• LARGEST USN SEAL Photo Album In The WWW

Page Eleven

UDTR (BUDS) Graduation picture Class 50/7003 Old training facility Little Creek,Va.
Ron Trebour Graduation picture from Jump School at Fort Benning ,Ga.
Ron Trebour 2,000 lb. Demolition Shot ,Ron Trebour used the 10 cap blasting machine to ignite the shot at, Vieques Island ,Puerto Rico
Ron Trebour UDTR (BUDS) Graduation picture class 50 /7003 Little Creek ,VA.
Class 50/7003 Hell week ,Little Creek Va Soo Solly day
Ron Trebour SEAL TEAM 2 , 1982 Hurlburt Field ,Fort Walton Beach , Florida
Ron Trebour
Class50/ 7003 trainee falling off the slide for life during Hell Week , Instructor Bob Stamey left Instructor Chief Jerome Cozart Class 50 /7003 Hell Week mud flats at Little Creek Va . The Instructors are in the IBL the Large rubber boats were used during Hell Week in place of the IBS
Ron Trebour SEAL TEAM 2 , 1982 Hurlburt Field ,Fort Walton Beach , Florida
Ronald Trebour and Vice Adm. Pybus

                                                                                                                              Class 50/703

Navy SEAL Killed in Afghanistan By NSWG-2 PAO (LT John Perkins, USN - (757) 462-2282
Brian Ouellette KIA Afganistan

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. – Navy Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class (SEAL) Brian
Ouellette, 37, 
was killed early Saturday morning (approximately 2:17
a.m. EST) while conducting a mounted patrol in the vicinity of Jahak and
Seleh Afghanistan.

A 14-year Navy and SEAL veteran, Ouellette was conducting operations in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom when the vehicle he was in struck
an enemy ground emplaced munitions – either a land mine or improvised
explosive device, but exact details are unavailable at this time.

Originally from Maynard, Mass., Ouellette enlisted in the Navy in
February 1990 and entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in
San Diego and graduated in 1991, Class 173.

He was assigned to Naval Special Warfare Group TWO, which is located on
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, VA.

The wake/visitation for Brian will be held between 1600-2100 at Joyce
Funeral Home on Monday, 7 June. The Funeral Home address is 245 Main
Street, Waltham, MA 02453; phone number, (781) 894-2895. The funeral
will take place at ST Luke Catholic Church, 132 Lexington Street,
Belmont, MA on Tuesday, 8 June at 1100. For further detail contact
Joyce Funeral Home at (781) 894-2895.

A memorial service for Brian will be held at NAB, Little Creek Chapel,
Norfolk, VA 10 June at 1000. Military uniform is summer whites.
Teammates and friends are encouraged to attend the service.

 

 

William John Bushelle R.I.P.

William John Bushelle, 38 years old, a native of Saint Louis, Missouri,
born January 31, 1976 in St. Louis MO. In Aug 1994 he enlisted in the 
U.S. Navy. After Basic Training and Electricians Mate “A” school
at Great Lakes, IL he reported to BUD/S and graduated in class 202, 
Coronado, CA.

His first assigment after BUD/S was SEAL Team FOUR at Little Creek VA.
where he served as platoon operator for the remained of his active
service.

He reported to N.R. SEAL Team EIGHT in Great Lakes, IL in August
1999 while he attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
HE received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology
and his minor was in Business Administration in Dec 2004

Bill Langley’s Photos and Stories

 

UDT-21 and John Wayne

From: Bill Langley 
Date: 12JUL2012 

to: executive director 
blast editor

Left to Right: The man bending over with his back to the camera and the other man with sunglasses were with John Wayne, next is Chester Coggeshall, PO1 Bob Auger, Ens Bill Langley (standing on a chair), Doc Meyers (hat), John “The Duke” Wayne, Fud Miller, Chief Gene Gayman, an Army Capt, PO3 Marshall, SN Stein, Jim Zultewicz, an Army Lt, Grossmouth (now a Navy surgeon), and Dwight Plumlee. Tom Winter was also with the UDT survey team but was not in the picture. 

The picture was taken in 1972 at a beach in Rio Hato, Panama. It was taken about two hours after the completion of a beach survey conducted jointly by UDT-21 and Panamanian frogmen. Sharks were spotted about halfway through the survey so it finished quickly and the Panamanian frogmen immediately left the area. 

The Panamanian president had a villa near the beach and the barracks that the UDT detachment stayed in was also near the beach. The night before the survey, President Omar Torrijos invited the Panamanian officer, Chief Gene Gayman, Ensign Bill Langley, and an Army officer to his villa for a brief visit. President Torrijos, while lying comfortably on a hammock in a screened-in porch, welcomed them to Panama, invited them to have tea, thanked them for coming to Rio Hato to conduct the beach survey, and told them that John Wayne was scheduled to visit with him the next day. An armed guard was stationed on each side of the hammock and several more were strategically located outside the villa. No doubt there were more armed guards on alert nearby.

 While drinking tea with the president as he relaxed in his hammock, one person at a time would come in from a line that had formed outside to informally express their problems or concerns. After listening to them, he would make a decision and tell his aid what to do. They would leave and the next person would come in. The president appeared to be very accessible to the Panamanian people that lived in the area. The next morning SN Stein conducted reveille by riding into the barracks on the back of a 4½ foot elephant that was trumpeting loudly; an unusual beginning of a very special day. During the survey a small plane flew over and someone commented, “There goes John Wayne”. 

President Torrijos must have told John Wayne who we were and what we were doing because as we were cleaning our gear, a large car pulls up and out steps John Wayne. He was a big man (6’5″) and he was extremely gracious, nice, and friendly toward everyone. He told us that he admired and respected the UDT/SEAL community and the U S military. He had a few beers, smoked a big cigar and partied with us in John Wayne style for at least an hour. 

We all remember the frogman tradition of throwing someone in the water for almost anything. I think it was Stein who said, “Let’s throw him in the water”, to which John replied, “I’ll bury you boy”. Everyone laughed and a few minutes later John’s party decided it was time to go. For that brief hour we all felt like we were on a movie set with “The Duke / Big John”.

 

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Left to Right: The man bending over with his back to us and the other with sunglasses are with “The Duke”, next is Chester Coggeshall, PO1 Bob Auger, Ens Bill Langley (standing on a chair), Doc Meyers (hat), John “The Duke” Wayne, Fud Miller, Chief Gene Gayman, army Capt, PO3 Marshall, SN Stein, Jim Zultewicz, army Lt, Grossmouth (now a navy surgeon), and Dwight Plumlee. Tom Winter was also with the UDT group but was not in the picture.

Photos compliments of BIll Langley: 1967 Vietnam ST-2: L-R standing: Sam Fournier, LT. Bill Bishop, Bill MacCarthy, Bill Langley, Gunther Jauzems SITTING: Durwood Hunter White, CLark "Doc" "Shorty" Long
The first one is in 1967 with ST-2 in Vietnam. L-R: Sam Fornier, Durwood White, Lt. Bill Bishop, Bill MacCarthy, Bill Langley, Doc "Shorty" Long, Gunther Jaunzems (sp) The next one is in 1964 with UDT-21-2. L-R: Ralph Diebold, Ed Leasure, Bob Harrabak, Bill Langley. The third one is in 1972 with UDT-21 in Rio Hato, Panama. Ens Bill Langley is on a chair behind John Wayne. P.O. Auger is in front of Ens Langley's right arm, Doc Meyers is to John's right, Cf Gene Gayman is to John's left, P.O. Marshall is next, and SN Stien is with the clipboard. Other names are unknown at this time. This picture was taken a short time after we finished surveying the beach at Rio Hato with the Panamanian frogmen. Sharks were spotted about halfway through the survey so we finished this one smartly. The Panamanian president had a villa near the beach and the barracks we stayed in were also near the beach. The night before the survey, El Presidente Omar Torrijos invited the Panamanian Lt, Cf Gayman, and me to his villa for a visit. He told us that John Wayne was going to visit him the next day while we were surveying the beach. The next morning SN Stien conducted reveille by riding into our barracks on the back of a 4 foot elephant trumpting loudly, an unusual beginning to a very special day. During the survey a small plane flew over and someone commented, "there goes the Duke". We didn't give it another thought. Presidente Torrijos must have told John who were and what we were doing because as we were cleaning our gear, a large car pulls up and out steps John Wayne. He was very friendly and gracious. He socialized with us the John Wayne way and talked to us for at least an hour. He knew a lot about the UDT frogmen and showed great respect. For that brief hour we all felt like we were in a screening for a movie with "Big John." Just another day in the life of a frogman. Bill Langley

Navy SEAL K.I.A.s

 

           D.O.D. Roster of KIAs    The Dept. of Defense should make an argument to these men families for all of them to be buried together in Arlington Nation Cemetery !         I second the motion:  Doc Riojas (USN Retired Navy SEAL)

American service members killed in Afghanistan crash    

Michael Strange

Sat, Mar 17, 2012 , 
From: <SOBER1387 AT aol DOT com> wrote: 
To:  Doc Riojas 
Sir, 
If possible, can you please post the attached picture to page 11.   Thank you Doc ….. Michael’s father Chalie and I friends ….. 

Pay Tribute to a Hero The Navy SEAL Foundation is offering a commemorative giving opportunity designed to honor and remember the U.S. Navy SEAL community while providing much needed financial support for the SEAL Heritage Center (SHC)
<READ MORE>

 

TEXT TO DONATE ( U.S.Navy SEAL Foundation)      or:

To donate $10, text SEAL to 90999. A one-time $10 charge will be added to your wireless service bill.  We appreciate your contributions!      Hoo Ya !

              

The Navy SEAL Foundation has set up a phone bank to accept donations. The phone number is 757-763-5501 . They have a number of volunteers manning the phones. 

Don Beem 
Executive Director
UDT/SEAL Association 
757-363-5501

The Navy SEAL Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide immediate and ongoing emotional and financial support in times of adversity to U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen, Naval Special Warfare support personnel and to their families. Ninety-five cents of every dollar spent by the Navy SEAL Foundation supports mission programs and services.

 

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Photos all the Warriors K.I.A. in the Shot down Helicopter 

 

 http://youtu.be/M9oMIxyOC7s  Video Tribute to 30 Fallen Heroes

 

Kevin Houston
Louis J. Langlais
Matthew Mason
Stephen Mills
Jason Ray Workman
Jon Tumilson
Jesse Pittman
Darrik Benson

   Body of Navy SEAL Returned to Chisago City: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com       Body of Navy SEAL Returned to Chisago City

Updated: Tuesday, 16 Aug 2011, 11:49 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 16 Aug 2011, 1:28 PM CDT        CHISAGO CITY, Minn. – The people of Chisago City, Minnesota lined the streets Tuesday afternoon as the body ofNavy SEAL Nick Spehar was returned to his hometown.

Read more: Body of Navy SEAL Nick Spehar Returned to Chisago City http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/navy-seal-nick-spehar-chisago-aug-16-2011#ixzz1VJynlUnW

   Chelsea Cohen Courage Award winner. 

The Fairfield County Sports Commission announced Saturday that U.S. Navy SEAL Brian R. Bill is the 2011 Chelsea Cohen Courage Award winner. 

Bill, a Stamford native, was killed in action on Aug. 6 in Afghanistan. He will be honored at the Commission’s seventh annual Sports Night awards dinner, Monday, Oct.17, at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich at 6 p.m. 

The Cohen Award is sponsored by the Forever Young Foundation, the charitable giving entity of Greenwich native and NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young. In 2006, the Commission created the Chelsea Cohen Courage Award, named after the late Cohen, a former Norwalk High soccer star who was the Commission’s first Courage Award recipient in 2005. She passed away in Aug. 2006 after a courageous bout with a rare form of cancer of the nervous system. The award recognizes the person in the sports community who has shown inspirational strength in battling life-altering obstacles. 

In Bill’s name, Forever Young will make a donation of $2,000 to the newly created Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy. 

Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy in June 2001. He was a graduate of Norwich University and of Trinity Catholic High in Stamford (1997). Bill played soccer and hockey at Trinity and was a co-captain in hockey under FC Sports Hall of Fame coach Mickey Lione, Jr. He was an avid sportsman as a skilled fly-fisherman, skier and skydiver, and also was an accomplished mountaineer and tri-athlete who also completed several marathons. 

“We are extremely honored to accept this award on Brian’s . . .

Brian Robert Bill

WHO IS BRIAN R BILL? 

Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Brian R Bill 

The morning of August 6th 2011 changed my life forever. It was the day my little brother, Brian, was killed in Afghanistan. On that day, not only did I lose one of my best friends, but our nation lost a truly incredible American Hero. 

Brian was a remarkably gifted, thoughtful, and compassionate young man. He loved life; he loved a challenge; and he was passionate about being a SEAL. Brian was incredibly brave and determined, and through hard work, developed skills and talents that offered him amazing opportunities. He was an accomplished mountaineer, skier, pilot, and triathlete, amongst a wide variety of other interests. Brian was also gifted with a fierce sense of humor, compassion and loyalty. 

Brian loved and respected his SEAL teammates. He loved his country, the people who live in it and the freedoms we all share. He was truly special, not only to our family, but to our country. 

Brian not only inspired me – he inspired anyone who ever met him. It is our goal to pass this inspiration along to others – especially to the “Little Warriors” who live among us. We believe Brian’s legacy will motivate these children to achieve greatness in whatever they pursue and honor Brian for years to come. 

Here are a few photo’s of Brian doing the things he loved.

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Bio: Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Brian R Bill 

Brian was born on August 23, 1979 in Stamford, CT. He graduated from Trinity Catholic High School and then attended Norwich University. He graduated in May 2001 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and immediately enlisted in the United States Navy to pursue his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL. 

In December 2001, he entered BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training, one of the most grueling and demanding training programs in the world. Upon graduation from BUDS, Brian continued on to Advanced SEAL Qualification Training where he excelled. 

Brian was assigned to his first permanent duty station, a SEAL Team in Virginia Beach, VA, from June 2003 to July 2007. As a US Navy SEAL, Brian completed numerous deployments around the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism. In July 2007, he began a rigorous selection and training course with Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG). Nine months after successfully completing this rigorous process, Brian was assigned to one of the Development Group teams – one of our nation’s most elite fighting forces. 

Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Brian Bill was a highly decorated combat veteran with numerous awards, including the Bronze Star Medal with Valor (4), including one for extraordinary heroism, Purple Heart Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon (2), Presidential Unit Citation (2), Navy Unit Commendation, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and numerous other personal and unit decorations. 

On 6 August 2011, a Chinook helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, was shot down by enemy fire in Afghanistan taking the lives of 38 people on board. Brian was one of 17 SEALs aboard that helicopter. He was 31 years old. Brian rests in Arlington National Cemetery alongside many of his teammates who also perished in action on that day.

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Jonas Kelsall and RObert J Reeves
Jonas Kelsall They came from the same town, Shreveport, La. They were high school friends. Both men, Robert James Reeves and Jonas Kelsall
Matt Mills
Aaron Carson Vaughn
Brian R Bill
Aaron Vaughn
Jesse D Pittman
TommyRatzlaff.
Tommy Ratzlaff
John Douangdara
John D.
Jason Workman.
                                                                  Second Minn. SEAL Killed in Helicopter Attack
Chief Petty Officer John Faas was one of the 17 Navy SEALs killed when their helicopter was shot down by insurgents Saturday. He is the second Minnesotan killed in the attack.
KraigVickers
Matt Mills
Michael Strange
Chris Campbell
Michael Strange

                                       Matthew David  Mason’s military achievements and accolades

– Graduated Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes, Ill., in June, 2000 – Graduated Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training in          Coronado,Calif., in January 2001 
– Completed Naval Special Warfare Advanced Training in Coronado, Calif., in June 2001. 
– Reported to West Coast-based SEAL Team in July 2001 
– Reported to his East Coast based SEAL Team in June 2006 
– 2 Bronze Stars 
– Purple Heart 
– Joint Service Commendation Medal with “V” device for valor 
– Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V” device for valor 
– Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal 
– 2 Combat Action Ribbons Presidential Unit Citation 
– Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation 
– Meritorious Unit Commendation 
– 3 Good Conduct Medals 
– National Defense Service Medal 
– Afghanistan Campaign Medal 
– Iraq Campaign Med 
– Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal 
– Global War on Terrorism Medal 
– 6 Sea Service Deployment Ribbons 
– Rifle Marksmanship Medal 
– Pistol Marksmanship Medal

Navy Seals’ tragedy throws light on our Afghan aimlessness 

August 12, 2011 

JULIETTE KAYYEM is right in saying that the tragic death of the Navy Seals in Afghanistan demonstrates the 
 “fallacy’’ of this war (“Afghan crash inflicts double blow on US psyche,’’ Op-ed, Aug. 8). Many of us have  
questioned the war’s goals and operation from the beginning. The so-called mission – “to deny Al Qaeda a safe  
haven’’ – was proved a fallacy after Osama bin Laden’s death in Pakistan, and after the spread of Al Qaeda to  
many other countries, including, thanks to our misguided war there, Iraq, where it never existed before.  
  THE REST OF THE STORY. . . 
 
 

 

HTTP://BARNHARDT.BIZ/ MACH 3   BACKPEDALING 

POSTED BY ANN BARNHARDT – This info is ALL ASSUMPTIONS!

AUGUST 9, AD 2011 7:50 PM MST 

Just when you thought this situation could not be any more FUBAR. The Army is now specifically unwilling to confirm that the SEAL chopper was even brought down by “hostile fire”. It is being referred to as a “crash”. I kid you not. My jaw is on the floor. Here is the citation with the full interview. 

CNSNews.com has an interview with U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings Jr., a spokesman for ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). Lt. Col. Cummings also gleefully states that Afghan troops are frequently embedded . . . and sometimes the Afghans are even put “in the lead”. 

The Afghans can not be trusted. “Friendly” Afghans turn on and kill U.S. troops with sickening frequency. I have received emails from soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan who lament that they are fighting for people who “hate us”. Not only should we not be embedding them with our troops, much less two dozen SEALs on a single helo, but it is madness to let Afghanis “take the lead”, since they could “lead” U.S. troops into ambushes. This politically correct B.S. has to stop right now. 

This is me speculating now, so take it with a grain of salt, but if you have a chopper go down and the bodies are damaged beyond any ability to identify remains as we were told today, and the Army refuses to confirm “hostile fire”, doesn’t that pretty much leave a massive internal explosion? 

Like, for example, a suicide bombing? Are we looking at a situation where two dozen SEALs were put on a chopper with an Afghani suicide bomber? I do not know, but SOMEONE HAS TO STEP UP AND ASK THESE QUESTIONS. 

Hello? Journalists? Anyone?

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First images of Chinook wreckage revealed as Pentagon names all 30 heroes who died at site – while roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan kills five more troops

  • Serial number of helicopter visible in remains spread across woodland

  • Soldiers killed in Chinook shot down on Saturday came from 24 U.S. states

  • First full list of names, ages and hometowns revealed – 17 were Navy SEALs

  • Eye witnesses to the crash describe seeing the chopper burst into flames and break apart before falling from the sky

The first images of the Chinook wreckage were revealed today, at the same time five more American troops were killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb that exploded in the southern part of the country.

The news was confirmed as the Pentagon released the names of the 30 soldiers who died when the Chinook they were flying in was shot down by Taliban militants.

The U.S. military and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) did not give details regarding the five troops who were killed in the roadside bomb other than it happened in the south of the country.

A Pentagon spokesman in Washington said all the victims were Americans.

Rubble: Souvenirs from the wreckage of the Chinook helicopter shot down last week are being collected at the site of the crash by Afghan children

Remains: A part of a gun stamped ‘Made in Germany’ is seen among the wreckage of the Chinook helicopter shot down last week at Tangi Valley in Wardak province

It means that at least 50 foreign troops have been killed so far in August.

Coalition forces finished recovering the victims’ remains and big sections of the Chinook wreckage yesterday. Yet small, twisted pieces of the CH-47 remain scattered on both sides of a slow-flowing river in Wardak province where it crashed before dawn on Saturday.

Eye witnesses to the crash describe seeing the chopper burst into flames and break apart before falling from the sky.

Farhad, a local resident, said that the helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a nearby knoll as it was preparing to land.

 

 

 

‘As soon as it was hit, it started burning,’ he said, standing in a field still littered with small pieces of the chopper, including a part of a scorched rifle stamped ‘Made in Germany’ and a piece of charred paper with typewritten first aid instructions.

‘After it started burning, it crashed. It came down in three pieces,’ he added. ‘We could see it burning from our homes.’

Gul Agha, another resident of Tangi Valley, also said that after the helicopter crashed, parts were burning on either side of the Tangi River. Some of the debris also ended up on a nearby hillside, he said.

‘When the helicopter came at night, the Taliban were hiding in the bushes around the area,’ he said.

He said coalition forces worked several days to remove victims’ remains. Then they blew up sections of the helicopter into smaller pieces, loaded them on trucks and took them from the site, he said.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, left, and Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment of Hays, Kansas

Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, left, and Tech Sgt John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Florida 

Violence is at its worst in Afghanistan since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government in late 2001, with record civilian casualties and high levels of foreign troop deaths during the first half of 2011.

On Wednesday, a NATO service member died in a roadside bomb blast and five Afghan policemen were killed when their checkpoint was attacked by Taliban insurgents, the coalition and Afghan police said.

The Chinook attack was the deadliest single mission of the Afghanistan war and the names.

The troops came from two dozen states and all corners of the nation, mostly young men in their twenties and thirties. Florida, Minnesota, Hawaii and Massachusetts are just some of the states represented.

Some of the names of troops killed in the helicopter crash were already known because their families have spoken about them since the Saturday downing of their helicopter by insurgents. Eight Afghans also died.

Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer, Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, California, left, and Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer, Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist, Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii, left and Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Massachusetts

 

US Navy shows Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class, Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, California, left, and Sgt Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, 2nd batallion, 135th Aviation Regiment, of Grand Island, Nebraska

There had been internal discussion over whether to identify those who were covert special operations troops. The Special Operations Command had asked officials to withhold the names because of security worries.

The majority of the dead were special operations forces, including members of SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama bin Laden. Military officials said none of the crash victims were on that mission in Pakistan against the al- Qaida leader.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta decided to hold to Pentagon policy of releasing names.

Those killed were 17 members of the elite Navy SEALs, five Naval Special Warfare personnel who support the SEALs, three Air Force Special Operations personnel and an Army helicopter crew of five.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, N.C.,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, left, and Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class, Expeditionary Warfare Specialist, John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Nebraska
Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, California, left, and Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class, Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist, Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas., left, and Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minnesota 

The crash comes amid fears that the country is far from stable even though U.S. and NATO forces have begun to leave Afghanistan. U.S. military officials have tried to counter those fears, saying that while the downing of the Chinook was a tragic setback, one crash will not determine the course of the war.

Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said Wednesday that F-16 fighter jets killed the insurgents responsible for the crash. But the military provided few details to back up the claim.

The U.S.-led coalition has also said the helicopter was apparently shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. But Allen said the military will investigate whether other causes contributed to the crash.

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana. left, and  Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa

Tech Sgt Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pennsylvania, left, and Chief Petty Officer Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, West Virginia

Alam Gul, chief of the local council in Sayd Abad district where the crash occurred, said many villagers were up at the time because it is the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast during the day, break fast in the evening and then get up and eat again around 2am for sustenance to make it through the day.

He said people in the Tangi Valley worry that the U.S. will take revenge and bomb their villages. He insisted that no major Taliban figures were living or hiding out in the area, where many locals don’t side with the U.S.-led coalition or the Afghan government.

‘The foreigners are guests, but what has changed in ten years?’ Gul said residents ask. ‘Yes, you are our guests, but you have done a lot of bad things.’

He said frequent night raids in and around his district have angered local residents, who are offended by knocks on their doors in the middle of the night when families are sleeping.

Army Specialist Spencer Duncan, 21, Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, of Olathe, Kansas, left, and  Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 David R. Carter, from Aurora, Colorado

 

Chief Warrant Officer Sgt Alexander J. Bennett, 24, 7th Batallion, 158th Aviation Regiment, of Tacoma, Washington , left, and Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Arkansas

 

 

 Staff Sgt. Andrew W.
                             Harvell 26, of Long Beach, Calif.

 Chief Petty Officer Heath 
                            M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit.

 

Staff Sgt Andrew W. Harvell 26, of Long Beach, California, left, and Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Michigan

Coalition forces left a combat outpost in Tangi, less than a mile (about 1 kilometre) from the crash site, in the spring.

They took their expensive equipment, but left other items, like freezers, Gul said. The Taliban retrieved the items and had a yard sale, he said. Afghans from the surrounding area came to shop. Then, instead of occupying the outpost, Gul said the Taliban booby-trapped it with bombs.

The latest deaths, which raised to 374 the number of international forces killed so far this year, underscored the tenuous nature of the war.

THE FULL LIST OF THE 30 HEROES KILLED IN CHINOOK CRASH

Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, La.,

Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, California;

Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Arkansas;

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii;

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Connecticut;

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minnesota;

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Massachusetts;

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Missouri;

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas;

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, West Virginia;

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana;

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Michigan;

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, California;

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, North Carolina;

Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah;

Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Nebraska;

Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa;

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Florida;

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah.

The following sailors assigned to a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, California, and

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The soldiers killed were:

Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colorado. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora;

Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kansas. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas;

Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, Nebraska;

Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Washington. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas; and

Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kansas. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas.

The airmen killed were:

Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Florida;

Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, California; and

Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pennsylvania.

All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina.

Marc Alan Lee
Debbie Lee a Gold Star mother

                 Teachers: Vaughn stood out as youth 

By: Chris Menees, Staff Reporter Tuesday, August 9, 2011 9:06 pm         Aaron Vaughn By CHRIS MENEES Staff Reporter

 Even in junior high, there was something that set Aaron Vaughn apart. Vaughn, a 30-year-old Obion County native, was among 30 U.S. servicemen — including 22 elite Navy SEALS — who died early Saturday in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. 

He is the son of Karen (Rodenberger) and Billy Vaughn Jr. of Stuart, Fla., formerly of Obion County, and the grandson of Geneva and Billy Vaughn Sr. of Union City and Evelyn Rodenberger of Knoxville and the late Frank Rodenberger, also formerly of Obion County.

  Vaughn was born and raised in Obion County and moved with his family — which also includes sisters Tara (Vaughn) Baldwin and Ana Vaughn — to Florida when he was a high school sophomore. He returned to this area his senior year and graduated from Obion County Central High School in 1999. 

After a couple years of college in Florida, he joined the U.S. Navy at age 20 and began SEAL training right after boot camp. Marci Roach, an educator in the Obion County School System who taught Vaughn in the 1990s when he was a junior high student at Hillcrest Elementary, said she saw in him something that was “distinct and unique and rare.” “When I think about Aaron’s personality, he was always distinct. His personality was distinct,” Mrs. Roach said. “He was kind of an intense little boy, a young man. I can remember how his eyes would look sometimes — those big blue eyes would just bug out and look at you real hard. “There was something about Aaron that did set him apart from the other kids, even at that age, and I recognized it then and still now, looking back on it, you can see he was distinct. 

He was set apart and I just feel like that people are born to do this. This is born in them and there was something in him that was distinct and unique and rare,” she said. Ironically, Vaughn’s photo had even appeared on the front page of The Messenger when he was a young student at Hillcrest and he responded to a question posed to fourth- and fifth-graders about the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Obion County educator Lesa Scillion also taught Vaughn in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades at Hillcrest and has good memories of the young man. “He had always wanted to be a Navy SEAL,” Mrs. Scillion said. “He talked about that even in the sixth grade. 

He was a skinny little boy. In fact, I think I told him one time that he would have to fill out a little bit. “He was always a good student, a good kid. He always stood up for what he believed in. He was very thoughtful, had deep opinions about lots of things and wasn’t afraid to express them in a good way. I have good memories of Aaron.” Lisa Vancleave, an Obion County School System employee who attended church with Vaughn’s family for many years at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church near Rives, recalled a young Christian man who was “fun-loving and happy-go-lucky” on various church outings. 

 

Do a Search for Michael Johnson on www.sealtwo.org, some interesting pictures of him on it.
Hank Togna and sons, Hank was in the FIRST class of UDT at Little Creek VA: Class Alpha

From:   DarrenAGreenwell
to: me 

Thanks Doc, 

I’ve attached the bio I put together for David Godshall… I put it together myself from 2 or 3 different sources… the museum website and a couple of books where Mr Godshall features. Interesting story when the BSU wouldn’t extract his squad from a hot beach in Beirut and he had to put a gun to a crewmans head in order to save his buddies. I can’t begin to imagine what he must have witnessed that October day, digging through the wreckage of the BLT. Hell on earth. 

Doc… you and Rio Grande are always welcome, summertime is good for me so long as it is July or August… I’d be more than happy to welcome you guys here and show you around… once you get a better idea of dates just let me know and I’ll put it in the diary. It’ll be a real honour to have you here Doc. London and the South is crammed with things to do and places to see, so let me know what kind of stuff you guys would like to see and I can come up with some ideas so you get to see all the places you want. Poland will be a blast… it was this time last year that I was trading emails with Chief Chris Kyle who had just come back from Poland and seeing his GROM buddies out there… we talked about drinking Polish Zubrowka Vodka with apple juice, and maybe meeting up next time he passed through London. So very sad that now, it will never be. 

Well, it’s back to work tomorrow morning… but I made myself a new years resolution that no matter how crazy work gets, I’m going to be sure to make time for my hobby and most importantly, keeping in touch regularly with my friends. 

Gracias Amigo. best Darren

 

 

 

 

 

  

 Gerald G. Larson 

SUFFOLK – After a very short battle with cancer, retired Virginia Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Gerald G. Larson passed away suddenly July 2, 2011 at home, surrounded by his family, friends and beloved dog, Patches.

  Gerry was born in Rush City, Minn., on July 25, 1941 and was a graduate of Christopher Newport University. He enlisted in the Navy in 1959, and was stationed at Little Creek Naval Base where he joined the Underwater Water Demolition Team 21 (now Seal Team 4). He was a non-combat veteran of the Vietnam Wara nd had the honor of participating in the training efforts for the Mercury Spacecraft Recovery Program. 

He was a member of Faith Lutheran Church. He met Beverly A. Jordan at the Little Creek Navy Base, and they married Aug. 22, 1964. After retiring from the Virginia Beach Fire Department, his passion turned to his grandchildren, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts.

  He mentored many young boys through scouting, including two of his grandsons, Jeffrey Sabatino and Alex Palagyi to the rank of Eagle Scout. He also helped his grandsons, Seva Karlov and Matt Palagyi achieve the highest rank in Cub Scouts, the Arrow of Light.

ST-5 SEALs
ST-5 SEALs
Wounded Vetsand Pres. Bush Ride mountain bikes
Class 236
North West UDT SEAL Chapter
SEAL paratroopers
Mark Metherell KIA
SEALs on Boat

                  ST 2, 4th Plt (1987)  Jim Grindstaff

Jim Grindstaff

Doc Riojas,

These are photos from our May-Dec 1987 deployment ISO Earnest Will. The photos with the Iranian flag were taken aboard the Iran Ajr, an Iranian minelayer.

I can’t remember how to post photos on the CyberSEAL VTC, but thought you could use them on one of your ST2 pages.

Jim Grindstaff

WEBMASTER’s NOTE:  Thank you very much Jim.   The BOYs will always look great, no matter what war.       Doc Rio

Standing L-R: LT Dave Jones, John Ammen, Ron Gorsline, Ed Fashold, Pat Feeney, Steve Messer, Brix Gustavson, Nic Spaeder. Two guys in middle row, L-R: Micky Kenney , Bruce Cunningham. Front row seated, L-R: Jim Grindstaff, Stew Kerr, Don Dorste, LTjg Glen Guillow, Mark Newnam. Photo was taken in Sierra De Retin, Spain (1987). Not pictured was CPO Doug Bracca (he took the photo).
Jim Grindstaff
Jim Grindstaff
Jim Grindstaff
Jim Grindstaff

      Post Office Dedicated to Roy Boehm in FL.

A. Dee Clark the Radical Veteran
Adm. Flynn
Brian Schad
Jack Welch
SEAL MCPO
"Moose" Boinotte & Doc RIojas
? , Jerry Todd
Brian Shad, Capt Gormley
Doc Riojas, Jack Rowell, Mrs. Rowell
Richard Marcinko, Jim watson
Sierra Blanca, Doc E. Riojas
D.K.Mc Cormack , Rudy Boesch, Jim Tipton
West Coast 2010 Reunion SEALs
Rt. to Lt: Mike Boynton, Tocci, Bill Langley, DOc Riojas, Jack Rowell, Chuck Jesse, Bob "Pete" Peterson, ? , P.T. Schwartz, Chuck Newell, Hook Tuure, John Dearmon, Bob "Eagle" Gallagher. Photo from the Movie "Men with Green Faces"

   Class 68      There were shitloads of guys starting my class. 
                          Nine of us went to SEAL Team TWO.  The CO when we arrived
                               was Gormly for about the first year and then
                               he was replaced by Marcinko at  ST-2.       Gary Vanderheiden 

                           Wakefield native dies in jump accident
Joey Cresta
Sunday, July 18, 2010

Aranci Bay Sardinia Italy Aug 1966 East Coast UDTs
Bill Daugherty UDT-21
Don Lt to Rt: "Doc" Stone, Dante Stephensen "Hoot" ANdrews
A. Dee Clark Class 22 East Coast
UDT Frogs East Coast
UDT East Coast Team
Left to Rt: Tom Keith and buddies in Iraq
Tom Kieth's Computer Desktop photo, Iraq civil servants all SpecOps men.
Lt to Rt: ? , Lou Gosser, ?
Lt to Rt: Rudy Enders, and Joe Thrift

                                 Clarence T. Risher III KIA VIetnam Class 29 E.C.   
                                     Read the Book “Rogue Warrior” for details of his death.  

Jim Hillman UDT-21
photos from his son: Jim Hillman Jr.

Jim Hillman USN and now Retired

On Tue, Jun 8, 2010 at 10:22 AM, Hillman, Jim  wrote:
Doc, 

I am writing to you to find out where I might find some pictures of my father, Jim Hillman from UDT 21. He graduated Class 26 UDTIR. He was with UDT 21 for 12 years from 1960 til his retirement in 1972. 

The only pic we have is the graduating class photo from 1960. You will find this in Marcinko’s book “the Real Team”. You seem to be the guy on the web who has the most as far as archives are concerned. All the pictures he had were stored in a box that the rats pissed and pooped on and he ended up throwing the whole mess away some years ago. 

This is something I am taking upon myself for posterity. My dad is alive and well at 75 years. I thought it would be a nice gift for him to retrieve some photos of the past. 

Jim Hillman Jr.

—–Original Message—–
From: Erasmo Riojas 
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 9:17 PM To: Hillman, Jim 
Subject: Re: My father 

I have put out emails to the UDT SEAL Assn and other teamates. I hope we can find some pictures of your dad. 

Too bad the mice got to his stuff. 

your friend 

Doc Riojas Pearland TX

On Wed, Jun 9, 2010 , Hillman, Jim wrote: I’ll send you what I have tomorrow. 

—–Original Message—– 
From: Erasmo Riojas 
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 
To: Hillman, Jim 
Subject: Re: My father 

You are welcome. 

hey, send me that class picture and also a present picture of your father for www.sealtwo.org 

thank you very much 

rio 

On Wed, Jun 9, 2010 ,
Hillman, Jim  wrote:
Thanks Doc  

from: Erasmo Riojas  
to:”Hillman, Jim” 

date :Wed, Jun 9, 2010 
Subject  Re: My father 

thank you, take your time 

rio 

Jim Hillman
UDT-21

SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2008, CDT
Well, here I am again –
with another update!    

 “Gus” Kaminski

Radiation is going well – 12 treatments down, 21 to go. Over the past few days, the hair on the front of my head began falling out and I’ve been a bit tired in the afternoons…really about the only side effects I’ve noticed.
Chemotherapy is rolling along – still a bit nauseous at times, but I haven’t booted yet..
.keep rooting for me on that one!
Let me see, Candice and I are still working out just about every day – which is really nice.
Much love to everyone out there,


Andy/Gus Kaminski 
Their address is: 
7043 Camino Degrazia, #198, 
San Diego, CA 92111

SEAL Team ONE somebody got a better photo? please send it to me at docrio45 [at} gmail DOT com com
                      
Cdr. Bob Thomas was recommended for the M.O.H. in ‘nam, but the USN downgraded it toa U.S. Navy Crosss

 

                

When he was OinC SPECWARGRUNAM he assigned me to some real shitty duty, like going   down to Sea Float and working with LCDR  Al  Sphinx;  but he also gave me a large leeway in working with the ST-2 guys anywhere, anytime.  He made my last tour in the ‘nam a beaut!    photo taken from the BLAST 1st 1/4 2007   May he Rest in Peace.  

Read the book: “SEAL Warrior” by Tom Keith and there is a “seastory” about Doc Riojas in the “bush.”  For that action he was recommended for a Silver Star, but CDR O’Drain had it downgraded to a Bronze Star.

Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Clark Schwedler

A Monumental Honor  

SO2    Clark Schwedler, ST-4, KIA  on 5 April 2007 in Anbar, Iraq,  photo  taken from the BLAST 1st 1/4 2007

http://www.michigansthumb.com/articles/2011/07/06/news/local_

news/doc4e1431887af98392037684.txt

Navy SEAL building named
after a man with local ties By TRACI L. WEISENBACH
Tribune Staff Writer

There are many ways to honor someone for what they’ve contributed — a plaque, a watch, a statue. Naming an entire building after someone, though, is an ultimate honor.

Some Huron County residents traveled to Little Creek, Va., this spring to attend a dedication of a new Navy SEAL headquarters building, which is named after their nephew, Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Clark Schwedler.

Huron County District Court Judge David B. Herrington, attorney John Schwedler and Bad Axe Area District Library librarian Mimi Herrington traveled to the ceremony to be with Clark’s parents, Susie and Joe, and siblings, Kate Kokotovich and Tom Schwedler. Clark grew up in Crystal Falls, where his parents still live.

          Harold T. Hall  Photos 

Lt. to Rt.Standing:  Roger Clancy, Arthur Garrison.   Kneeling:  Harold T. Hall, Ens. Pat Dolliver, Evans, Bill Harding “Dolliver’s Divers” Boat Crew while in R&D at Ft. Pierce FL.

Roger Clancy   We have been informed that Roger Clancy passed away 28 June 2006.  He training in Ft Pierce (Class 4) and served from 1943 through 1945 in NCDU and UDT-4.  No further details are available.

  This email is in reply to the above UDT-SEAL Assn short note regarding Roger Clancy. Roger was in UDT 5, not UDT 4  (this is correct) . I am saddened to hear of his death.    Roger was in my rubber boat crew. Our commanding officer was Ensign Pat Dolliver. We were known as “Dolliver’s Divers”. The name came from an accident that we had during training. We were coming in from the sea, paddling toward shore with a load of bangelore torpedoes when a wave flipped over our rubber boat. We spent the rest of the day trying to find those five foot sections and thus became “Doliver’s Divers”!   We stayed in Fort Pierce after our training, in R&D, and worked on several projects dealing with small rocket projectiles, etc.

 

We shipped out to the Pacific in UDT 5 under Commander Kauffman. Roger participated in four pre-invasion actions starting with Saipan (the first major swimming reconnaissance in the Pacific), and Tinian in the Mariana Islands, followed by Leyte and Mindoro in the Philippine Islands.   Roger was gifted with great lungs and could hold his breath underwater for up to four minutes.   Roger later did a lot of marathon running, and attended several of our reunions over the years. Roger lost his wife, Helen, a few years back and that really took the spark out of his life. I talked with Roger a few months back, hoping he would be able to attend our next reunion in San Diego, but he told me that physically, he just could not make it.   I will miss him.  

 Harold Hall  PO Box 252 N. Eastham MA 02651        Hallu49  [at]   aol   DOT  com

photos compliments of :Harold T.Hall
   Lt to Rt:Roger Clancy, Bill Harding,  Harold T. Hall, Bob Foxwell
at Ft. Pierce after returning from overseas

 

 

 

 Jim ” Old as dirt” Barnes

These photos below were taken at the American Legion on 4th Street on May 29th celebrating Memorial Day 2006. 

My dad’s name is Jim Barnes, “Older Than Dirt”, Navy Frogman.

He is a member there and on the board of directors.  This is Dad in the “Dunk Tank.”  We all had a great time there. They had lots of great food and beer. No one went home hungry. 

 Judy  Barnes 

Jim Barnes "Old as dirt"

F.R.O.G. = Fully Rely on God .
    Thank you God for our “Vida Loca” as U.S. Navy Frogmen!

 

Hi Doc,

No, I was not with Edward Leo Wisniewski in this article http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090724/OBITUARIES/907240317.   I know it is a fact.  I did not receive an award because  I servd in the Pacific S&R .  We did the first NSW recons in the Pacific along with UDT’s one and two. Not too many people know about us.

  Just know of Wisniewski’s deed through reading History and know my Scouts and Raiders were also at North Africa and were warded eight Navy Cross. Also two were awarded in Sicily. At Normandy, two were awarded. Not too shabby for a small outfit that started in 1942 and ended in 1945. I have copies of all of these. 

  I do a S&R newsletter for just over 200 S&R. Some are widows of fallen men. I am a historian for the S&R and also have much info on NCDU’s, UDT’s and SEALS. 

  I enjoy looking at all t he pictures and stuff you put out on your web site www.sealtwo.org. You are one busy guy. Will dry up before you think I am can write a book.

” Old as dirt” Jim Barnes
UDT-SEAL Museum Volunteer

L.to R. top Row: Dave Strong, Charlie Bump, Larry Bradley, ANdy Heyden, Steve Lee, Aubrey Davis, "Doc" Lusk; Front Row: Kerry Hendrick, Chuck Bledsoe, Bob Schamburger, & Dorian Kaiser.
Faces at the UWSS reunion 2006
1964, with UDT -21-2; L.to R: Ralph Diebold, Ed Leasure, Bob Harraback, Bill Langley
Chuck Newell
Brian J. Ouellette KIA Afgan.
The Black SEAL is an HM2 ST-1 "Spear Chucker" I forgot his real name. I do not know why i included Bill Langley in this collage of SEAL Corpsmen and ONE Doctor.
Dante Stephensen & Bob "Eagle Gallagher, Bob and I were with the 7th ST-2, when he was awarded the Navy Cross in 'nam I thought it was gonna be "THE ALAMO" for us.
Erasmo "Doc" Riojas & John Friesch
"Hook" Tuure
"Hoot" ANdrews and 3d wife
H.T. & wife
James M. "Jim" Hawes
Kathy & Jim Lampman
Joe "Doc" D'ANgelo
A.D. Clark, Bill Holton, Joe Silva, Dave "Little Fat Rat" Sutherland
Lt. to Rt.: Bob Holmes,
Richard "Doc" Martin & Hoss Kucinski
Mike Mc QUillis & Shadow
Nicola Brothers, Mark & CHris There are three of them that are US Navy SEAL here in Houston TX

                               
lt to rt: Dee Clark, Doc Riojas, Fred Miller,                             Frank Moncrief
“Fly” Fallon, Rudy Boesch  

Captain Norm Olson “Sky Fossil”

Captain Norm Olson "Sky Fossil"
Pee Wee Nealey
Hook Tuure, Pete Peterson, Mike Boynton & Roy Dean Matthews
Bob Reeves, ??, Pat Badger
E. "Doc" Riojas, Rudy Boesch, Marge Bush
BACK L-R: Dale Mc Clesky, Jack Lynch, Terry Sullivan, Mingh (interpreter) Tom Keith, T. "Doc" Pacuicrk, Mike Bailey, Jim Finley KNEELING: L-R: "Big Al" Ashton, Rudy Boesch, Jerry Hammerle, Al Quist, Bob Neidrauer; K9 Rinney is Missing.
Bill Goines, Per Erik Tornblom, Bill Brumuller, Callahan
SAS Gym England: John"Fly" Fallon, Rudy Boesch, Eddie Leisure, Doc Riojas, Fred Keener, Swede Tornblom, Joe Silva, Jerry Waters
Lt to Rt: ??, ??, Brumuller, ?? , ROy Boehm, ?? Sitting: Billy Burbank, Dante Stephensen, Rudy Boesch
Shamberger KIA Grenada
Lt.toRt: Joe Stubbs, Clark "Doc" Long, John Violette Record diver to 1100 ft.
Top Row; lt to Rt: Dickerson (Coach), Ledbetter, Price, Tindall, Smith, Robinson, W.L. Thede, Atkinson, Huey BOTTOM ROW: Carroll, Ducharme, Adams, Beaver, McDonald, Smith, Juric

                
      Sam Ciechon  also Navy Frogman                          

 

Per-Erik Tornblom, USNavy SEAL, Class 19 E.C.   R.I.P

Per-Erik Tornblom, USNavy SEAL, Class 19 E.C. (retired) died today and will be cremated and his ashes scattered at the UDT SEAL Museum Muster 2010.He died at the Avante Group Nursing Home in Leesburg FL following his Hemorrhagic Stroke.He is survived by Family in Sweden.  “Swede” was not married and has no dependents.  “Swedes'”  best friend: Capt. Patt Meara; email: CapnPatt [at] usa.com; 180 Dutchess Dr.; Leesburg, FL  34748-8928 has all details of “Swede’s” relatives visit during his internment at Avante. Patt was visited Swede daily from the time of his acute medical emergency until his death.   He has made himself welcome to any questions any SEAL teammate may have about “Swede.”

—– Original Message —–
From: DKMSEAL@aol.com
To: docrio@warpspeed1.net Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2009 4:18 PM
Subject: Re: Thank you Dennis 

Doc, 

Super! Thanks, as I know John would approve. Someday you’ll have to explain to me how to setup a web site like you have. Thanks too for write-up on Swede Thornblom. I was TAD to Seal Team TWO from ST-1 in 1962 and went on a European trip with Swede, traveling to France, Bergen, Norway, and jumped into Greece with Greek commandoes. Upon return to CONUS got caught up in Cuban Missile Crisis. Great memories of Swede, a bit on the crazy side, but then who wasn’t? Great memories of Swede and gang taking me out to someone’s home when I landed at Norfolk, and then the party really began. Ha-Ha! 

Dennis

—– Original Message —–
From: Doc Rio To: DKMSEAL@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2009 4:47 PM
Subject: Re: Thank you Dennis 



wow! Swede and I made a similar trip to SAS camp in Hereford England then on to Northern Germany on an op with SAS, Green Berets, and US. Swede’s squad did not get captured. We were waitin for our Submarine extraction, it was colder than hell. Rudy and Lt. Truxtell spoke German. they got into civilaian cloths and went an bought beer in the near village. We blew up all our targets and got to the extraction area 3 days early. the second day we built a fire. the third day the Germans came and captured us. 

LOL great OLD DAYS! 

Rio

Per Eric Tornblom getting drummed out of the Navy
Per Eric Tornblom BMCS

Mark L. DONALD (SEAL)

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Mark L. Donald, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism as Medical Officer assigned to a Joint Operational Unit conducting combat operations against Al Qaida and Taliban enemy forces in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

           
“Tiger” & “Hoss” Kucinski  &   ??                                           Tollison Brothers

    
                    Sam Orr, E. “Doc” Riojas, Ty Zellers, A.Dee Clark


SEALs KIA in Afghanistan 2005

July 2005 :   It is with great sorrow, that the Naval Special Warfare Foundation and the UDT-SEAL Association a the memorial services for ten Navy SEALs killed in Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these men during this very difficult time. 

The memorial service will be held at 1000,  Friday, July 8, 2005  , in the NAB, Little Creek Base Theater for the five members of SEAL Team TEN and the one member of SDV Team TWO who died in The uniform for active duty Navy is Service Dress Blue.

The five SEALs from SEAL Team TEN are:mal”>Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, 36, Class 219, of New Orleans Louisiana Jacques is survived by his wife, Charissa. 

LCDR Erik S. Kristensen, 33, Class 233, of California] Erik is survived by his parents R Edward Kristensen and Suzanne “Sam” Kristensen. 

Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas 33, Class 191, of Arial”>Oregon Jeff is survived by his wife of 12 years, Rhonda, and theiryear-old son, Seth. 

LT Michael M. McGreevy, Jr, 30, Class 230, of New York Mike is survived by his wife, Laura, and their 1-year-old daughter, Molly.        

 Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor 30, Class 229, of Midway, West Virginia   Jeff is survived by his wife, The SEAL from SDV Team TWO is: Petty Office 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz, Class 232, Colorado   Dan is survived by his wife Marie. In  Hawaii memorial service will be held  Monday, July 11, 2005 at the National Cemetery Honolulu for the four members of SDV Team ONE who also perished in Afghanistan.

  The uniform for active duty Navy is Summer White. The four SEALs lost from SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE are:  Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy, 36, Class 176, of Exeter New Hampshire Dan is survived by his wife Normida four children from his former wives and three stepchildren. 

LT Michael P. Murphy, 29, Class 236, of Medford.  Mike is survived by his parents Dan and Maureen Murphy.  Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric S. Patton, 22, Class 239, of Boulder City Eric is survived by his Navy SEAL father James Patton.

 Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, Class 237, of Deerfield Beach James is survived his father Solomon Suh.


                                                                                                                         

Navy SEAL Killed in Afghanistan

By NSWG-2 PAO (LT John Perkins, USN – (757) 462-2282

 

As we do every year, some of the GulfCoast SEALs pay their respects to Ike Rodriguez at Houston Nat.Cemetery.
Isaac George Rodriguez III TM2(SEAL) KIA Panama SEAL Team FOUR

Isaac George Rodriguez III – Grave Record1965 – 1989: Houston National Cemetery in Houston, Texas 

Isaac George Rodriguez III was born on March 22nd, 1965 and died on December 20th, 1989 at the age of 24.
Isaac was buried at Houston National Cemetery in Houston, Texas and was a veteran of the following wars: Panama.
Get Grave Records for Isaac George Rodriguez III from Ancestry.com Grave Record of Isaac George Rodriguez III
Public Records Name Harris County, Texas Economy Presidents Other Records Review Grave Record of
Isaac George Rodriguez III Details Name Isaac George Rodriguez III Birth Date March 22, 1965 Death Date
December 20, 1989 Age at Death 24 Veteran Status Military Branch US NAVY Military Rank TM2C War(s)
Panama Cemetery and Grave Information Cemetery Houston National Cemetery Cemetery Section ID J Site Number
747 
Address 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive Houston, TX 77038 Cemetery Website Houston National Cemetery
Cemetery Phone 281-447-8686 Record Citation US Veterans Grave Records 

US Veterans Grave Records. Record count: 7,019,528. data.gov. https://explore.data.gov/.

 

 

 

 

Apollo Recovery Team
UDT Apollo Recovery Team
Red Fane "Underwater Warrior" the book and later the movie "Frogman"

      

 

 

   
Clark “Shorty” “Doc” Long was ST-2 ‘nam war games

From: Eugenio Crescini
To: Doc Riojas
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 
SEAL Team 2, Detach Alfa, 5th Plt, RSSZ,Vietnam:

I put the these men thru BASIC(East Coast 1964-1965):
Lt Jukoski, Ltjg Norris, Ashton, R. Davis, Waters, Peck, Ebner & Baron (5 Plt at Nam)

 LT. M. Jukoski LTjg T. Norris
DMC E. Crescini
BT1 D. Zmuda
BM1 A. Ashton
HM1 R. Lashomb
BM2 R. Davis
EN2 E. Ebner
BM2  F. Waters
DK2 K. Peck
STG2 J. Glasscock
ABM2 P. Hood
AM3 T. Baron
GMG3 M. Pierson
LDNN Long

 

               

                                                      
                    Jason Friewald                  John Marcum 

           
   Two SEALs from Dam Neck killed in Afghanistan

 

 

 

 

 

  
           Sam Fournier  ST-2  ‘nam

 

                      
I know so well and I am blocking out !  HELP !  is it  Davis?

 


LT.  Frederick E. Trani was wounded by a VC booby trap.  He was being cared for in an Army Hospital.  The news we heard at the team is that he died because he received a blood transfusion that was not his blood type.    ST-2 had another death, MCPO Drady, died years later as a result of receiving HIV positive blood when he was transfused after his chemo therapy treatments in the early 1980’s.

 

                         Spence Dry: A SEAL’s Story

By Captain Michael G. Slattery, U.S. Navy (Retired) and Captain Gordon I. Peterson, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Proceedings, July 2005

Early in 1972, two U.S. airmen being held as prisoners of war at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison set in motion an escape plan. In response, the U.S. Pacific Fleet orchestrated what became known as “Operation Thunderhead,” a rescue mission that played out that June in the Red River delta.

http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,NI_0705_Seal-P1,00.html the whole story on this link.

28 SHIPMATE

A Hero’s Legacy… 30 Years in the Making

Teriyaki Shrimp  Up the stone staircase from the rotunda at the center of the Naval Academy’s massive Bancroft Hall stands Memorial Hall.This hallowed place honors the memory of those Alumni who were killed in action defending the nation against its enemies.The standards and qualification criteria for this honor are demanding, as they should be.

  But one name, nevertheless, had been missing from Memorial Hall’s honored dead for much too long—that of Lieutenant Melvin Spence Dry ’68— the last Navy SEAL killed during the Vietnam War. Although Spence and I were classmates at the Naval Academy we really didn’t get to know each other well until the shared experience of surviving Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training— training that included a cold winter “Hell Week,” seemingly endless formation runs in soft sand, and long cold ocean swims and small boat rock portages at night through plunging surf during Pacific winter storms.

  Getting to know your future teammates was a very big part of that experience. Starting in December 1969,we began as a winter class of 12 officers and more than100 enlisted. By graduation in June 1970,we were down to a core of five officers and 22 enlisted men. By then we all knew each others’ strengths and weaknesses as well as we knew our own.A particularly strong bond formed among those five graduating officers of BUD/S-class 56: Mike Cadden, Jerry Fletcher, Jim Hoover, Spence Dry and me. That bond remains unbroken.

  Following graduation from BUD/S, I joined three of those officers and rented an old house on Fourth Street in Coronado, just up the road from the SEAL and Underwater Demolitions Teams of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.After long days of training and learning our craft in the “Teams,”we would often gather at a favorite local restaurant located across the street on Glorietta Bay in the Hotel Del Coronado’s old boat house.There we would take our meals together and talk shop.Spence would invariably order his favorite meal—teriyaki shrimp. I never saw him order anything else. 

Times were good then and all too short.We were young,well-trained and eager to test our mettle in combat  Four of us were assigned to UDT-13, and within a few months we deployed to the Philippines with the entire command. Spence deployed almost immediately from there to the  Republic of Vietnam as officer in charge (OIC) of Detachment Hotel near Da Nang. There he led his detachment on river reconnaissance, combat demolitions and search-and-destroy operations along the Ky Lam river.When Jim Hoover was seriously wounded at Dong Tam, Spencerelieved him, and I relieved Spence.Upon return from Vietnam, Jerry, Spence and I transferred to SEAL Team One. The time at SEAL One was spent training, volunteering and competing for combat deployments.

Upon reflection,we also made a general nuisance of ourselves at San Diego’s local watering holes. SEALs,Marines and naval aviators wouldcompete for attention during off-duty hours and in between WESTPAC deployments. Our favorite haunts for these contests were The Down Winds, MCRD,“MexPac” and the Miramar Officers Club (of the feature filmTop Gun fame).The memories of those uproarious and politically incorrect times are still vivid—we trained hard, played hard and did the things that young men do when they think they’ll live forever. Reality would soon change all that.  

Spence soon deployed to Vietnam as OIC of a SEAL platoon. Such opportunities were becoming rare as the Vietnam War wound down. Nixon’s “Vietnamization” program had ended all the routine SEAL platoon “direct action” deployments.All that was left in Vietnam for newly minted SEALs were one-year tours as SEAL advisors and on exceptional occasions, a tailored mission deployment for a specific purpose or contingency.

  It was a deployment for a special assignment in Vietnam in 1972 that Spence was leading when he was killed during a desperate attempt to accomplish an extremely difficult and hazardous mission—what we eventually learned was a POW rescue mission code named Operation Thunderhead. Officially the word from on high during the summer of 1972 was that he had died in a “training accident,” the specific location and purpose of which were highly classified and disclosed only on a “need-to-know” basis. We wanted to know more.  

Gradually, as the surviving members of his team returned to Coronado,we uncovered the bits and fragments that enabled us to piece together key parts of how his death actually occurred. Spence and his teammates were conducting a highly classified clandestine reconnaissance and attempted rendezvous under extremely hazardous combat conditions off the coast of North Vietnam. They had launched at midnight the night of 3 June from a submerged submarine, the amphibious transport GRAYBACK (LPSS-574), operating in the extremely shallow enemy waters in the northern Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam.  

After several hours of fighting an overpowering tidal current, they had been compelled to scuttle their only mode of clandestine transportation, a SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV), after its battery power expired during their struggle against the tidal current and sea state.After swimming seaward with the SDV in tow for seven hours to prevent its capture in enemy patrolled waters, they were recovered by helicopter and returned to the command ship, the nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser LONG BEACH (CGN-9), for debriefing.

Lieutenant Dry (in center holding paper) briefs his SEAL Platoon “Alpha” on the deck of the submarine GRAYBACK. Photo courtesy of Timothy R. Reeves
Lieutenant Dry (on left, partially obscured) and fellow officers have lunch at the “mud flats officer's mess" during their infamous “Hell Week” of SEAL training. Photo courtesy of Robert Dry
Lieutenant Dry, serving as coxswain, and members of his Alpha Platoon return to GRAYBACK following a training exercise prior to Operation Thunderhead. Photo courtesy of Timothy R. Reeves

ST-1 C.O. promoting Slattery & Dry; note the UDT gold emblem on Slattery’s lt. breast !

SEAL Team One’s commanding officer promotes Slattery (right) and Dry (center) to lieutenant in 1971 during a ceremony at the team’s compound in Coronado, CA. U.S. Navy Photo courtesy of 

 

 

26 Robert Dry  

 By Captain Michael G. Slattery ’68, USN (Ret.) A Tribute to a Classmate and SEAL Teammate  

FEATURE  But in true SEAL tradition, Spence would not quit. He knew he had to return as soon as possible to the submarine. He had information vital for a backup team preparing to launch a second attempt, and Spence was determined to see that they got it. During a secure communication with GRAYBACK’S commanding officer and the on-scene tactical commander, then-Commander John D. Chamberlain,Spence maintained that the information and experience he had just gained were vital to the success of future missions.

  Accordingly, it was decided that the SEALs would be returned to GRAYBACK in the submarine’s operating area off the coast of North Vietnam.The SEALs would jump into the water near the submarine—a “helo cast” in SEAL parlance.The two SEALs and two UDT-11 SDV operators boarded the Navy helicopter for a rendezvous an hour before midnight. Beyond the challenge inherent with a nighttime cast, the attempted rendezvous was further complicated by the highly classified nature of the SEALs’mission—an operation so secret that the submarine had to remain submerged and undetected even by the U.S.Navy’s Seventh Fleet. 

Its ships patrolled throughout this area of the Tonkin Gulf, and only a select few were aware of GRAYBACK and its Navy special warfare swimmers operating in their midst. After several unsuccessful passes, including one flown over North Vietnam’s coast, the helicopter pilot thought he had finally spotted the signal from the submarine. Spence and his men prepared to conduct the helo cast to link-up and lock-in to the sub.When told they were over their objective and given the signal to “drop,”Spence stepped out of the helo. The rest of the SEALs rapidly followed.  

The helo was too high and fast for safe entry, and the jumpers hit the water hard. Spence was killed on impact, and the others injured—two seriously. Complicating the worsening chain of events,GRAYBACK was not in the immediate vicinity. The survivors were forced to tread water in the presence of enemy patrol boats until they were recovered by helicopter at daybreak. During the course of the night, one of theSEAL platoon’s most experienced combat veterans, then-Warrant Officer First Class Philip “Moki”Martin, found Spence’s body and held it for recovery. Spence would be the last SEAL to die in Vietnam. 

Because his death was not specifically caused by enemy fire, and therefore, according to the cover story, simply a tragic mishap, it was classified as “accidental.” Besides the potential political fallout during the waning years of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, disclosing the highly classified nature of the operation that surrounded his death would put similar future POWrescue attempts at risk. But the risk to Spence and his fellow SEALs during that particularly dangerous operation was from more than just the looming threat of hostile fire.

  Several treacherous operational hazards were encountered throughout the entire operation’s full mission profile.And although certain aspects of his mission still remain classified, the risks included the night underwater lock out and launch from the submarine GRAYBACK; the longhours of submerged transit through enemy patrolled waters to the target area in an unproven, free-flooding SDV; the strong tidal current and sea state that made mission success problematic and ultimately forced the SEALs to tow the SDV seaward for seven hours to prevent its capture; and the high risk of detection and engagement by aggressive enemy patrol boats that probed the coastal waters and extreme shallows of the northern Tonkin Gulf off North Vietnam.

  Such mission uncertainties of SEAL operations go with the territory. Throughout the entire rescue attempt, Spence’s team needed to remainundetected—even by friendly forces.But if the enemy did detect the SEALs and forced them to return fire, it would have been merely one more mission event to overcome in a long and continuous sequence of one high-risk rescue operation. We didn’t know those details when we learned of Spence’s loss at morning quarters in SEAL Team One’s compound in Coronado back in June 1972. 

All we knew was that a close friend and good teammate, an outstanding officer with tremendous potential,had been killed.So, on the night that we learned of his death, four of his closest teammates gathered once more at Coronado’s Chart House and asked for a table for five by the window. It was a nice spot—one that Spence surely would have approved of—overlooking Glorietta Bay and the lights of San Diego and the Coronado Bridge. Everyone around us that night seemed to know something exceptional was unfolding…and they gave our table a wide berth. In that private space we each retold stories about Spence and raised our glasses to the empty chair and separate place that we had made the waiter set—with teriyaki shrimp.

            

Epilogue: On 25 February 2008, in an award ceremony in Memorial Hall, Lieutenant M.Spence Dry,USN, was posthumously presented the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device “for heroic achievement in connection with combat operations against the enemy.” Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter also approved the award of the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device for then-CWO Moki Martin for May 2008 29 heroic actions during that high-risk mission off the coast of North Vietnam more than 35 years ago.

Following the award ceremony several of those who had attended that farewell dinner back in Coronado gathered that evening at the Annapolis Chart House for a very special reunion.  Although it had been more than 35 years, our memories were still fresh and old stories flowed with the wine, and maybe a tear or two.a

This tribute by Captain Mike Slattery ’68,USN (Ret.), provided the basis for an article he co-authored with classmate Captain Gordon I.Peterson ’68,USN (Ret.),“Spence Dry—A SEAL’s Story,” published in the U.S.Naval Institute Proceedings in July 2005. Captain Slattery teaches History and Government at Campbell University in Buies Creek,NC.


Lt – Rt: Mike Slattery, Jim Hoover, 
Spence Dry, Jerry Fletcher, Mike Cadden

The five officers of BUD/S class 56 taken at the ceremony, from L to R:  Captain Mike Slattery ’68, USN (Ret.); Lieutenant Commander Jim Hoover, USNR (Ret.); Lieutenant Spence Dry ’68, USN (photo); Commander Jerry Fletcher, USN (Ret.) and Lieutenant Commander Mike Cadden, USNR (Ret.).          


Michael G. Slattery LT.  &  M. Spence

Then-Lieutenants (junior grade) Michael G. Slattery (left) and M. Spence Dry following the completion of “Hell Week” during Basic UDT/SEAL (BUD/S) Training. Photo courtesy of Robert Dry May 2008 27      Photo by Spence Cadden   

 

 

              Lorimar Group – Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson

Doc  Rio–

 I have always enjoyed receiving your emails and hope to continue doing so. FYI, I was 8404, 8492 and 8491. After making HMC and post platoon LCPO, I left to Goat Locker and became a CWO.  I retired as a CWO-3 (SEAL). 

He is a couple more photos:

  1. Me playing Theodore Roosevelt for the History Channel.  “TR and American Lion”
  2. Me at Baghdad Fire Department
  3. Jerry McCauley (Deceased) former classmate, teammate and best friend

Have a great New Year!     Best regards,

  1. Mike Johnson, President & CEO

Lorimar Group, Inc. – “Mission Critical Communications – Technologies”

mike.johnson [at] lorimargroup.com

WEBMASTER’s note:

Thank you sir.  Best Wishes on your Enterprise.    Erasmo “Doc” Riojas        aka: Doc Rio  : docrio45 [at] gmail.com 

C.L. Walsh & L.O. Samuelson

—– Original Message —–
From: Franklin Anderson
To: doc rio
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 

Subject:  Deceased SEAL  members; 

I sent an E-mail earlier and brought up the question of what qualifies for KIA & KIT. I have reviewed the list and thought you might like the article on Walsh and Samuelson. 

As I said previously Doc’s Hetherington and Cline were on a Search mission for a buddy and were killed in a plane crash –I have a clipping in my files to that effect. Richard Coats was in the Philllipines and died of a Heart attack while training for CISM. 

Fredrickson was TAD to the Army for training and died in the Potomac river while on a training mission–their boat over turned and Freddy made it closer to shore than anybody before dying. The instructors had secured before the problem was over. 

Jim Fox from TM 21 was being picked up by the Fulton pickup system and the cable broke at the door of the plane, because there was no emergency cut-off switch—There is film footage of the whole incident. My question that I posed previously is what definition are you; applying to KIA AND KIT. 

I also mentioned Bill Robinson had retired and was selling Real Estate when somebody cut his throat–still unsolved. Please let me know what your parameters are?

  Doc Rio is correct on his statements —-I strongly recommend that before the final list is solidified, it be circulated again.

  Franklin

 



 

David Goggins

Brian W. Curle click on name

 

 

Someone here has the helo story mixed up…  There were five Teammates from SEAL Team Onethat were lost on that helo,


BM3 James R. Gore ST-1 23 Jun 70 Can Tho; Helo crash

MM2 Richard J. Solano ST-1 23 Jun 70 Can Tho; Helo crash

SM3 John S. Durlin ST-1 23 Jun 70 Can Tho; Helo crash

RMSN John J. Donnelly ST-1 23 Jun 70 Can Tho; Helo crash

FN Toby A. Thomas ST-1 23 Jun 70 Can Tho; Helo crash

This crash happened the day before I arived in Vietnam on my first tour with Team 1…  The helo was not a jolly green but an army slick that had just been shot up on a SEAL op & wasn’t shut down at SeaFloat to check out the damage before heading back to Bhin Thuy…
DD
  

Doc Riojas’ note:    I was sent by SPECWARGRU Vietnam to see if i could ID some these SEALs at Morgue Registration TonSonNhut Air field.   These men were not found for days after the helo crash and their bodies were very bloated almost at the point of exploding in size and unable to ID them.  Sad scene !

 

BUD/S Class 182
DonnieRaimon
Duncan Smith
Elbert TIllman Jr.
John B. MacLaren
Keith Davids
Marcus Colburn
Byan Cox
SSgt Cullen Robert W. "Pete" Peterson
Shane Patton
Erasmo "Doc" Riojas & Korean Houseboy

WATCH the BOYZ
“make Love and War!”

Date: 01Jan2014

From: Franklin Anderson 
to:    Doc Riojas
Subj:  He traded a beer for the dog !
This one really hit’s home  (Back in 1958 FORWARD for a few years) He traded a beer for the dog  to swim the thermometer out past the breakers.

We had a Chief R Tracy Clark in UDT-11 that had a Chesapeake Bay Retriever pup named SCUBI—Tracy was a shipfitter and could make or weld anything.
 He made the probe that went on the front of the LCSR that they used for the Fulton Pickup System.
Anyway SCUBI Rode on the back of the Chief Motorcycle to an from work each day across the Ferry, and spent the day on the Strand.
However, we found out that  SCUBI could also be useful in taking the early morning Ocean Temperatures, that we had to send to COMPHIBPAC 
which  they sent them out to the fleet,)  In the winter the water is in Coronado is really  COLD!
Somebody fashioned a float to the Thermometer and the Duty section appointee would throw it into the ocean holding SCUBI. Afterwards he would  release him to fetch the float and thermometer.
SCUBI  LOVED THE WORK AND also the WATER, and the duty section never had to swim the thermometer out past the breakers after that. 
Enjoy- 
Franklin 
don’t forget to watch this video !  till the end !  

Thanks.

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