident tattoo as “proof” of membership in the Navy’s SEAL Teams. The truth of the matter is that a tattoo is nothing more than a picture set into the wearer’s skin. It is not proof of anything except the fact that the wearer had the cash to buy it. The government does not issue and does not espouse tattoos of any sort or kind. Anyone can purchase a tattoo. Anyone can obtain ANY tattoo image (including any military insignia) if they are willing to spend the money, and to endure the discomfort of having it pierced into their skin. 

It is perhaps appropriate to point out that the requirements of Operational Security (OPSEC) and Personal Security (PERSEC) are not well served if members of an elite military force like the SEALs are wearing the identifying emblem of their unit tattooed on their bodies. These are not the freewheeling days of wooden ships, canvas sails, and sailors wearing exotic tattoos from unheard-of ports in the primitive South Sea Islands. This is the 21st Century, and the modern Navy is a completely different entity. The popularity of tattoos is increasing, including the SEAL Trident emblem or variations on that theme, and more SEALs do have tattoos today than 30-40 years ago. Still, those tattoos are never offered as proof of SEAL training or SEAL duty. There is no tattoo which is either currently recognized or accepted as a means of identifying certain SEAL members. 

When Navy SEALs go into combat they do not normally carry identifying documents such as I.D. cards, drivers’ licenses, photographs of wives or girlfriends, notes from friends, letters from home, or paycheck stubs! Despite such strict observance being given to OPSEC and PERSEC by these quiet professionals, the claims of special tattoos as proof of being a SEAL or members of a SEAL unit are regularly offered by countless imposters, many of whom have never served a day in the military. 

OPSEC and PERSEC are very real concerns, and tattoos – officially classed as “identifying marks and scars” – pose a real threat to both OPSEC and PERSEC. For that reason most real SEALs still do not wear any tattoos, and avoid having the SEAL Trident permanently engraved anywhere on their persons. There is no official ban on tattoos (Trident emblems or otherwise) in the SEAL Teams. As noted the popularity (fad) of tattoos is greater today than in years past. Additionally, some former SEALs do obtain such a tattoo, most often small and discretely located, after leaving active military service, but this is far from a “standard procedure”. A Trident tattoo is never offered by a real SEAL as proof of his Team membership. 

“I WORKED WITH THE SEALS…” 

The claim of “working WITH the SEALs” is often offered by imposters who have been called to account for their false claims of being a SEAL. When confronted with evidence that he is not listed among SEAL Training graduates, the imposter often suggests that his comments have somehow been “misunderstood”, and that he only claimed to have “worked with the SEALs”. Of course that statement, like his initial false claim of actually being a SEAL, is intended to imply to the listener that somehow the claimant has acquired the knowledge and skills, including both weapons proficiency and martial arts abilities, required to be a SEAL Team operator. 

In truth, since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 there are some non-SEALs being assigned to “work with” the Navy’s SEAL Teams in combat zones, but those individuals do not participate in combat operations and their assignments do not mean that those individuals have been trained as SEALs, or possess SEAL skills or credentials. These selected individuals are termed INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTEES or IAs. 

A specialized Individual Augmentee (IA) selection process was developed that sends sailors with critical skills to support special operations missions. In 2007, more than 20 percent of the personnel supporting Naval Special Warfare (NSW) operations in Southwest Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan, were IAs. Most of the IAs are drawn from other parts of the Navy and the Navy Reserve Force. 

The IA selection process begins with a Combatant Commander who identifies a need for support and then requests the personnel. Since the IAs will serve side by side with their NSW counterparts, the process is carefully reviewed and validated. After the request is approved, personnel are identified. Once orders are in hand, a predeployment battery of administrative and medical screenings are undertaken. Physical checks, immunizations, passports and security clearances are all obtained, and then the member heads to a TWO-WEEK BASIC SOLDIERING course at Ft. Jackson, S.C., which includes weapons training, land navigation and tactical combat casualty care. 

The IAs then receive indoctrination at an NSW command. With their newly-issued camouflage and protective gear, they are then assigned to a SEAL Team, and with the Team become part of a Task Unit (TU). 

IAs handle a variety of tasks when they get to their final destination. One recent IA worked as a Civil Affairs Officer, and his job included multiple Coordinated Medical Engagements involving site surveys of local infrastructure such as water treatment plants, emergency refuse cleanup, and assisting the local government with ways to rebuild and manage their area. Another IA was primarily responsible for restoring cellular phone service to an area damaged by warfare. He also visited a poor fishing village and assisted the Iraqi Army in passing out book bags to the local children, and distributing heaters and blankets to their parents. 

There are, indeed, men who “work with the SEALs”, but their contributions do not entail combat or require specialized combat training, skills, or abilities. Individual Augmentees or IAs have no “SEAL credentials” and are not considered “SEAL Operators”. 

IN SUMMARY 

The US Navy’s SEALs are arguably the most highly trained Special Operations force in the world today, but even they have physical and technological limits. Unlike the typical “super hero” SEALs described in pulp fiction novels or presented in action/adventure movies, today’s real SEAL is very “low profile”, unassuming, highly intelligent, highly capable, and extremely self-assured military man. Real SEALs don’t seek the public limelight or the attention of the media. Real SEALs do not need to hang out in bars regaling others with tales of covert actions as a means of boosting their own sagging egos. The real SEALs are widely known as “the quiet professionals”. A good general rule of thumb in evaluating someone’s claims of being a SEAL is this: 

Those who talk the most, very likely did the least, and those who talk the least, very likely did the most. 

While Navy SEALs are in great physical shape compared with most other military men, they rarely look like Olympic gymnasts, body builders, weight lifters, or professional wrestlers. A real SEAL is more likely to look and act like the guy next door – someone who works out regularly at the gym! Unlike most people in today’s work-a-day world, men who successfully complete SEAL training have tested their mental and physical limits and know their true capabilities. They are self-assured, confident, rational and realistic. They are better than most at rapidly analyzing a situation and determining a course of action in times of crisis. More than half of the difference between a real SEAL and a non-SEAL (military or civilian) is what goes on between his ears. 

The US Navy SEAL Teams are a MILITARY organization, and the details of SEAL operations, tactics, and technology are disseminated on a “NEED TO KNOW” basis. That “need to know” does NOT include barroom drinking buddies, coworkers, or women or children we are hoping to impress. Real SEALs are ALWAYS concerned with OPSEC and PERSEC, and NEVER “confide” information about their work to anyone outside their unit. Real SEALs don’t go around bragging about their “missions”, their “kills” or “body counts”, or their heroic actions. Real SEALs rarely discuss their assignments or accomplishments, even with other SEALs… and certainly do NOT discuss them with non-SEALs. 

Real SEALs rarely wear tattoos, and certainly not TRIDENT tattoos. Tattoos can be bought by anyone with money and a tolerance for pain. But no one can buy a billet on the US Navy’s SEAL Teams. The legitimate right to the title “SEAL” must be earned through personal dedication and sacrifice, through unbelievably grueling and demanding physical and mental training; through sheer determination and unshakeable will. 

Statistics show that only 4.5% to 5% of the current living US population – about 1 person in 20 – has any first hand experience of any sort in the military. This includes all active duty personal (both male and female), all current military reservists, all members of the National Guard, and all living veterans of past service in the US armed forces. The remaining 95% of the population must rely upon second hand information for all knowledge of the military. This second hand information comes from a wide variety of sources, many of which have an underlying profit motivation for disseminating their information. 

News organizations (both print and broadcast media) relate what has happened or is happening with the military, and ostensibly provide that news without prejudice or manipulation. Viewers must keep in mind, however, that advertisements underwrite those efforts… and the success of advertisements is based upon high levels of viewership. The more exciting, dramatic, or controversial the news story, the more viewers there will be… and thus the more viewers who will see the commercial advertisements which support the news organization financially. Subtle pressures are constantly at work, influencing writers to present sensational news stories … whether or not the actual facts about a news story justify the sensationalism. 

Entertainment television (non-news) and the motion picture industry are equal competitors for viewer’s attention and the dollars which those viewers have to spend. Sensationalism is the name of the game; the more exiting, dramatic, and spell-binding the story, the more money the storytellers stand to earn. With very few exceptions, TV and motion pictures rarely portray characters who are file clerks, typists, truck drivers, or cooks going about their normal, daily lives. There is little excitement to be found in portrayals of retail clerks or postal workers. Obviously such mundane and unexciting movies or TV shows wouldn’t sell many commercials or theater seats. Excitement is what sells, and stories about Navy SEALs are exciting… but they rarely bear any resemblance to reality. More often than not those TV and motion pictures portray incredibly heroic individuals who are called upon to spy for their government, or shoot their way in/out of a terrorist camps, all while facing incredible odds and extreme dangers. Even “docudramas” are actually works of imaginative writing and only loosely based upon actual historic incident, often with unrelated and imaginative scenes of graphic violence thrown in as pivotal plot points. 

For every REAL SEAL, living or dead, there are countless barroom braggarts spouting outrageous tales of daring SEAL combat missions to their drinking buddies. For every REAL SEAL there are countless back-alley bullies using false claims of being a SEAL to threaten and intimidate others. For every REAL SEAL there are countless corporate executives padding their resumes with exaggerated claims of military service and awards for valor, and countless security and law enforcement officials seeking positions of greater authority based on fictitious SEAL experience. For every REAL SEAL there are countless lascivious Lotharios preying on unsuspecting and trusting women who believe their absurd lies and misrepresentations. 

The Naval Special Warfare community lost TWO Teammates during the Korean War, FORTY-NINE Teammates during the Vietnam War, FOUR Teammates during the Grenada conflict, and FOUR Teammates during the Panama conflict. Thus far FORTY-NINE SEAL Teammates have fallen in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

SEALs KIA SINCE 11 SEP 2001 

———————————————

2002 AFGHANISTAN ABH1 Neil Christopher Roberts 

2003 AFGHANISTAN HMC Matthew “Matt” Bourgeois 

2003 AFGHANISTAN IC1 Thomas Eugene Retzer 

2003 AFGHANISTAN PH1 David M. Tapper 

2004 AFGHANISTAN BM1 Brian Oullette 

2005 AFGHANISTAN LT Michael P. Murphy [MOH] 

2005 AFGHANISTAN GM2 Danny P. Dietz 

2005 AFGHANISTAN STG2 Matthew G. Axelson 

2005 AFGHANISTAN LCDR Erik S. Kristensen 

2005 AFGHANISTAN LT Michael M. McGreevy Jr 

2005 AFGHANISTAN ITCS Daniel R. Healy 

2005 AFGHANISTAN FCC Jacques J. Fontan 

2005 AFGHANISTAN ET1 Jeffrey A. Lucas 

2005 AFGHANISTAN HM1 Jeffrey S. Taylor 

2005 AFGHANISTAN QM2 James Suh 

2005 AFGHANISTAN MM1 Eric Shane Patton 

2006 IRAQ AO2 Marc A. Lee 

2006 IRAQ MA2 Michael A. Monsoor [MOH] 

2007 IRAQ SO2 Joseph C. Schwedler 

2007 IRAQ SO1 Jason Dale Lewis 

2007 IRAQ SOC Marc Thomas Carter 

2008 IRAQ SOC Michael E. Koch 

2008 IRAQ SOC Nathan H. Hardy 

2008 AFGHANISTAN SO1 Joshua Thomas Harris 

2008 AFGHANISTAN SOCS John Wayne Marcum 

2008 AFGHANISTAN SOC Jason Richard Freiwald 

2010 AFGHANISTAN SOC Adam Lee Brown 

2010 AFGHANISTAN SOC Collin Thomas 

2010 AFGHANISTAN LT Brendan J. Looney 

2010 AFGHANISTAN SO2 Adam O. Smith 

2010 AFGHANISTAN SO3 Denis C. Miranda 

2011 AFGHANISTAN LCDR Jonas B. Kelsall 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SOCM Louis J. Langlais 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SOCS Thomas A. Ratzlaff 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SOC Brian R. Bill 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SOC John W. Faas 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SOC Kevin A. Houston 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SOC Matthew D. Mason 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SOC Stephen M. Mills 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SOC Robert J. Reeves 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SOC Heath M. Robinson 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SO1 Darrik C. Benson 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SO1 Christopher G. Campbell 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SO1 Jon T. Tumilson 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SO1 Aaron C. Vaughn 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SO1 Jason R. Workman 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SO1 Jesse D. Pittman 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SO2 Nicholas P. Spehar 

2011 AFGHANISTAN SO1 Caleb A. Nelson 

Others have fallen as well, both in training and in actual operations. In fact the number of SEAL deaths due to non-combat and training accidents outnumbers SEAL combat deaths more than two to one. 

Those who falsely claim to be one of our fellows, and on equal footing with our fallen comrades, are not only a disgrace to every man and woman who ever served the nation honorably in uniform, but they are a direct insult and an affront to the memories of good men who truly earned the right to be called SEALs; men who have given their lives in the service of our nation. 

As one of our Teammates from the Vietnam era once said; “the men making false SEAL claims are walking on the graves of 49 of my Teammates!” 

More appropriate words than these do not exist.

Marge, daughter, and Rudy Boesch at Blackwater N.C.

From: Larry Bailey
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2013
To: Maynard Weyers


Subject: SEAL Mom’s Account of Chris Kyle’s Funeral 

Maynard, I have permission to distribute this. The author’s son is a serving SEAL. Seems suitable for SEAL Ink. 
LB 

Chris Kyle, Patriotism and Texas February 12, 2013 

I just wanted to share with you all that out of a horrible tragedy we were blessed by so many people. Chris was Derek’s teammate through 10 years of training and battle. They both suffer/suffered from PTSD to some extent and took great care of each other because of it. 2006 in Ramadi was horrible for young men that never had any more aggressive physical contact with another human than on a Texas football field. They lost many friends. Chris became the armed services number #1 sniper of all time. Not something he was happy about other than the fact that in doing so he saved a lot of American lives. Three years ago, his wife Taya asked him to leave the SEAL teams as he had a huge bounty on his head by Al Qaeda. He did and wrote the book The American Sniper. 100% of the proceeds from the book went to two of the SEAL families who had lost their son in Iraq. That was the guy Chris was. He formed a company in Dallas to train military, police and I think firemen as far as protecting themselves in difficult situations. He also formed a foundation to work with military people suffering from PTSD. Chris was a giver not a taker. He along with a friend and neighbor, Chad Littlefield, were murdered trying to help a young man that had served 6 months in Iraq and claiming to have PTSD. 

Now I need to tell you about all of the blessings. Southwest Airlines flew in any SEAL and their family from any airport they flew into free of charge. The employees donated buddy passes and one lady worked for 4 days without much of a break to see that it happened. Volunteers were at both airports in Dallas to drive them to the hotel. The Marriott reduced their rates to $45 a night and cleared the hotel for only SEALs and family. The Midlothian, TX. police department paid the $45 a night for each room. I would guess there were about 200 people staying at the hotel. 100 of them SEALs. Two large buses were chartered to transport people to the different events and they also had a few rent cars. The police and secret service were on duty 24 hours during the stay at our hotel. 

At the house (Chris & Taya’s home) the Texas DPS parked a large motor home in front to block the view from reporters. It remained there the entire 5 days for the SEALs to congregate in and all to use the restroom so as not to have to go in the house. Taya, their two small children and both sets of parents were staying in the home. Only a hand full of SEALs went into the home as they had different duties and meetings were held sometimes on an hourly basis. It was a huge coordination of many different events and security. Derek was assigned to be a pall bearer, to escort Chris’ body when it was transferred from Midlothian Funeral Home to Arlington Funeral Home and to be with Taya. Tough job. Taya seldom came out of her bedroom. The home was full with people from the church and other family members that would come each day to help. I spent one morning in a bedroom with Chris’ mom and the next morning with Chad Littlefield’s parents (the other man murdered with Chris). Tough job. 

Nolan Ryan sent his cooking team, a huge grill and lots of steaks, chicken and hamburgers. They set up in the front yard and fed people all day long. The 200 SEALs and their family. The next day a BBQ restaurant set up a buffet in front of the house and fed all once again. Food was plentiful and all were taken care of. The church kept those inside the house well fed. 

Jerry Jones, the man everyone loves to hate, was a rock star. He donated use of Cowboy Stadium for the services as it was determined that so many wanted to attend. The charter buses transported us to the stadium on Monday at 10:30. Every car, bus, motorcycle was searched with bomb dogs and police. I am not sure if kooks were making threats trying to make a name for themselves or if so many SEALs in one place was a security risk…I don’t know. We willing obliged. No purses into stadium! We were taken to The Legends room high up and a large buffet was available. That was about 300 people. We were growing. A Medal of Honor recipient was there, lots of secret service and police and Sarah Palin and her husband. She did not impress me. She was taking the opportunity to be interviewed for TV and dressed in high clog shoes and corduroy jeans. She looked nice, but this was a very formal military service. She was not dressed appropriately. The service started at 1:00 and when we were escorted onto the field I was shocked. We heard about 10,000 people had come to attend also. They were seated in the stadium seats behind us. It was a beautiful and emotional service. Bagpipe and drum corps was wonderful and the A&M men’s choir stood through the entire service and sang right at the end. We were all in tears. 

The next day was the 200 miles procession from Midlothian, TX to Austin for burial. It was a cold, drizzly, windy day, but the people were out. We had dozens of police motorcycles riders, freedom riders 5 chartered buses and lots of cars. You had to have a pass to be in the procession and still it was huge. Two helicopters circled the procession with snipers sitting out the side door for protection. It was the longest funeral procession ever in the state of Texas. People were everywhere. The entire route was shut down ahead of us the and people were lined up on the side of the road the entire way. Firemen down on one knee, police officers holding their hats over their hearts, children waving flags, veterans saluting as we went by.. Every bridge had fire trucks with large flags displayed from their tall ladders….people all along the entire 200 miles standing in the cold weather. It was so heartwarming. Taya rode in the hearse with Chris’ body so Derek rode the route with us. I was so grateful to have that time with him. 

The services were at Texas National Cemetery. Very few are buried there and you have to apply to get in. It is like people from Civil War, Medal of Honor winners a few from the Alamo and all the historical people of Texas. It was a nice service and the Freedom Riders surrounded the outside of the entire cemetery to keep the crazy church from Kansas that protests at military funerals away from us. Each SEAL put his Trident (metal SEAL badge) on the top of Chris’ casket one at a time. A lot hit it in with one blow, Derek was the only one to take 4 taps to put his in and it was almost like he was caressing it as he did it. Another tearful moment. 

After the service the governor’s wife, Anita Perry, invited us to the governor’s mansion. She stood at the door and greeted each of us individually and gave the SEALs a coin of Texas. We were able to tour the ground floor and then went into the garden for beer and BBQ. So many of the team guys said that after they get out they are moving to Texas. That they had never felt so much love and hospitality. The charter buses then took the guys to the airport to catch their returning flights. Derek just now called and after a 20 hours flight he is back in his spot. 

Quite an emotional, but blessed week.

LDNN camp CamRanhBay 'nam 1970

Gordy Boyce                 Denis Drady               Wally Schwalenberger      and   K9  Silver

SAD AND DISGUSTING ARTICLE THAT WILL DO NOTHING BUT HURT SEALS AND OTHER SPECOPS FORCES, PUT THEM IN NEEDLESS DANGER, LESSEN THE LIKELIHOOD OF MISSION SUCCESS, AND PUT THEIR FAMILIES AT RISK.

 

THE ARTICLE DISCUSSES ADM “GORGEOUS GEORGE” WORTHINGTON TWO COMBAT DEPLOYMENTS TO VIETNAM.  SOMETHING SMELLS HERE.  I WAS AN EAST COASTER AND ONCE SOMEONE WAS AN EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HE DIDN’T TAKE PLATOONS TO VIETNAM.   HE STAYED AND DID PAPERWORK AND I SUSPECT THAT IS WHAT WORTHINGTON DID ON HIS “COMBAT” TOURS IN VIETNAM.   AT LEAST WORTINGTON DOESN’T CLAIM ANY COMBAT AS A SEAL.  UDT AND SEAL MISSIONS WERE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IN VIETNAM.  UDT RODE SHIPS AND DID SHORELINE WORK PRIMARILY AS DID JESSIE VENTURA.    THE SEALS WERE ACTUALLY STATIONED IN VIETNAM AND PERFORMED A VARIETY OF MISSIONS.   I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYONE SAY WORTHINGTON HAD ANY COMBAT EXPERIENCE. HE WAS NOTED FOR HIS FREQUENT STATEMENTS THAT ALL THE SEALS NEED TO “LOOK” LIKE SEALS. HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS.  MOST OF THE GUYS WERE NOT DISTINGUISHABLE FROM OTHER FOLKS IN THE “LOOKS” DEPARTMENT AND NO ONE HAS ANY IDEA WHAT A SEAL SHOULD LOOK LIKE.  WORTHINGTON KEPT HIS PARACHUTE ON THE FLOOR IN HIS OFFICE WHEN COMMANDER, NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE GROUP ONE.  HE WAS ALL SHOW AND MADE MY LIFE MISERABLE WHEN I WAS COMMANDING OFFICER OF A SPECIAL BOAT UNIT IN CORONADO.  WE WERE SO BUSY AND HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BOATS THAT WE DIDN’T CARE WHAT A “SEAL” WAS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE.  POOR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.

 

IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS, SEALS HAD VERY LITTLE OUTSIDE SUPPORT, VERY LITTLE MONEY, AND NO REAL EXOTIC EQUIPMENT.  RATHER THAN BE BATHED IN MONEY AND HAVE A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY, SEALS LIVED OFF THEIR WITS AND TALENTS AS BANDITS:  LYING, CHEATING, AND STEALING TO GET WHAT WAS NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION.  THE NAVY DIDN’T LIKE SEALS BACK IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS.  THEY THOUGHT NAVY PERSONNEL SHOULD BE DRIVING SHIPS OR FLYING ON TO THEM, NOT CRAWLING THROUGH THE  MUD IN A JUNGLE KILLING COMMIES.  AHHHH!

 

THE SADDEST THING IS THAT, AS THE TRAITOR PHOTOG AND AUTHOR POINT OUT, THE SEALS WERE OUTTED BY THE BIGGEST TRAITOR OF ALL, OBAMA.   THIS PIECE OF CRAP HAS PUT ALL SPECOPS MISSIONS AT RISK AND I BELIEVE, IS ALREADY PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF A SEAL IN AFGHANISTAN, ONLY ONE WE KNOW OFF AND THAT DOESN’T COUNT BENGHAZI.  OBAMA’S  LITTLE SPEECH ON THE OBL TAKEDOWN AND SUBSEQUENT APPROVAL OF GIVING CLASSIFIED INFO HIS HOLLYWOOD FRIENDS IS PURE TREASON. THE LAST FEW CHAIRMEN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS HAVE BEEN POLITICAL HACKS WHO LIKE TO HANG AROUND AND ASSOCIATE WITH SPECOPS FOLKS. 

 

SEALS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO WEAR CAMERAS AND ALLOW PHOTOS ON MISSIONS.  WHY?  SO THE ADMIRALS AND POLITICIANS BACK HOME CAN SEE AND INTERFERE.   THOSE CLOWNS NOT OUT IN THE BUSHES OR MOUNTAINS SHOULD HAVE NO SAY SO AT THIS POINT.  THE SPECOPS GUYS ARE NOT PLAYING POLITICS ONCE THE MISSION IS UNDERWAY AND DON’T NEED SOMEONE SITTING BACK IN A SAFE OFFICE, INCLUDING SENIOR SPECOPS PERSONNEL, TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO.  IT IS RISKY AND DANGEROUS.  I ALWAYS FELT THAT WAY AND WHEN ASKED BY A GOOD FRIEND TO DO AN INTERVIEW WITH MILITARY HISTORIAN ORR KELLY FOR HIS EARLY 1990s BOOK BRAVE MEN – DARK WATERS I AGREED.  MR. KELLY WAS A PROFESSIONAL AND I WAS VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT I WOULD AND WOULDN’T TALK ABOUT.  HE DID MISTAKENLY SAY I WAS ONE OF THE MOST “OUTSPOKEN” SEALS BUT AT LEAST QUOTED ME CORRECTLY.  I SAID BASICALLY THE SAME THING I HAVE SAID HERE.  I TALKED ABOUT RULES AND CHAIN OF COMMAND AND COMBAT.  I TALKED ABOUT FOLLOWING ORDERS (WHICH WE SHOULD FOR THE MOST PART) OF THE BOSS. BUT STATED, AS I BELIEVED THEN AND STILL DO:  “WHEN IT COMES TO MY PEOPLE, SCREW THE BOSS.  HE’S NOT OUT THERE.  YOU’VE GOT TO KEEP THESE GUYS ALIVE. YOU DON’T WANT ANYBODY GETTING KILLED.”  IF THE BOSS WANTS TO RUN THE OP OR ANYONE ELSE, HAVE AT IT.  LET THEM GO OUT AND TAKE THE RISK AND SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES.  IF YOU DON’T TRUST YOUR MEN TO GO OUT AFTER THE BRIEFING THE OP AND HAD IT APPROVED BY THE BOSS, LET THE BOSS GO OUT AND DO IT HIMSELF.

 

AS FAR AS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHERS ON THE MISSIONS, I WOULDN’T.  THERE ARE A LOT OF CLASSIFIED REASONS FOR NO CAMERAS.  AND THESE GUYS ARE NOT TRAINED IN COMBAT AND WILL PUT THE TROOPS AND MISSION AT RISK FOR POLITICAL GAIN OF THOSE BACK IN THEIR NICE CUSHY OFFICES.   IF ORDERED TO DO SO, I’D LOSE THE GUY OR TELL HIM TO PUT AWAY HIS CAMERA AND KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT, DURING AND AFTER THE MISSION.  AND IF THE JERK PULLS OUT HIS CAMERA AND STARTED SHOOTING, I’D SHOOT BACK.  THAT PHOTOGRAPHER IS PUTTING THE SPECOPS GUYS AND MISSION AT NEEDLESS RISK.  AND REMEMBER, NEVER TAKE A CAMERA TO A GUN FIGHT!

Steve Elson, Navy SEAL retired

 


An email only a sailor can truly appreciate. Almost brings tears to the eyes when you compare it with today’s atmosphere where they give breathalyzer tests to sailors returning to the ship after 10PM. I am sure the present Secretary of Defense (and the senior officers he and others like him bred) strongly disapproves of even the thought of places like these, and could never fathom the truth of these observations.. 

No doubt whoever wrote this had lived some of it. I had to modify it a bit as I might have … might have , I emphasize.. passed near one of these places once. maybe twice in my short life.. think John Bulls in Pireus, Mama Germaines in Villefranche, Le Gorille in Nice, Mama’s in Naples, Jimmy the Greeks in Malta, Pauline’s in Olongapo, the Rio, the Admiral and the Three Sisters in Olongapo, Kaoshung, Pusan, Hotel Street in Honolulu, the Pearl City Tavern, Captain Harry’s Blue Marlin Bar, the Savoy in Norfolk, Leo’s First and Last Chance in Newport, and the places in Key West where only diesel submarine sailors were allowed! Think that was bad.. go where only the EOD guys were allowed!! . and they cavorted with marine mammals!! We were paid to live a life of deprivation from fresh milk and eggs, from no beer for months at a time, and we had to smell stinky socks, smelly wet suits, and diesel fuel forfuqinever, and a life with a few shots over the bow of some mideast creep that wanted to threaten the US of A, but what a life we lived when we got ashore in the Med or in WestPac!! We wuz SAILORs and we earned every right to be men ashore as we were at sea. 

God, I miss it. I’d go back tomorrow. 

The days of locker bars right outside the main gate. You’d scamper into one of those and change out of uniform, and have your civvies right there, too. Have your ID and liberty card with you to show to whoever (shore patrol, most likely). Local cops were good at scooping you up and getting your “fee” for letting you go. 


This sea story has, HAS, to be published.  OK, si o no?

thanks

Jack Rowell, Mike Boynton, were in ST-2 PLTN 7 back in “66 as were Herb Clemens, my old Instructor from BUDs (aka UDTR Class 32). I know e.m.’s and officers are not supposed to hang out together – but SCREW THAT!! Herb Clemens and wife (name lost to my age), and Sue & Frank, and Stan and Kay Janecka would all hang out at Clem’s home on Friday nights sipping Clem’s Home Brew – it sure packed a whollop!! And they were sure great times!! 


Gene Fraley was our instructor – and with all due respects to Instructor Blais and Instructor Waddell – the only Instructor who could really keep us with us in our runs. I remember him well and was so sad to get the message when he died. 

Billy Burbank should remember Sue & Frank Cleary and this story. One night at the Granboco Hotel in St. Thomas, some hot shit Marine Recons were giving my new bride, Suzanne, some shit trying to pick her up. “Iron Arms” Billy Burbank came to the rescue her in my absence! ANYONE want to go one on one with Billy Burbank back in his younger days – I DON’T THINK SO!! 

I happened to be in downtown Charlotte Amale that night with Tom Parkinson, Tom Keith, and Larry Bailey. 
Not that Billy would need this back up crew – but just some support for “Iron Arms” All we needed was Tom Blais as a back up as well. 

With all of the best of the iron arms, Ralph Debolt included, the best of the bunch was my old very best SEAL Team buddy – Herb Clemens – hope you remember him and his memory.

R.D. Russell
Monty
SEAL K9 Rinney and Doc Riojas
standing lt-rt: Jack Rowell, Minh,Roy Dean Matthews, Gene Fraley, Erasmo Riojas, Fred Keener, Mike Boynton. Sitting: Richard "Hook" Turre, Robert "Eagle" Gallagher, Curtis Ashton and Harry Constance the origional ST-2 7th Platton MyTho Vietnam 1967

ANGELS CAMP, CA – Local Navy SEAL Matthew Leathers disappeared off the coast of Hawaii during a training mission in February. His father told News10 one of the sacrifices the parents of Navy SEALs make is they can’t always brag about their sons the way they might like. 

Saturday night, Tim Leathers held to that duty for the most part, but he wanted to share just some of what those who knew Matthew best, loved most about the 33-year-old husband and father. When the search for Matthew Leathers ended, his fellow Navy SEALs held a memorial service in Hawaii for the family, but it isn’t easy letting go of hope. “Matt’s out there somewhere, sitting on a platform of flotsam, growing a beard, catching fish, looking around, going, well, I wonder when they’ll find me,” Tim Leathers said. 

C. Gardner Sullivan II passed away on January 10, 2013 in Scottsdale, AZ. He was 82 years old He was born on October 25, 1930 in Los Angeles, CA. 

Mr. Sullivan served in the US Navy as a Lieutenant for nearly five years and was the Officer in Charge, Underwater Demolition Team 
12, Kwajalien Detachment. His passion was for the Navy and the UDT-SEALs. 



Franklin Anderson 
Mar 6 
to Joe, Maynard, Roy, me, thomasrtruxell, David.Janke, alanrouth, Al, ronbell619, Rondarsam 

Joe—Thanks for the memories—I was at Tan Son Nhut in late June 65—waiting for Bill Earley to arrive as my relief. We met and he was a little antsy—Wanted to know about how safe it was. I said, it’s quiet as can be. He had to go in for the arrival briefing—While he was in there, I was waiting outside, they blew up the airport—all kinds of debris flying around. Bill came out and his eyes were like saucers—He said “ I thought you said it was quiet around here”. A little later, they were having my going away party with the LDNN. While in the Hotel, the lights blinked, went out and then back on. One of the LDNN came in chattering. Mr Hung said they just blew up the Mai Cahn floating Restaurant- We went down and it was a mess. Archie Kuntze came barreling thru the crowd and bump Bill while making his way to the scene—He was HEADQUARTERS SUPPORT ACTIVITY SAIGON—OR CALLED THE MAYOR OF SAIGON- Bill bristle up, I said calm down, and introduced them—The Capt was in Civilian clothes. Bill kept reminding me of what I had said. Yes Joe lots of memories. THANKS AGAIN – Franklin


Association logo

 


Minh pictured with Bob “Eagle” Gallagher c.1967

“This is to request help for a brave man who repeatedly risked his life to help SEALs during the Vietnam War.

 

Nguyen Hoang Minh operated with a number of SEAL platoons in the Mekong Delta in the late 1960’s. He served as a field interpreter, fearlessly took part in some famous operations that helped to establish the SEAL reputation, and was wounded several times. After U.S. forces left Vietnam, the SEALs who knew him assumed he was dead.

 

Minh survived, but spent years in the notorious reeducation camps.

Having been on the losing side, he was ostracized by most of his countrymen and was never able to make a decent living. He and his family have endured great poverty and hardship over the past 38 years.

 

After his former Teammates found that he was alive, they raised money to bring him and his family to the USA. This proved unsuccessful, and the funds were given to Minh, who used them to build a small house for his family in My Tho and to help with medical expenses. The funds have long since run out.

 

Minh is now in his 70’s and unable to work. Former SEAL Team TWO operator Erasmo “Doc” Riojas, in whose platoon Minh bravely served, has kindly and quietly been receiving donations from Vietnam-era SEALs and periodically sending them to Minh in Vietnam so he can live his final years with dignity.

 

Anyone who wishes to help this brave former ally is encouraged to contact Doc at docrio45@gmail.com or 713-575-5425


>Bob
I hope you know I have not meant any anger, ill feelings or anything like that towards you – I believe and have heard you are a true gentleman and well thought of and well liked by many Veterans. So, please know, that I send you items out of good will and well meaning.

I am currently in Naples, Florida and will be returning to Gloucester, MA., in a couple of weeks. At that time, if you wish, I can make copies of the 1996 Vietnam trip onto a DVD and send them to you, everything from the Cu Chi Tunnels to Watson breaking down and crying about how he got so many people wounded, injured and killed and vehicles damaged (the picture – but not the story is in his book) because he was, as usual drunk that day.

I had to testify before Legislators multiple time inn 1971, 1972 and 1973 about Vietnam.

Attached are a couple of documents that are real. The One that I cannot comment on any more is the UDT-SEAL Letter. It is what it is. The Senators had to force the VA to produce further documents as my DD214 does not say much about my service other than I was a Radioman (RM3)

 

Bill Bentley 
9:42 AM (14 hours ago) 
to me 

Okay Rio, you asked for background: I was an MSC and I did two ST1 tours as an HM1–HMC before commissioning. I returned to RVN as a jg in a MILPHAP team in Chau Doc. During that year 70-71, I did 3 visits with ST2 guys I knew and was in 4 Ops which would have resulted in my court martial if something went wrong. I worked with Macione and Bob Gallagher in Ben Tre (I think) and with another group (I’ll send photos), in the Delta. When Nixon ran the VN’s over the Cambodia border, I lucked out and met an old friend MGYSGT Charlie Campbell who was a temp Captain (USMC) then and had his VN’s with him on a Mike Boat that had stopped in Chau Doc. He said come on and maybe you’ll have some fun. So I grabbed my gear and hopped aboard. I ended up on the Benewah with Watson, Scolise, and Gary Smith and we made two Cambodian ops detailed in Smith’s book Death in the Delta pg 169-175 Your name mentioned after those pages, too. He made a couple errors about my status but most everything else was right. The platoon officer was in Saigon and the admiral called down and said he wanted the SEAL boss to come up–the guys grinned and said that be you. I had 2 jg bars so he never knew I was a visitor and not an active SEAL–whew. 

I missed operating so bad that I escaped everytime I could. 
When I returned to Chau Doc, my team of docs received 1000 casualties via chopper over a 6 week period: 1/3 KIA, 1/3 misc wounds, 1/3 amputees from the heavy mine fields–busy time. 
That’s my feeble story and I iz sticking to it. With the $2 bills, I’ll send pictures that will fill in some blanks for youse. 

Vaya con Dios, Amigo, 

bill 

—– Original Message —– 

From:Bill Bentley 

To: Erasmo “Doc” Riojas 

Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2013 5:39 AM 

Subject: Re: Ong Minh 

Rio, 
I explained my past in another email–no BUDS grad–just like you and Bo Burwell and Clarke. I did do UWSS with 2dReconBn (SCUBA) and the mixed gas with Class 32 at UWSS . 

I saw you great post on Chris Kyle; great tribute and great photos of yours. I read his book and I grieved for him and his family. Anti-gunner pukes are saying: See–guns are bad. What morons. 
Take care, as I said I’ll send $200 to you in cash the first of March. Read my other mail if you got it. 
bentley 


—– Original Message —– 
From:Erasmo “Doc” Riojas 
To: Bill Bentley 
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 4:59 PM 
Subject: Re: Ong Minh 

An email from Bill Bentley ! 
and with a bit of history for www.sealtwo.org, OK? with your approval. 
Jim Finley, the mayor of MyTHO. 
I tell you, one guy that Minh will never forget is Finley. LOL. He got some stories about Jim that will crack you up. 

Hey, what UDT class did you graduate from? Are you also a Med DV Tech? You probably have done it all. 

Of the old generation of team corpsman, you are the NUMERO UNO. 
We will be at Panama City FL in May for the UWSS reunion. I doubt you went through it as some of you trained SCUBA down in P.R. 
Thank you for writing me. 
Doc RIojas 

HMC Retired and tired. 
yes, i have an MD degree, but i never got rich! LOL 

On Fri, Feb 15, 2013 at 12:33 PM, Bill Bentley< bb_@bellsouth.net> wrote: 

Doctor Doc Riojas, 

How are you, Sir? I met Minh when our ST1 platoon visited My Tho when Findley was there in ’67. I will be very happy to send $100 to him or through you. I always regretted our leaving our scouts and LDNN’s to the butchers, but that seems to be the American way to an “honorable peace”. Makes me sick. 

Let me know how and if cash would be better and I’ll send immediately. 
Hope you are well and happy as is your family. 

Doc Bentley 

Gulf Breeze, FL

: Bruce Cullen< robert8965  aol.com> 
to: Carl Christianson <cjchris44   hotmail.com> 
date: Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 10:30 AM 
subject: Patriotism, Texas and Chris Kyle……Received from a friend…….Assume this information is correct.

Just wanted to share. cheryll is the mother of a Navy seal, Derek who is deployed for his 7th time to Iraq and Afghanastan. Have known Cheryll in bible study for long time. Wow, what an outpouring of love by the Dallas and Austin and Midlothian folks. Makes one proud to be an American! Linda 

Subject: Services for Chris Kyle  

Patriotism, Texas and Chris Kyle 

I just wanted to share with you all that out of a horrible tragedy we were blessed by so many people. Chris was Derek’s teammate through 10 years of training and battle. They both suffer/suffered from PTSD to some extent and took great care of each other because of it. 2006 in Ramadi was horrible for young men that never had any more aggressive physical contact with another human than on a Texas football field. They lost many friends. Chris became the armed services number #1 sniper of all time. Not something he was happy about other than the fact that in doing so he saved a lot of American lives. Three years ago, his wife Taya asked him to leave the SEAL teams as he had a huge bounty on his head by Al Qaeda. He did and wrote the book The American Sniper. 100% of the proceeds from the book went to two of the SEAL families who had lost their son in Iraq. That was the guy Chris was. He formed a company in Dallas to train military, police and I think firemen as far as protecting themselves in difficult situations. He also formed a foundation to work with military people suffering from PTSD. Chris was a giver not a taker. He along with a friend and neighbor, Chad Littlefield, were murdered trying to help a young man that had served 6 months in Iraq and claiming to have PTSD. 

Now I need to tell you about all of the blessings. Southwest Airlines flew in any SEAL and their family from any airport they flew into free of charge. The employees donated buddy passes and one lady worked for 4 days without much of a break to see that it happened. Volunteers were at both airports in Dallas to drive them to the hotel. The Marriott reduced their rates to $45 a night and cleared the hotel for only SEALs and family. The Midlothian, Tx. police department paid the $45 a night for each room. I would guess there were about 200 people staying at the hotel. 100 of them SEALs. Two large buses were chartered to transport people to the different events and they also had a few rent cars. The police and secret service were on duty 24 hours during the stay at our hotel. 

At the house the Texas DPS parked a large motor home in front to block the view from reporters. It remained there the entire 5 days for the SEALs to congregate in and all to use the restroom so as not to have to go in the house. Taya, their two small children and both sets of parents were staying in the home. Only a hand full of SEALs went into the home as they had different duties and meetings were held sometimes on a hourly basis. It was a huge coordination of many different events and security. Derek was assigned to be a pall bearer, to escort Chris’ body when it was transferred from Midlothian Funeral Home to Arlington Funeral Home and to be with Taya. Tough job. Taya seldom came out of her bedroom. The home was full with people from the church and other family members that would come each day to help. I spent one morning in a bedroom with Chris’ mom and the next morning with Chad Littlefield’s parents (the other man murdered with Chris). Tough job. 

Nolan Ryan sent his cooking team, a huge grill and lots of steaks, chicken and hamburgers. They set up in the front yard and fed people all day long. The 200 SEALs and their family. The next day a BBQ restaurant set up a buffet in front of the house and fed all once again. Food was plentiful and all were taken care of. The church kept those inside the house well fed. 

Jerry Jones, the man everyone loves to hate, was a rock star. He donated use of Cowboy Stadium for the services as it was determined that so many wanted to attend. The charter buses transported us to the stadium on Monday at 10:30. Every car, bus, motorcycle was searched with bomb dogs and police. I am not sure if kooks were making threats trying to make a name for themselves or if so many SEALs in one place was a security risk…I don’t know. We willing obliged. No purses into stadium! We were taken to The Legends room high up and a large buffet was available. That was about 300 people. We were growing. A Medal of Honor recipient was there, lots of secret service and police and Sarah Palin and her husband. She did not impress me. She was taking the opportunity to be interviewed for TV and dressed in high clog shoes and corduroy jeans. She looked nice, but this was a very formal military service. She was not dressed appropriately. The service started at 1:00 and when we were escorted onto the field I was shocked. We heard about 10,000 people had come to attend also. They were seated in the stadium seats behind us. It was a beautiful and emotional service. Bagpipe and drum corps was wonderful and the A&M men’s choir stood through the entire service and sang right at the end. We were all in tears. 

The next day was the 200 miles procession from Midlothian, Tx. to Austin for burial. It was a cold, drizzly, windy day, but the people were out. We had dozens of police motorcycles riders, freedom riders 5 chartered buses and lots of cars. You had to have a pass to be in the procession and still it was huge. Two helicopters circled the procession with snipers sitting out the side door for protection. It was the longest funeral procession ever in the state of Texas. People were everywhere. The entire route was shut down ahead of us the and people were lined up on the side of the road the entire way. Firemen down on one knee, police officers holding their hats over their hearts, children waving flags, veterans saluting as we went by.. Every bridge had fire trucks with large flags displayed from their tall ladders….people all along the entire 200 miles standing in the cold weather. It was so heartwarming. Taya rode in the hearse with Chris’ body so Derek rode the route with us. I was so grateful to have that time with him. 

The services were at Texas National Cemetery. Very few are buried there and you have to apply to get in. It is like people from Civil War, Medal of Honor winners a few from the Alamo and all the historical people of Texas. It was a nice service and the Freedom Riders surrounded the outside of the entire cemetery to keep the crazy church from Kansas that protests at military funerals away from us. Each SEAL put his Trident ( metal SEAL badge) on the top of Chris’ casket one at a time. A lot hit it in with one blow, Derek was the only one to take 4 taps to put his in and it was almost like he was caressing it as he did it. Another tearful moment. 

After the service the governor’s wife, Anita Perry, invited us to the governor’s mansion. She stood at the door and greeted each of us individually and gave the SEALs a coin of Texas. We were able to tour the ground floor and then went into the garden for beer and BBQ. So many of the team guys said that after they get out they are moving to Texas. That they had never felt so much love and hospitality. The charter buses then took the guys to the airport to catch their returning flights. Derek just now called and after a 20 hours flight he is back in his spot. 

Quite an emotional, but blessed week.

On Sun, Feb 3, 2013 at 2:55 PM, Dr. Dave Byers <dabyers@gmail.com> wrote:


Thought you’d enjoy these if you haven’t seen them before

True stories…

FYI Spottswood was drinking buddies with my Dad. Remember him getting dropped off at home in Spottswood’s big black caddie smoking a stogie.

They were plotting and scheming to resurrect the Casa Marina Hotel (was a derelict then – Marriott resort now).

Another deal was to buy a PBY and offer exclusive dive trips to virgin reefs in the Caribbean.

Another fun fact. Spottswood owned the Japanese patrol craft they used in the movie “PT 109” which was shot in Key West. {see pic}

I also used to deliver the Key West Citizen aka “Mullet Wrapper”. Two sheets of news print on Tuesdays. Most money I ever made as a kid .

That is all…carry on.

Dave Byers

SEAL Team TWO, Vietnam , 3d Platoon 1969- 1970

Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:38:05

Subject: Re: FW: Correction to Request for Assistance – Nguyen Hoang Minh
From: mailto:docrio45@gmail.com
To: rungsat@msn.com Bob, you very much.On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 7:51 PM, Bob Gibson <rungsat@msn.com>wrote: In 1996 I led a Group that was to do a Documentary and I was going to search for MIA’s etc…. “Jimbo” Watson and “Dickie” Marcinko – I paid $13,000 for their air fare, etc…, were also on the trip. Due to Watson having taken hundreds of Photos from the Museum (which showed SEALs killing, etc…, many Viet Congand laying them out on his bed in the New World Saigon Hotel for the Viet Cong to see, and Marcinko throwing a Beer Drinking, Log Burning, Film Making episode in the City Park across the street from the New World Saigon Hotel, things became difficult. You should see the Videos (Marcinko said he would sue anyone who ever showed anything) of the Viet Cong coming to the park and the dozens of “red dots” on Marcinko’s chest – it was a miracle they did not kill him in 1996. Watson & Marcinko also went to towns they were not supposted to visit and on and on. They cost me $13,000 as I paid for their air fare, etc…

One of the people the Viet Cong had agreed to talk about was Nguyen Hoang Minh, however, the 2 SEALs I mentioned really screwed things up. The Viet Cong talked about him for approximately 10 minutes one day.

However, due to the behavior of Watson & Marcino, the Viet Cong retained me on 2 different days.

JOJO TRAN led us and he did a great job. After we returned to the United States, JOJO “escaped.” I went to New Orleans and testified for him. A few years later, I testified at his hearing in Seattle, Washington.

And yes, I am a member of the Association – and Yes, I have Video’s, Films, Photos, etc…. to prove exactly what I am saying.

Bob Gibson <rungsat@msn.com>

Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:01:14 -0800
From: adjjtran2u@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Correction to Request for Assistance – Nguyen Hoang Minh
To: rungsat@msn.com

Hi Bob,

According to the message
Minh now in his 70’s.
Minh lives in My Tho ,
where we and the group had been there.
Nguyen hoang Minh is a familiar,common name.
The question come to my mind is
if we know what Minh’s needs is
and try to directly help Minh as much as possible,
for example:
does Minh need multivitamine,cane,wheelchair,what assistance Minh need ,rice ,bean,foods,medicine..
Thanks much
All the best
JOJO TRAN

Robert S. Harward
Tom Hawkins

Bob Gibson <rungsat@msn.com>
To: JOJO Tran <adjjtran2u@yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 10:58 AM
Subject: FW: Correction to Request for Assistance – Nguyen Hoang Minh

Did you ever hear of the gentleman they are talking about?

Bob  

Rorke Denver
Korean War Frogmen
Viet Cong Guerrillas, Vietnam

            Military Glossary


                                Army Troop Organization

Squad — The smallest military unit, it usually consists of 10 to 11 soldiers.

Platoon — A platoon is usually four squads. Platoons are usually led by lieutenants, with sergeants serving as their second-in-command.

Company — Companies consist of four platoons, a headquarters and some logistical staff. They are normally commanded by captains.

Battalion — A battalion is usually made up of four to five companies, including a support company and a headquarters company.

Brigade — A brigade is a collection of battalions, usually 2,000 to 3,000 troops. Brigades are most often commanded by a colonel.

Division — There are at least three brigades in a division. They are usually commanded by a major general.

Corps — Made up of two to five divisions, corps are the largest tactical units in the U.S. Army.

Marine Organization

The Marine Corps, a branch of the Navy, has some unit classifications that are unique.

Marine Expeditionary Force — An expeditionary force is made up of two or three divisions of Marines. The force is usually deployed on helicopter carriers or amphibious assault ships. Its equipment and weaponry includes tanks, artillery, Harrier jump jets and attack helicopters.

Marine Expeditionary Unit — Each marine division is known separately as a Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit usually includes a battalion landing team, helicopter squadron and support unit.

KOREAN WAR (POLICE ACTION) Vets Ignored

On 25 June 1950 Communist backed North Korea invaded the Republic of South Korea. The United Nations designated a U.N. Command, led by America’s General Douglas MacArthur, to help South Korea. Participating countries, mainly the U.S., started sending troops. Units from all five U.S. military services were eventually involved, and included one Marine division, and several Army divisions. The Communist invasion pushed South KoreanForces, and early arriving U.S. and other U.N. troops to the southeast corner of the country at Pusan by August.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Cates, was ordered by the Joint Chiefs to deploy the 1st Marine Division to Korea by mid-September, but the Division was below strength in equipment and men. Commandant Cates ‘requested President Truman to mobilize all reserve elements of the Marine Corps and attached Navy medical personnel to bring the division to wartime strength…’

Navy Hospital Corpsman James Crow, 18-years-old, was stationed at the Naval Hospital, Oakland, California, when transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Marine Division in Korea. He arrived October 1950, turned 19 that same month, and came home September 1951.

The 1st Division assigned Crow, along with 21 other Navy Corpsmen, to spend his tour assigned to the tough, elite and highly respected South Korean Marine Regiment attached to the division. The first 15 months of the war saw heavy action, and the 1st Division was in the thick of many operations, working alongside Army divisions in X Corp.

In August 1950, during the fighting at Pusan, all three separate Korean Marine Battalions were organized into the 1st Korean Marine Corps Regiment (Hae Pyon Dae), and attached to the U.S. 1st Marine Division 05 September 1950 for operational control. Thereafter, the ROK Marines performed 1st Division combat activities.

During this conflict, foreign media dubbed the [Republic of Korea Marine Corps] the ‘Invincible Marines’ after an incident in which a squad of ROK Marines wiped out an entire battalion of Communist forces. The ROKMC also saw action during the Vietnam War while stationed in DaNang.

 

 

Korean War vets missing from popular culture: America’s prime transmitter of cultural “values” has ignored the 1.8 million Americans who served in the 1950-53 war even during the 50th anniversary years.(portrayal of Korean War veterans in literature, film, television, media )
| From: VFW Magazine | Date: August 1, 2003 | Author: Van Ells, Mark D.


The Korean War was a crucial moment in American history. When the United States sent troops to stop Communist North Korea’s invasion of South Korea in June 1950, it signaled the nation’s determination to check the spread of communism. It was the first war fought under the authority of the United Nations. American troops remain in Korea today.

But sandwiched between the titanic scope of World War II and the vitriolic debate over Vietnam, the Korean War never really captured the public imagination. The year 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of the armistice ending the fighting in Korea. In that half century, the image of the Korean War veteran at the movies and on television remains vague, imprecise and influenced by the experiences of other wars. The Korean War is the “Forgotten War” in popular culture, too.

Korean War films of the 1950s and early 1960s were much like the scores of WWII movies popular at the time, but modified to meet the realities of Korea. The typical “melting pot” platoon, for example, now included black Americans and those of Japanese ancestry, acknowledging the racial integration of the armed forces.

New technologies also made appearances, such as helicopters in Battle Taxi (1955) and jet aircraft in films like Sabre Jet (1953), Jet Attack (1958) and most notably The Bridges of Toko-Ri (1954) based on the novel by James Michener.

In reality, the Korean War differed from WWII in many respects. For one, it was not nearly as large. The war directly involved 1.8 million Americans, as opposed to the 16 million who served in WWII. Indeed, Korea was often referred to as a “police action” and not a war at all. Korea was a remote country unknown to most Americans.

Although most Americans accepted the logic of Cold War containment, the primary adversary in their minds was the Soviet Union; Korea seemed to be merely a sideshow or prelude to a larger war. Its ambiguous conclusion–a cease-fire remarkably close to the prewar boundaries–also lacked the decisiveness of WWII. To Americans, the Korean War was an uncertain and unsatisfying affair.

Hollywood Takes the Dark Side

Hollywood dealt with the ambiguities of the war by sidestepping them or ignoring them altogether. Korean War films tended to avoid the war’s “big picture” and focused instead on small groups of fighting men–often lost or isolated units–in films such as Fixed Bayonets (1951), Combat Squad (1953) and Hold Back the Night (1956).

In Pork Chop Hill (1959), Gregory Peck stars as a junior officer fighting the military bureaucracy, as well as the Communists, in a seemingly meaningless battle late in the war. During the battle one young officer asks pointedly, “Is this hill worth it?” The men agree that it is, but only because they had fought so hard to take it, and not for any larger goals.

Many Korean War films fall into the film-noir style that was popular after WWII. Film-noir is characterized by dark psychological dramas in which the motives and morals of the protagonists are unclear and troubling. These films often take place in exotic settings, and contain shadowy lighting and uncomfortable camera angles that elicit feelings of anxiety, loneliness and vulnerability.

In the 1951 film The Steel Helmet, for example, Gene Evans stars as Sgt. Zach, a battle-hardened WWII “retread” who teams up with some inexperienced soldiers to establish an observation post in a Buddhist temple. But beneath Zach’s tough-as-nails exterior is a softhearted man who befriends a Korean boy, removes his helmet before a gigantic statue of Buddha and orders that the temple not be damaged.

In the midst of battle, Zach breaks down, flashing back to D-Day. Zach is bitterly critical of a green lieutenant. When the lieutenant is killed, Zach mournfully places his lucky steel helmet (it has stopped a bullet in a previous engagement) on his grave.

The Korean War also took place at a time when fears of disloyalty and domestic subversion had reached hysterical proportions. The war fueled such fears. During the war, the Communists beat and tortured American POWs, and then pressured them to sign “confessions” denouncing the American cause.

Only a small fraction of POWs “confessed,” but news reports and political opportunists seemed to suggest that Korean War soldiers routinely collaborated with the Communists, perhaps contributing to the war’s uncertain conclusion.

The concern that Korean War veterans might have been “brainwashed” by the Communists was the subject of several films, most notably The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Frank Sinatra plays Capt. Marco, a Korean War officer who leads a patrol and is taken prisoner. The Communists brainwash Marco and his men, erasing any memory of their captivity. One of the men, Staff Sgt. Shaw (Lawrence Harvey), is programmed to carry out political assassinations back home. Marco unravels the plot after the true nature of his captivity comes back in his dreams.

The Manchurian Candidate has been acclaimed as one of the best political thrillers ever made. However, Korean War veterans have charged that the film only reinforced the erroneous public notion that Korean War veterans were collaborators. Portrayals of the war’s veterans as weak-minded and psychologically unbalanced came to symbolize the war for many Americans and anticipated public perceptions of Vietnam veterans.

Influence of M*A*S*H

The Vietnam War also has shaped popular images of the Korean War. The 1970 comedy classic M*A*S*H focused on the exploits of undisciplined Army surgeons near the front lines. Though set in Korea, the language and looks of the hospital staff are reminiscent of Vietnam. In fact, the film is an impressionistic journey into the behavior of men and women under the unusual circumstances of war. It reflected the growing public cynicism about military authority in the Vietnam years.

The television program M*A*S*H, which aired from 1972 to 1983, was the most extensive look at the Korean War in American popular culture. The TV show did a better job of portraying the war than the film. For example, several episodes dealt with issues like McCarthyism and fears of subversion.

However, most of the program’s storylines could have come from the Vietnam War, or from any war–boredom punctuated by intense activity, the tragic tales of the wounded, the absurdities of bureaucracy, the gulf between soldiers and civilians. Anyone who has ever been associated with the military can appreciate the humor of M*A*S*H. But once again, the audience learns precious little about the Korean War.

In the decades since Vietnam, the American entertainment industry has devoted considerable time and money to portrayals of war. As a nation, we have celebrated the 50th anniversary of WWII (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers) and reexamined our painful experience in Vietnam (most recently, We Were Soldiers) on both the big and small screens. Korea is once again missing in action.

Since Vietnam, Hollywood has released no more than a dozen films related to the Korean War. In some films, like MacArthur (1977) and For the Boys (1991), Korea is just one of many conflicts depicted. Inchon (1981), a portrayal of the brilliant 1950 amphibious invasion, was a box office flop and labeled by one critic “quite possibly the worst movie ever made.” With no clear public images of the Korean War, both Hollywood and the American public barely acknowledge it.

The lack of public recognition for their sacrifices has rankled many Korean War veterans. “I know teachers who never knew there was a Korean War,” complained one Missouri veteran. As the nation marks the Korean War’s 50th anniversary, Hollywood continues to churn out movies about WWII and Vietnam. Perhaps one day the Korean War will be the subject of an insightful, widely circulated film that does justice to the significance of the conflict and to those who served in it. As one veteran from Florida noted, “It’s nice to be remembered.”
MARK D. VAN ELLS, author of To Hear Only Thunder Again, is an assistant history professor at Queensborough Community College in Bayside, N.Y.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

 

“Doc” Riojas’  HELL Weeks were in Korea !  Too many to count !

  Have you seen some of the pictures on my UWSS Key West Web Site?    to see them go  HERE!                                                                                                        

 

  Smallest Photo Ablum of  Ole SEALs

  Sol ATKINSON:  A Native American SEAL Warrior

The    Making   of   an American        Warrior

This article was scanned from the READER’s DIGEST August 1999
This article also appeared in the y2k first issue of the BLAST, The UDT-SEAL Magazine

LINKS

Sol Atkinson’s Photo ALbum

 Visit Metlakatla AK the Home of it’s Mayor Sol Atkinson and his wife JoAnn and family.

A place to see if ever you are in Anchorage, AK Alaskan Indian Heritage

Psych Profiles of U.S. Navy SEALs

 

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