Webmaster: Erasmo "Doc"
Riojas Email: docrio45 [at] gmail DOT
com
Sol
Atkinson, Warrant Officer U.S.
Navy SEAL & Plank Owner SEAL Team ONE
Video of Senator Dan Sullivan, Alaska,
designating SOLOMON
"Sol" ATKINSON U.S. Navy SEAL AK citizen of the week
The Blast March 1985
Silver Bullet Club, St. Thomas
Richard "Hook" Tuure
Gerry Flowers USMC, and SEAL buddies
Exp DV Unit, selecting Divers for SEALAB
Edward D. Valade
Clint Majors in Nam War
Clint Majors
Clint Majors
Clint Majors
Clint Majors
Clint Majors
Clint
Majors ST1
Ronald L. Ethridge R.I.P. 1936 - 2017
Steve
Symonds ST-1 a memory of Doc Rio and $$ for Minh's fund.
Thank you my brother warrior
Ltjg Bill Bishop is missing ; so he must have taken this
picture. 'nam era ST-2 Platoon: Lt-Rt: Sam Fournier,
Bill McCarthy, Bill Langley, Scotty Lyons, Don Tocci, A.D.Clark, John Jaunzems,
BACK ROW: Lt - Rt: LT. Rick trani (KIA) , Shorty "Doc" Long,
Dennis turner, Durwood White, Herb Clemons, Steve Dunthorn
>
AD Clark
Doc Riojas' best buddy while he lived in Nacogdoches Texas
AD Clark
AD Clark ST-2
Don
Shipley http://www.extremesealexperience.com/Who-Owns-Extreme-Seal
Dante Stephensen,
Katie Northrup, and Bob Hightower
Rorke
Denver
Bruce Ian Cunningham R.I.P.
1958 - 2016
Served with SEAL Team TWO, NSWC, SEAL Team
ONE
and as an instructor for SEAL Qualification Training, (SQT).
William Reed
Frederick H Platt
Lance Detterman
JR
Bob Holmes at VA Hosp Houston TX
Hidden Heroes book
Bill
Dawson: Before they were SEALs they were Frogs
Willima "Bill" Dawson
Bill Dawson and Norm Olson and Tom Hawkins
Dave Kappus and Miss Harris County
Mary Ann Koenig
Chris Kyle Memorial
Chuck Lemoyne , me in front and Dave Janke and Gary Gleason in
background
Claude Willits, Frank Bomar and CDR Glen Ford (the actor)
Willie
Robertson , ????, Marcus Luttrell
Jon
Burrow, Elliot Miller and Eric Burris
Eric Burris
and Jason Redman at NRA convention
Chuck Newell and wife Dorothy
Clifton on Deck
Richard Marcinko and Erasmo Riojas
Corpsman in Houston, forgot his name and his wife
Bob "Eagle" Gallagher and Joseph "Red" Coyle
Gov. Rick Perry Texas
Vietnam Memorial Austin TX
Chris Kyle RIP
Did an Islamist Convert Murder Chris Kyle?
Former Marine Eddie Routh will stand trial for the 2013 murder of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and Kyle's colleague, Chad Littlefield. The assumption has been that Routh suffered from PTSD, and his attorney says he'll plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Kyle, who worked with PTSD vets, was working with Routh.
But the Warfighter Foundation obtained Routh's wartime record though a Freedom of Information Act request and found something astonishing: "Eddie Routh served one tour in Iraq in 2007, at Balad Air Base (the 2nd largest U.S. installation in Iraq), with no significant events. No combat experience. Let [us] say that again, he NEVER SAW COMBAT or any aspect of traumatic events associated with a combat deployment (i.e. incoming mortar or rocket fire). He never left the base, EVER." What Routh did do, however, was guard captured Muslim terrorists at the Bilad Airbase prison.
And some are speculating Routh had either converted to Islam or was in the process of doing so. There are no known ties between Routh and Islamist radicals, but, as Mark Alexander noted in Jihad -- Target USA, "Describing Islamists as 'lone wolf' actors or 'radicalized' constitutes a lethal misunderstanding of the Jihadi threat. [They are] tied to worldwide Jihad by way of the Qur'an, the foundational fabric linking all Islamist violence."
If the speculation about Routh is correct, it puts Kyle's death in a completely different light. More...
http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/evidence-surfaces-chris-kyles-killer-was-not-suffering-ptsd-terrorist-sympathizer
Chris Kyle
Day Feb 2, 2015 TEXAS; American Spniper
Jason Mulaney
Jones and Johnny Rabbitt
Captain Mc Combie ST-2 CO
Pat Hudnall and Riojas
"UDT
Training class in Puerto Rico"
Randy's museum in Leesburg FL
Randy's Museum in Leesburg FL
Roy Boehm
Doc Rio and Bob Holmes
Doc Riojas, Bill Langley and Danny McEvoy
Doc Riojas
Roy Dean i think bunked at "Patch's" house
What is his name?
Steve Elson 'nam SEAL Corpsman then LCDR SEAL
"Swede" Per Eric Tornblom
Tom Hawkins
Tom Hawkins and Liza Web Site
Tom Mc Cutchan in 'nam
Blake
Marston
Francis D. Fane
George L. Gouinlock
Gordon C. Brown
John D. Williamson
John E. Bussell
Parachutist Dies
Lawrence C. Williams Jr.
PhojoFrog, Mike West
Steve Elson and Lourdes Tolentino
WalterWYGouveia
R.I.P.
Mike Carroll
x
CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO view the rest of the Pictures
of the 2014 Ft. Pierce FL Muster !
Ft. Pierce 2014 Muster:
Erasmo Riojas, Lourdes Tolentino and Robert Gallagher
Nathanael Roberti with Cap
David Neal Bear R.I.P.
"Around
the World Twice" the origional poem by unknown
frogmen
Joseph Michael Silva R.I.P.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of
Joseph Michael Silva, 67, on 02 December 2014.
Joe was a graduate of UDTR Class 33 on 08 June 1965 in Little Creek and served
with SEAL Team TWO and was a Plank Owner with SEAL Team SIX.
Joe's daughter, Brooke Silva Dickhart sent the following obituary information:
Joseph Michael Silva, Age 67, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, passed away on
December 2nd. Survivors include his daughter Brooke Silva Dickhart and his
brothers Charles and Robert Silva. Joe grew up in Holyoke , MA . He joined the
in Navy in 1964 and retired in 1984. Joe's life will be celebrated at the Navy
SEAL Museum muster in November 2015. For those of you who had served with Joe,
please send any condolences and remembrances via email to: brookedickhart@yahoo.com.
Charlie Mike
SPace Program Capsule Recovery
Chris Cassidy,
Astronaut
From: Tom Teal
Date: February 23, 2018
To: Lee Hughs
Cc: Bruce Friederich Subject: Fifties Frog Picture Hello Lee, At the end of the reunion Bruce Friederich and I were leaving the motel in Coronado,
we noticed the hospitality room was open and the attached picture was on a table. There was no one in the room which had been cleaned.
Bruce and I discussed it and I brought the picture home and made a copy for him. Then I set the original aside. I'm forwarding the scanned photo to you to email to the folks who were actively participating in the hospitality room happy hours.
I do not have any email addresses of the participants other than Bruce and you.
If the owner, or anyone who knows the owner of this picture, who wants me to send the original picture to him please email me with your name and address info and I will gladly and expeditiously send it to you.
As you may remember I was an invitee of Bruce, it was an honor and great pleasure to attend the SEAL Reunion, an event that I will cherish always. Best regards and cheers to all who receive this email, Tom
Photo, astronaut Cooper and Leo Hamel to his left Leo Hamel
Astronaut Gordon Cooper in center of picture wearing sunglasses. On his right shoulder is Leo Hamel, then (secondary recovery team) T.F. Allen, ? Whetzell, and Bob Allard. On Cooper's right shoulder is (primary recovery team) R.E. Sallient, Bert Swift and Nick Nickelson. In the suit, in front of Nick is a Cooper assistant.
From: Nick Nickelson
Date: February 26, 2018 at 17:28:01 PST
To: 'Leo Hamel' Subject: RE: Leo Hamel Jr
Here. Master Chief Leonidas Hamel? Just wondering if you any of you guys knew my dad from Coronado Teams 1950s to about 1964. Any pics you want to share?
I knew your Dad well. We worked out together and he was in charge of the Mercury Recovery Project. I was one of the Team members who attached the flotation collar to Faith-7, the last Mercury Project. I am attaching a story, that is in my book, "UDT/SEAL Stories of the 1960's." There is another story in my book about your Dad and the Mercury Program. I attached that story as well and added a picture of your Dad that is in my book. Your Dad is standing next to Astronaut Gordon Cooper shortly after recovery. If you are interested in buying the book go to
Amazon.com, type in Nick Nickelson and you can purchase the book on Kindle or paperback. If you use Kindle, I would recommend you purchase it on Kindle. Your Dad was one of the finest men in the Teams, a true warrior and a gentleman. If I can answer any questions please don't hesitate to ask. I also knew
Chief Savoie
but not as well as your Dad.
I live in San Diego still. I used to come to work once in a while with him and see you guys train. I was only 5-7 at the time. My Uncle Lloyd Savoie was a chief as well during those years.
Leo
From: Lee Hughs [mailto: Sent: Friday, February 23, 2018 5:40 PM To: Walsh Michael J. "Mikie" & Katherine; Swepston Carl; Swedensky Betty; Sullivan Robert "Sully"; Strichter Don; Stevens Tom; Stepp John; Stephensen Dante; Russell R. D. & Pam; Riojas Erasmo "Doc"; Reno Al Mo'; Rauch Suzie; Powers Rick; Pollion Pete; Nord Fred; Nick Nickelson; Moody Stewart & Linda; Monahan Harry; Molden Jack B.; Mingus Hal &Joanne; Milligan, Ben; Meyer Gerry & Joy; McCormack Dennis; Marler Forrest; Lueb Clarence "Slim"; Kidder Wiliam & Nan; Joseph Joe Phillip & Susie; Hardin Dave; Leo Hamel; Graham, Jigger & Trish; Gallagher Gary, Cmd. Master Chief; Friedrich Bruce; Eyler Tom; Ethridge Ron & Judy; Espinosa Gil; Dunnigan Harold; Dunn (Dillman) Rick & Marline; Dishman Billy & Nella; Dickey Barry; Dickerson Dick & Ann; Devine Tim "Tad"; Davis Rudy; Dalrymple Nanette; Crosby Lloyd & Norma; Clardy Tom; Carrico Phil E.; Calentine Marie; Byers Melvin "Billy"; Bright Chester; Boynton Mack & Sharon; Boynton Mack & Sharon; Berry Bob & Diane; Berry Bob & Diane; Beachlife Magazine San Diego; Bates Gerald; Barelka Harry & Joann; Anderson, Frank & Martle; <mailto: tteal
Subject: Fwd: Fifties Frog Picture
Thanks Tom for the email. I forwarded to the database and we all certain appreciate your inquiry.
A self-explanatory email JIF: Tom Teal. Contact him direct for the 8x10 photo or copy it below and print from there.
Tom if you don't receive a response, drop it in the mail to the address below. Hope to see you in a future reunion, if the last one didn't wear you our. Later, Lee
Lee Hughs
UDT/SEAL? "Same heart, different wrapper" Ldh "1969"
Tom Rancich at Left of photo
History of UDT
Team 18 Association
Bob was a graduate of UDT Training Class 6 on 21 November
1952 in Coronado and served with UDT-3/5/13/11 and UDU-1.Commander
Robert M. Terry, US Navy (Retired), age 85, of Caswell Beach passed away Monday,
November 17, 2014 . He was born in Santa Ana, California on June 26, 1929, Mr.
Terry was a graduate of University of Colorado and was in the first Navy SEAL/UDT
Team and remained in that service until his retirement in 1972.Online
condolences may be made at www.peacocknewnamwhite.
comPeacock- Newnam & White Funeral and Cremation Service
passing of William N. Barth, 66, on Christmas Morning, 2014.
Erasmo Riojas, Bill Barth, Harry Coleman, Rudy (SURVIVOR, CBS)
Boesch
William N. Barth, 66, passed away peacefully on Christmas morning 2014 at his home. Born in Portsmouth, VA, .
He was a U.S. Navy SEAL, Vietnam Veteran and retired civil servant. He was an active member of the Naval Special Warfare community and dedicated to promoting the mission of the UDT SEAL Association.
Billy was a graduate of UDTR Class 40 on 29 August 1967 in Little Creek and served with UDT-21 and SEAL Team TWO. Billy also served on the Board of Directors of the
UDT-SEAL Association.
Bill Barth, Tom Keith, Doc Riojas
Billy Barth passed
From: "Frank Walters"
Date: December 25, 2014
Subject: Billy Barth R.I.P.
Billy Barth passed at 0300 this morning. Fran said he went and prayed with him
last night and he was unconscious. More people die on Christmas than any other
day.
Billy Barth was in SEAL Team 2 in Viet Nam. While waiting on an ambush sight the
enemy walked behind them. They had to turn the ambush around and engage. He said
he was ready and had his rounds laid out on a bandanna. It was a trick he had
learned from Tom Kieth, he said. It keeps your rounds out of the mud and makes
it easy to pick up and move if need be.
The fight was fierce and he was hit in both calves and then took a round in the
teeth that lodged in the hinge of his jaw. He told me that his first thought was
that his sister (a dentist) would be pissed. He was medically discharged from
the Navy and I think that bothered him the most. All he ever wanted to be was a
SEAL.
He was an active member of The Fraternal Order of UDT and SEAL's for the rest of
his life.
RIP Billy Barth, I'll see ya on the other side,
Mac
Tom Keith wrote:
Hey Doc, I don't even remember that photo of us, where
was it taken anyway? I've seen Billy at least the last 4 reunions and this last
one he was looking really bad.
Ya know Doc. he never really recovered mentally from his wounds in Vietnam. Once
he was out of the teams he just seemed to go down hill.
The Teams were his life. Happy New Year and have a great day Doc. Your forever
friend.
Tom
docrio wrote:
Thank you Dennis. You got any pictures of Billy B. thanks May he Rest in Peace
in Heaven. I saw him at Little creek this year. He looked good to me
clinially speaking. I did not ask him about his health condition. I REMEMBER: In
nam, when i visited at the hospital he kept asking me to tell the Doctors not to
cut his foot. THEY DID NOT. but not because i asked. back at the Creek, he is
thanking me for saving his foot. Oh! billy ! as i remember your incident in the
'nam.
Doc Riojas
Fredrick H. Becker
Michael
Wood
=
Daniel B. Hendrickson
Jack
Rowell's horseshoe tournament SINGLES: Jack Bellamy, Robert
Clark DOUBLES: ALex Oliver & Kyle DeFloor;
Drew Bollman & Steve Bollman
Peter Wikul
Fred R. Miller, Johnny Miller, Johnny James A.
Miller, Asa Miller, Arthur O. Miller
Dave
C. Baldwin
Dick COuch
Doc Elson
Ash
UDT/Frogs Ville sign that hung
in Da Nang
Date: 15Nov2014
To: Doc Riojas
From: Mike Rush UDT/SEAL historian
Subj: Thought you might like to see this bit of UDT Vietnam history.....
Within the last 3 or so months I have managed to acquire both of these signs
that hung UDT compound known as Frogs Ville, home of UDT Det Hotel that was
manned by various members of UDT 11, 12 and 13 from Sept 66 to Feb 71. UDT 13
was that LAST Det Hotel and returned home Feb 1971
x
Gary Smith, ST-1 with UDT 12 around 1967
Frogs Ville Da Nang Sept 1966 to Feb 1971
UDT 13 Det Hotel, 1971. Mike Slattery holding the sign on right.
Please put this on your SEAL photo website. Would like to find out who painted
either or both signs. Thanks.
Mike Rush UDT/SEAL Historian/researcher
Al
Moreno WIA Panama ST-4
Rick Kaiser Muster 2014
Bill
Dawson submitted
picture
Darryl Young and ???
Chris
Kyle
The SEAL who killed Osama Bin Laden DEVGRU
Moscone
Don Shipley
The Wagner Family Mark
Wagner RIP 14Jan1976
Chuck Conklin
Gene Pool class 20 and Dreed
Randy Hatfield
Donald E. Tilton, 86, R.I.P.
DONALD E> TILTON R.I.P.
The passing of , on 14 November 2014.
Don was a graduate of UDTR Class 11 on 01 October 1953 in Little Creek and
served with UDT-2 and UDT-21. Little Creek,Virginia
-
Donald E. Tilton, 86, passed away on November 13, 2014. He was born on June 18,
1928 to the late Earl F. and Gwendolyn Tilton in Omaha, Nebraska. Mr. Tilton
served his country and retired from the US Navy as Chief Warrant Officer after
21 years of service. During his term he was on UDT SEAL Team 21. After
retirement from the Navy, he worked Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York in their
hyperbaric chamber, and then the Norfolk International Terminals. He was also an
active member of Masonic Lodge #25 and #39, and the Shriners with the Khedive
Temple of Chesapeake.
Rose Ann and Diana and Steve Elson
Somebody, help me with this SEAL's name.
Thank, Rio, email me please
UDT 11 Early 1960's
William Francis "OB" O'Brien
Obituary
William Francis "OB"
O'Brien Obituary
"Hoo-Yah ! O.B."
William "OB" Francis O'Brien Jr.
1927 ~ 2013 William Francis O'Brien, 86, of Weiser, ID, passed away
unexpectedly on November 5, 2013 at St. Luke's Hospital in Boise, ID.
Bill was born on September 1, 1927 to William and Sarah O'Brien in New
York City, NY.
Bill enlisted in the Navy in 1944 and served aboard
destroyers for the first nine years of his service. In 1954, he entered
into Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training and graduated with CLASS
13. Bill served with UDT in many aspects of service such as command
Master Chief, BUD/S training command Chief, and other duties which were
imperative to the successful disposition of UDT Team 11. After 33 years
of faithful service to the Military, Bill retired in 1976.
Bill married Rose Mary Cebrat on May 16, 1951.
Together, they had four children, Patricia A. (Pete) Bilicki, William F.
O'Brien III, Michael S. (Kathy) O'Brien and Helen M. (Bob) Seagle. Bill
is survived by two of his four children, Patricia A. O'Brien-Bilicki and
Michael S. O'Brien, his six grandchildren and fourteen great
grandchildren.
Words cannot express how much Bill is loved and
will be truly missed by his family and friends. May all your days be
like yesterday, only easier. HOO-YAH Bill! Memories and condolences may
be shared with the family on Bill's memorial webpage at
www.summersfuneral.com. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/idahostatesman/obituary.aspx?pid=167908180#sthash.rstGcL9g.dpuf
Read more here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/idahostatesman/obituary.aspx?pid=167908180#storylink=cpy
William Francis O'Brien
Leo Bruning
Jerry Bair
Jerry Bair
Don't
Give up the Bones ! DEVGRU: SEAL photos
Jason R. Freiwald R.I.P.
KBar666
10-01-2008, 09:18 PM Source: BILL MCGRAW • FREE
PRESS
First, Jason Freiwald became a member of the U.S. Navy SEALs, one of
the world's elite military units. Then, a brother became a SEAL.
Now, remarkably, yet another brother is training to be SEAL. The
Freiwalds of Armada have long been known as an uncommon clan, and
friends and neighbors are especially thinking of them today, because
family members are burying Chief Special Warfare Operator Jason Freiwald
in Arlington National Cemetery. Freiwald died Sept. 11 in Afghanistan.
He was 30.
Another Michigan SEAL, Senior Chief Warfare Operator John Marcum of
Flushing Township, died in the same incident. He was buried Sept. 19.
Freiwald and Marcum "willingly placed themselves in harm's way to
prosecute our enemies to the farthest corners of the Earth," Rear
Admiral Ed Winters, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, said
in a statement. "We owe them and their families an eternal debt of
gratitude."
SEALs are the Navy's special operations force whose famously
rigorous training weeds out up to 80% of applicants. As with other elite
military units, SEALs have a vibrant esprit de corps, and Freiwald's
death was mourned by a large extended family of commandos on the front
lines of the war on terror and by people in Macomb County. Ken Keding is
among Armada residents who have admired the Freiwalds and the way their
sons are serving their country. "That's amazing," Keding
said.
"People don't realize how tough it is to be a SEAL. That family
is dedicated and patriotic." Craig Smith, the athletic director at
Armada High School, said: "Hard work was a family
characteristic." The Navy does not release much information about
the SEALs' activities, and a spokeswoman said she could not provide any
details of Freiwald's death other than he was "fatally shot"
during "a battle with heavily armed militants."
Since becoming a SEAL, Freiwald had undergone instruction in sniper
training, Arabic and tactical rock climbing, among other specialties. He
was highly decorated; his official obituary said he had deployed five
times for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2005. Among
his many medals are Bronze Stars for valor in combat and a Purple Heart
for having been wounded in battle.
Freiwald graduated from Armada High in 1996. He was widely remembered
as skinny and small but tough, and filled with self-confidence. "A
pretty strong little kid," said Grant Keding, a fellow student and
the son of Ken Keding. Freiwald excelled as a wrestler, and played
second base on the baseball team. "When he came out, I didn't think
he was going to be a starter," said Mike Thorman, the retired
Armada High baseball coach. "He forced me to change my mind. He was
a Pete Rose-type player.
" Freiwald's funeral was Saturday in Virginia Beach, Va., where
he lived with his wife, Stacey, and daughter, Jasmine. During the
graveside service at Arlington today, seven riflemen will fire three
volleys each. "Taps" will be played and pallbearers will
crisply fold the American flag into a triangle to present to his family.
|
JasonFreiwald R.I.P.
Grenada Article
Robert Andrew "Andy" Willingham Jr. R.I.P.
Ron Rhodes R.I.P.
Chris Bent
23 Dec 2013
From: Christopher Bent
To: Doc Riojas
Subj: Tom
Blais
Tom Blais spoke to me On phone. I spoke to him this morning. He graduated from both
classes 4 & 16 BUD/s E.C. We prayed together. He was a great instructor. I was 31E. We are friends now. He is weak but spiritually strong. Cool. Who is Doc Riojas? Dios te
bendiga.
Christopher Bent
WEBMASTER NOTE:
Tom Blais and I go way back in the 1960's at ST-2. Indeed, he is a great Frogman. I fell off a barstool at the CPO club in NhaBe, Vietnam and he sewed my noggin up with plain ole needle and thread. All
the East Coast Navy SEALs had to go to one week of Field Medical Service at Camp Lejune , N.C.
Tom is an Icon in the teams and loved by all the men that i know from the east coast, Little Creek.
thank You very much
RIO
Christopher Bent
Rob O'Neill
http://mtstandard.com/news/
local/thoughts-of-home-retired-navy-seal-draws-on-
butte-roots/article_8d0bccb0-6aa4-11e3-ae40-001a4bcf887a.html
Standing:
William Bishop, John Jaunzems, Bill McCarthy
KNEEL:Sam Fornier, Bill Langley, White,Doc Long
From: Peter Slempa [mailto:sonny37@] Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2013 To:
Anderson Franklin
Subject: Pland crash into Monkey Mountain Med to Late sixties?
HELP
Requesting info concerning a RVN crew manned C-47 that crashed into Monkey
Mountain with a SEAL jumpmaster and a
load of RVN PRU's. All on board were killed. That was the same
period that SM1 Dave Wilson was KIA and I ewscorted his
remains back to the states. I returned to Da Nang three weeks later for
an additional 6 months. I need to know the name of that
Jumpmaster. Had I been in Country during that time I would have been
the jumpmaster.
Pete Slempa
Eric Prince
x
The Vindication of
Erik Prince
Erik Dean Prince, BUD/S 188 and ST-8.
NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE
December 5, 2013
The former Blackwater CEO releases a new book, Civilian Warriors, to set
the record straight.
By Alec Torres
Erik Prince now lives in Abu Dhabi. The former Navy SEAL and creator of
the military-contracting company Blackwater isn’t even sure he wants
to remain an American citizen.
“Uh . . . for the record, for now I plan on retaining my U.S.
citizenship, but I am very, very worried about the direction of America
right now,” he told me on November 18, the day before Civilian
Warriors, his book about his time at the helm of Blackwater, was
released.
Blackwater was an amazing success story. A company born out of a desire
to help America in any way possible, it provided security for diplomats,
resupply aid to soldiers, relief to disaster-struck populations, and
more. Yet it was ruined by the politics and policies of the government
it served. Looking back on the story of Blackwater, Prince worries about
the future of the country he had risked his life for and built his
company to aid and protect.
His worry is understandable. Not only were he and his company hounded by
the press, sued, badgered by Congress, reviled, and subjected to IRS
scrutiny, but his time first in the military and then as a private
contractor provided a first-person view of the decline of American
influence and prestige abroad as well as the depths of government waste
and inefficiency.
“You can’t spend yourself off a cliff. You can’t make decisions
leading almost to self-immolation and expect the country is going to go
on the way it always has,” he said. “America is held in lower regard
today wherever I go in the world. It’s not respected. It’s not
trusted as a partner. The repeated blunderings of the U.S. ever since
the Arab Spring have lowered America’s stock.”
Far more worrisome than America’s standing abroad, says Prince, is the
growth of the U.S. government. “I believe unfortunately that the
greatest threat to American liberty is becoming the U.S. government,”
he told me. “It’s not a foreign enemy any more. It’s the growth
and bloat of the U.S. government itself.”
Having spent years as the object of anti-war anger, forced to keep
silent by an agreement with the State Department he was hired to
protect, Prince has come out in the open to give his side of the story,
telling a tale of bureaucratic waste, government malice, and media
deceit.
But for Prince, it wasn’t always that way.
He started out with a simple idea: build a world-class one-stop training
facility for special-operations personnel, who, at that time, were being
shipped to different facilities around the country at the taxpayers’
expense. Financed by the fortune left to him by his late father and
informed by his own experiences as a former Navy SEAL, Prince set up
shop in 1998 in North Carolina’s Great Dismal Swamp, whose
charcoal-colored waters provided the company’s name.
The years from 1999 to 2006 saw the rapid rise of Prince’s company
from a struggling training facility and shooting range to a worldwide,
billion-dollar corporation. At each crisis, from the 2000 bombing of the
USS Cole to September 11 to America’s response in the form of the War
on Terror, Blackwater stepped up to the plate, purchasing new equipment,
expanding capabilities, and providing personnel where the government was
lacking. Eventually Blackwater had contracts flying supplies into the
mountainous regions of Afghanistan, guarding American diplomats in
Baghdad, and protecting CIA bases in Kabul and Taliban-held eastern
Afghanistan. And while Blackwater earned a profit, it offered its
services at a fraction of the cost the government would have incurred
performing these functions itself.
Then came Nisour Square. On Sunday, September 16, 2007, in western
Baghdad, Blackwater troops were clearing the road for a diplomatic
convoy. A car approaching from the other direction ignored repeated
warnings to stop. Fearing another car-bomb attack, Blackwater’s Paul
Slough opened fire on the car, occupied, it was later determined, by an
innocent man and his mother. What ensued was a pitched battle, the
details of which are still disputed. As Iraqi militants fired on the
Blackwater men and they returned fire, more than three dozen Iraqi
civilians were shot, and eleven of them died.
The result was an international outcry. The Iraqi government demanded
Blackwater’s removal from the country. American media outlets blared
stories of the “Blackwater Massacre” and “Mass Murder in Nisour
Square.” The U.S. Justice Department charged five Blackwater agents
with a total of 14 counts of voluntary manslaughter, 20 counts of
attempted manslaughter, and the use and discharge of a firearm during a
violent crime. While individual agents were indicted, Blackwater itself
faced no charges. Democrats in Congress became furious that the company
remained legally unscathed, and in the 2008 elections, the role of
military contractors, with Blackwater as their face, became a campaign
issue.
When I spoke with Prince, I asked him about the aftermath of Nisour
Square. He told me it was the first step in the unraveling of his
company. “It was the perfect time for the anti-war Left that during
the Vietnam War went after the troops. This time, they went after
contractors,” Prince said. “Look, I came from a conservative family,
I supported conservative causes in the past, I was the sole owner. We
were the perfect target for all those folks to say, ‘That’s it.’
It became a campaign talking point for the congressional elections.”
Prince also thinks the State Department threw Blackwater under the bus,
depriving its agents of evidence by barring them from having dashboard
cameras in their vehicles, which Prince believes would have exonerated
them, and refusing to defend his men, who were acting in defense of
American diplomats. “The sad thing is the State Department could have
shut down a lot of nonsense with the media by saying, ‘We did an
investigation, and this is what it is,’” Prince said.
Perhaps worse, Prince and his employees were unable to speak to the
press and give their account of the events because of a gag rule in
their contract with the State Department.
With the world seemingly against them and no means of defense,
Blackwater personnel were targeted as “cowboys” and “war
profiteers,” reckless men endangering the lives of innocent people.
What followed was years of court proceedings, bad press, and attacks
from Washington politicians. Blackwater changed its name to Xe
Enterprises in 2009 and eventually Academi in 2010. Prince, for the good
of the company, had stepped down in March 2009.
* * *
Though Erik Prince finished a draft of Civilian Warriors in 2011, he
waited to publish until now, when the final prosecutions against five
former executives of his company had finished, the men ultimately
exonerated and the case dismissed. Now, with the past behind him, he can
take the time to tell his story.
“I wrote this book just to set the record straight,” Prince told me.
“The characterization of being these overly aggressive war profiteers
who were running amok was just not the case. I think the book does a
pretty good job of taking those arguments apart.”
To combat the notion that military contractors are a new evil in the
modern era performing what ought to be strictly governmental functions,
Prince traces the history of military contracting from Columbus — who
“with the stroke of Isabella’s pen . . . effectively became a
private military contractor,” Prince writes — to Iraq.
“Contractors are strewn all through American history, from the
founding of the country and the original colonists, to the building of
the Continental Army, to the privateers of the Revolutionary War and the
War of 1812, to the Flying Tigers, you name it,” Prince told me.
“Why say, ‘Oh there should never be any fighting contractors?’
because there certainly have been in the past.”
Throughout the book, Prince details the infuriating and
counterproductive policies of central control in Washington, especially
the State Department. “It’s the curse of dumb policies set back in
Washington that say, ‘You will have a Suburban with running lights and
sirens, washed and waxed, and you’re going to run the same route every
day,’” Prince said, reflecting on those who claimed his company was
dangerously belligerent. “It’s pretty easy for the enemy to play
whack-a-mole. So, then, driving aggressively is about the only thing you
can do to avoid losing people.”
In the light of this troubled past with the State Department, I asked
him if there is any bad blood. “I try to forget about them as much as
I can,” he said with a laugh. “The sad thing is I know that if we
had been on the job in Benghazi, the U.S. ambassador would be alive. We
had competent people and did something like 100,000 runs in Iraq and
Afghanistan, and none of the diplomats we were guarding was ever killed
or injured.”
Despite the way his company was treated by politicians and
bureaucracies, Prince still sees an important future for private
military contractors, who continue to constitute a large portion of
America’s footprint abroad. “In the short term, the key thing is
that if we have a competitive contractor system, at least we have a
private-sector benchmark as to what things should cost,” Prince said.
“The Pentagon budgets $2.1 million a year for every active-duty
soldier. So a private contractor can say, ‘That’s bullshit. I can
provide a guy with the same qualifications, a 35-year-old man with ten
years’ experience, and I can put him in the field for $400,000 a year.
That’s one-fifth of what the government spends.’”
Though the benefits of using private contractors are clear, he offered a
warning for American companies in the contracting world. “To have my
company wrecked by politics is a sad and hopefully a cautionary tale to
the next guy who is dumb enough to run to the sound of an alarm bell,”
he told me. His one bit of advice: “Don’t be an American company,
because you are automatically subjecting yourself to every parasitic,
ambulance-chasing lawyer in America.”
Today, from Abu Dhabi, Prince is working with a private-equity start-up
on mining, agriculture, and energy exploration, development, and
logistics in Sub-Saharan Africa. His next project is to build a
petroleum refinery in South Sudan to bring affordable energy to a
country otherwise dependent on Gulf fuel expensively transported over
sea and land. “That’ll be a very satisfying project, I hope,”
Prince told me, “and probably the single greatest act of economic
development that country has ever seen. Obviously we’re doing it to
make money, but bringing usable energy to the people of South Sudan is
long overdue.”
Though he has lived in Abu Dhabi the past three years and is unsure of
his future citizenship, his kids attend school in Virginia, and he
remains a Virginia resident, taxpayer, and voter.
Reflecting on what in his view is the greatest threat to America — the
size of the government — Prince offered one frank solution: “Cut the
whole thing.” “There is a ton of room across the board,” he added.
“I could cut 40 percent out of the Pentagon easy.”
He worries in particular that Republicans don’t understand the gravity
of the situation and are letting their love of the military obscure
reality. “For Republicans, you need to take away the notion that
it’s unpatriotic to cut the defense budget. I love the military, but
it needs to be cost-effective, not just effective,” he said.
“We’re not endangering America by cutting the defense budget.
We’re endangering it by not.”
Prince is doubtful, though, that politicians will be able to agree on a
solution. Instead, he thinks that only crisis — in the form of
hyperinflation and budgetary collapse or the next all-out war — will
spark reform.
Regardless, Prince foresees a hard future for America, and he’s not
sure he wants to be here when that future comes.
— Alec Torres is a William F. Buckley Fellow at the National Review
Institute.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/365505/vindication-erik-prince-alec-torres
Eric Prince: Blackwater CEO
Lucio Aliotti
Lucio
Aliotti
1Dec2013
From: Lucio Aliotti
To: Doc Riojas
I don't think we've met. I served during the years 1959 - 1963 in SEALs with both Lenny Waugh and Jim Watson, may he rest in peace. I was an officer in BUD/S class 21 (see picture of the class on my timeline); U.D.T. 21 and Jim worked in Supply with me during a lot of my time. I today live in Milano Italy.
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Lucio
Aliotti
Bo Reichenbach
Carroll
Dan Cerrillo
Eric Basu
Lance CUmmings
Rory O'Connor
Mark Divine
Nicholas Bickle
MUSTER, Ft. Pierce FL 2013
Tom Norris and Michael Thornton
Ross Perot, Mike Thornton, Tom Norris
Mark Owen
Robert B. Guzzo
Mari and Danny Dietz
Maria
Dietz Interview; seen dancing with her husband Danny Dietz, K.I.A.
Maria Dietz wife of Danny Dietz KIA
VADM
Robert Hayward Parachutes into his own retirement
Jim Bracken
From: Jim Bracken
To: Doc Riojas
Subj: Nov 2013 Muster
to I just returned from my annual trek to the UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, FL. Had a great time as usual. Buzz (BUD/S Class-mate of mine) took us fishing off of Palm Beach. Kristin hooked a 30 inch Mahi-Mahi . . . got it right up to the boat and Buzz cut the line with the gaff hook. . . . But that's NOT why I called.
The Saturday demo was low-balled, due to the Government budget crunch. St. Lucie County Sheriff's Department pitched-in with a great K-9 demo. Had some Volunteer jumper's . . . low ceiling, so they just did a hop-n-pop. Museum's getting really big with the recent expansion . . . I'm really proud of it, especially knowing it's all done without ANY Government support.
But . . . . the highlight of the event was a guest speaker, Dr. Dorothy Woods. She is the widow of Ty Woods, the former Navy SEAL/Contractor who was killed when our Embassy was attacked in Benghazi. We had the usual local politicians, and the Democrat Rep. Patrick Murphy, that (Barely) beat-out Col. Allen West at the last election . . . he gave what amounted to a campaign speech.
When Dr. Woods addressed the crowd, it was the highlight of the whole event. She related her love, respect, and admiration that she felt for Ty . . . how she felt when she found out he's been killed during the embassy attack . . . how she would not have expected anything other than the way he reacted. She paused and said . . . "I don't know what he said when he got word that the embassy was under attack . . . but I guarentee it wasn't . . . 'What difference does it make now?' . . . The crowd exploded into a 10 minute standing ovation . . . if only Secretary of State Hillary had been there!!! Medal of Honor recipients Mike Thornton and Tommy Norris . . . who followed Dr. Woods . . . were basically speechless after that . . . Ross Perot waved to the crowd and didn't speak at all. She was totally awesome . . . I'll never forget it. Wish you all could have been there.
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Donald L. Zyski
x
Donald L. Zyski, R.I.P.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Donald L.
Zyski, 84, of Jenny Lind, CA on 06 November 2013.
Donald graduated with UDT Training Class 006 on 21 November 1952 in Coronado and served with UDT-1 during the Korean War.
Donald Leonard Zyski of Jenny Lind, CA passed away on November 6, 2013 of natural causes. He was 84. He ser ved his country in the Navy from 1945 to 1955 and was as a membe r of UDT
-
1. Following his military service, h e then went on to work for Grey Hound for 24 years. Later in life, Donald was a Past Masters Mason. Donald loved cruising the world with his wife, Mildred. There were only 2 places they hadn't gone, Africa & the Amazon. Donald loved going out golfing alone or with family/friends. He also enjoyed swimming and celebrating with family even if it was just a weekend BBQ. Donald dedicated himself to teaching CPR & First Aid for over 15 years to people all over California. Donald, along wit h his wife, helped with the high school program, Every 15 Minutes (HS Drunk Driving Program). Every time Donald entered a room, it was filled with smiles all around.
webmaster note: PLease somebody send
me pictures of our Frog Brother Donald. thank you, Doc
Rio
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Phudnall on Rt. and Charlie Moser
SS P. Hudnall talking to Charlie.
Charlie Moser. I served with him at HCU-1 in the late 80s. He was a Senior Chief Hull Tech at the time. I think he was at HCU-1 before they moved it to Hawaii. He is retired, living in Hawaii.
Jim Dixon
Chuck Jessie
An original Navy SEAL,
Chuck Jesse, recounts experiences November
12, 2013
Lt. to Rt: Doc RIojas, Vanessa Theodine, Larry Theodine,
and Fred Miller
Captain Bob Peterson
Asami, Doc Riojas, and Glen Grinnage getting married
Waldo "Wallyi" Scheid
SEALs from ST-1
Robert B. CLine
SEAL Mike Boat
SEAL Mike Boat in 'nam
Robert W. "BOB/Chris" Christensen
xRobert W. "Bob / Chris" Christensen
Bob p assed away quietly at home on 10/23/13.
He was born in Bakersfield in 1928 and moved to Santa Barbara as a teenager. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School and obtained a BS in Pharmacology from
USC.
He enlisted in the Navy after graduation, attended Officer Candidate school and was assigned to Underwater Demolition Team Eleven as a n Ensign .
After discharge from active duty he briefly worked as a Pharmacist but quit in 196
to to pursue a commercial diving career. He was instrumental in the formation of Santa Barbara City College's Marine Diving Technician Program where he taught for 16 years.
He retired from teaching in 1985 and after several years of retirement joined Kirby Morgan Diving Systems where
he worked until this year. Bob was a pioneer in the diving industry as well as an avid fisherman, backpacker, gardener and cook.
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Robert W. "Bob / Chris" Christensen
William F. "O.B." O'Brien R.I.P
Steve Robinson on: William Francis "O.B." O'Brien,
R.I.P.
I was very deeply saddened to learn that Chief William Francis "O.B." O'Brien has passed away 5 Nov 2013, due to complication from surgery. OB was the Senior Instructor at BUD/S while I was there Sep 1970-Feb 1971, and I spoke with him often in my efforts to learn how to be an effective Petty Officer.
I reconnected with OB a couple of years ago, enrolling him in a SEAL-eyes-only Online Discussion Forum which I hosted, and aiding him with computer problems from time to time. He confided in me that he was always concerned when people called him a "SEAL" because he had never actually served anywhere but with
UDTs.
I assured him that with all his knowledge and abilities - skills which echoed through our rigorous training - that he was fully qualified for the title. He remained humble and self-deprecating through it all... insisting that he was first, last, and always "A FROGMAN"!
Fair winds and following seas, old friend. You trained so very many men to be the best our nation could offer at a time when they were sorely
needed
. You did your job exceptionally well. We will meet again on the far shore... at Fiddler's Green.
Until then I raise my hand in a sad and solemn salute of profound respect.
HOOYAH OB... you were, and always will be, one damned fine FROGMAN!
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MasterCHief Bill O'Brien (OB) Passed Away Inbox x Roland Gerson
to me Doc, I don't know if you knew OB, class 27EC (I Think) and attached to UDT11 WC (again, I think), then training in BUD's, but he passed away last tuesday and I just found out. He's been my friend for 18yrs, but due to being on the out's with is controlling daughter, I didn't find out till tonight. I don't keep in contact with many Teammates, so if you would, pass the word out to the original "old guys",
I'm 2nd tier, ony 64.
Thanx. Roland
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Pinche green go steel hour sign in Puerto Rico, AY que BANDIDO
! Don Shipley, but wee forgif heem !
James Watson R.I.P.
In
Memorium to James "Jimbo & Patches" Watson
May he Rest in
Eternal Peace
On Death
Kahlil Gibran
You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the
mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide
unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the
beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands
before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the
mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into
the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its
restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to
climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
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Rich Beauregard
Rich Beauregard QM2/SS on the USS John Marshall
SSN-611
Rich Beauregard QM2/SS on the USS John Marshall SSN-611
Mon, Oct 21, 2013
to me I was a QM2/SS on the USS John Marshall SSN-611 around 88-89 and
my collateral duty was ship's photographer. I have a few photos from
when we surfaced in the Med in 1989.
I will attach the photos and a letter sent to the Sub's Crew
for our duties during that time frame. Note: The mention of
"Contingency Operations in August", This was when we added a
few more SEAL TEAM members to the SEALs that were already onboard.
I do remember in one photo, they said they were the SDV TEAM (Swimmer
Delivery Vehicle). Again, I do not remember their names and I was only a
member of the Ship's Crew. I believe these guys were Spec War Group Two,
SEAL TEAM 2 from Little Creek, VA.
I really enjoyed these exciting times and hope these guys are
still around.
Last photo was me on the scope. You can post these to your website if
you like and I hope some of these guys get to look back at them.
Thank you,
Rich Beauregard of Johnstown, Pa.
A few of the guys using up some old ammo topside. Spec war Group Two SEAL TEAM 2 on the back of the USS John Marshall SSN-611 while surfaced in the Med. 1989.
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B.J.B. and LeMoyne
B.J.B. and LeMoyne4 Navy SEALs
LeMoyne
wearing socks under his generic booties Lt. Barbata, Lcdr
LeMoyhne and CDR shaul Ziv of Shayetet 13 (Israeli SEALs)
From:Brian Barbata To : Erasmo "Doc" Riojas
Subj: www.sealtwo.org
I love looking at your photo collection. So random, yet
so cool.
Here is a photo for your site ...
1973 ! i was in college. Dig that 1/4 inch sharkskin wetsuit !
i bet it
was t... to me Yes, those were thick suits for spending hours in the
SDV. They
were custom made by Hot Water Suits and Systems in San Diego. I still
have mine. When we got them with our names stenciled on the inside, we
thought that was really hot shit.
Brian Barbata
From: Brian Barbata
To: doc Riojas
Subj: Posting Brian's Emails on www.sealtwo.org
Sure, post it. I think others will be interested because of LeMoyne and
the Israelis (some very cool guys!). We trained about 8 of them. Every
one was a pilot and picked up flying the SDV like nothing. And could
they shoot…OMG!
So we're having a briefing one afternoon for a night
op and I draw two lines on the board, naming one country
"Orange" and the other "Blue".
I get into the
scenario a little and Shaul waves me off and says, "My guys won't
get this. Let me do it." So he erases the board and starts over,
drawing the same two lines. "OK, this is Saudi Arabia and this is
the Red Sea and this is Egypt". Turns out these were the guys who
had raided a jetty in the Red Sea and stolen top secret radar equipment
the Russians had given the Egyptians.
The CIA had never seen it before
and was able to analyze its capabilities. Shaul and his boys had many
other missions that would make any SEAL drool. I heard he died a couple
of years ago in his kibbutz.
Brian Barbata
From: Brian Barbata
to: Doc Riojas
You combined a couple of e-mails under the pic, making sound like I was in college in
1973, not you!
Hard to be in college and be in the ST! Maybe you can fix?
I graduated college in 1968, went in to the Navy and graduated BUD/S Class 52 in August 1969.
Such great stuff on your site!
Hooyah!
Brian
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http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm
Doc Riojas Response: I'll
correct that today Friday 25Oct2013
Doc
Riojas, That's LeMoyne with the socks! I guess that's how he made Admiral.
Right after this, I lost my Team Rolex. Bought another one in St. Thomas for $125 and kept it when I got out. I was in a shop in London a few months ago and the guy offered me $24,000 for it. Turns out antique Rolex's are a big deal today! Wouldn't sell it for any amount. Been all over the world with that watch. Hundreds of feet down and thousands of feet up. Brian Doc Riojas Response:
thousands of feet up?
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William McRaven, seen as a senior, attended Roosevelt High School
in San Antonio
Commander in Bin
Laden mission was schooled in S.A. Admiral RAVEN graduated from Roosevelt
High School in 1973
William McRaven
Ed Chisasson, Gerry Woolf, Jim Jones
Ed
Chiasson, Gerry Woolf, Tim Jones
Frog21@aol.com
1:29 PM (3 hours ago)
to edudt22, me, frogfather
Hi Tim Thanks for sending along Doc,s picture of you me & Woolfe 3 good lookin Frogs, Huh? Thanks Bud see ya at the Creek in July... Ed I now remember you at the Reunion, Remember we sat together, We both have changed, I recognize the gold chain and wanted one. Doc Ed Chaisson is the frog on the left and was in class 32 with me. I am ready for the home for the mentally challenged, Ed who is Woolfe ? ( full name) please. Doc is determined to identify all three of us, See you at the 50th reunion. Your friend and classmate. Tim
From: Frog21 [at] aol DOT com
To: me, edudt22, deepdivebob
10/12/2013
I won't forget you. See you at the 50th reunion. Why did't you go to the 40th? Thanks for the Info,
Regards Tim.
From: edudt22 [at] comcast DOT net To: Frog2 Sent: 10/12/2013 Subj: Re: 3 frogs Ed Chaisson, Tom Wolf, and Tim Jones
T J, Tim, that's Gerry Woolf in the middle. I think Gerry came thru class30/
He was in team 21. Finest kind we've been in touch lota yr's.
Stay thirsty my friend.
Ed Chiasson PS don't you ever forget me again********
From: Frog21@aol.com To: docrio45[at] gmail DOT com; edudt22
[at] comcast DOT net; deepdivebob [at] yahoo DOT
com; frog21 [at] aol DOT com Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2013 Subject: 3 frogs Ed Chaisson,
Tom Wolf, and Tim Jones
Tim, The person in the middle is Tom
Wolf. I think. Bob Holmes
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Exclusive: What it means to be a Warrior
Author: Mark D. Divine
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: September 5, 2006
What it means to be a Warrior
Mark D. Divine
WARRIOR: These days we hear the
term used frequently – all too often, loosely – to describe a
broad range of people from members of the military to tribal warlords,
corporate leaders, vocal peacemakers, and martial artists. But are all
such men and women truly deserving of the title? Or is a warrior, in
the purest sense of the word, something different? Is a true warrior a
type of person we have forgotten about in our unintentional dilution
of the word, and in our quest to ensure that all are equal?
Surely there is something beyond
special,
perhaps even transcendent, that makes someone what we in the 21st
century have come to define as a warrior.
My dictionary defines a warrior as a: “a person
engaged or experienced in warfare; soldier…” and “a person who
shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in
politics or athletics.”
But based on those definitions, nearly all members of
the armed forces might be warriors. Though the question that continues
coming back to me is, do all military members exhibit “great vigor,
courage and aggressiveness” in their duties and overall service? Of
course, military service alone may qualify as the service of
“warriors,” at least in some quarters (relative to other
professionals). And all service to country is certainly noble.
But then there are those
very few within the
military who go above-and-beyond service to country. For them, service
is far more than a commitment to duty and the fulfillment of a
voluntary obligation.
Those few I speak of are the true warriors, the
soldiers and sailors who – in my estimation – time-and-again
perform decisively, courageously, selflessly: In short, in a manner
that whether in peace or in war, they place the mission and lives of
their teammates above their own. It is an almost spiritual approach to
duty. This is where the line is drawn separating the true warriors
from professional soldiers.
Fortunately for us all, America continues to produce
such warriors: Good men who not only have demonstrated – what might
seem to lesser men – an almost superhuman athleticism, a seemingly
impossible courage, and whose legacies are far-too-often written in
blood.
U.S. Navy SEAL Marc Lee was – and will forever be –
one such warrior.
Marc was a member of the Navy’s elite SEAL commando
force serving in Iraq. He and his SEAL teammates were supporting an
Iraqi and U.S. Army unit during intense combat operations to remove
insurgent elements from Ramadi, the provincial capital of the al Anbar
province in western Iraq.
According to Marc’s Silver Star citation:
“During the operation, one element member was wounded
by enemy fire. The element completed the casualty evacuation,
regrouped and returned onto the battlefield to continue the fight.
Petty Officer Lee and his SEAL element maneuvered to assault an
unidentified enemy position. He, his teammates, Bradley Fighting
Vehicles and Abrams tanks engaged enemy positions with suppressive
fire from an adjacent building to the north. To protect the lives of
his teammates, he fearlessly exposed himself to direct enemy fire by
engaging the enemy with his machine gun and was mortally wounded in
the engagement. His brave actions in the line of fire saved the lives
of many of his teammates.”
In addition to his posthumous Silver Star, Marc was
awarded a Bronze Star (with combat “V”) and the Purple Heart.
Marc put the lives of his teammates above his own, and
he died the most honorable death a warrior might hope for.
I did not personally know Marc, but I have corresponded
with several of his teammates. And I know beyond the shadow of a doubt
that they loved and respected Marc as only warriors can love and
respect one another. The intensity of the emotions caused by the loss
of their teammate, and their understandable concern for his family are
powerful testaments to Marc’s honor, his life, and what it means to
be a SEAL.
These men are not alone: America has lost scores of
such men in Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the world: fighting for
their country and their teammates.
The love of one’s teammate is a bond that separates
warriors from ordinary men and women. That love is what Marc Lee
and his teammates in Ramadi demonstrated for each other.
Though I have never tasted the horror and
incomprehensible sadness of sitting beside a dying teammate; I have
experienced the bond formed by self-sacrificing teammates while an
active duty SEAL in the 1990’s. It has not only defined me as a man.
But it has given me a sincere appreciation for what it means to be a
warrior: An understanding that not all men are warriors. And why
America owes so much to its cardinal warriors like Marc Lee and the
men who served – and continue to serve – on his left and his
right.
— Mark D. Divine served
for eight years on active duty with the U.S. Navy SEALs, and is a
currently a Reserve Commander.
If you are a reporter or producer who is interested in
receiving more information about this writer or this article,
please email your request to Miramx1@aol.com.
|
Mark A. Divine
Edwin D. "Digger" O'Toole
Capt. Simmons, & Doc Riojas
Louis Boisivert
David PaAaina and Damien Rio Vaquez
Bill Daugherty, his girlfriend, and Rudy Boesch
John T. Boyd
Clark
LDNNs at Camp CamRanBay 'nam
Mike
Thornton MOH
"Pete" Peterson, Karen Peterson, Vicki and Jim
McCutchan
Richard A. Pearson
ST-1 SEALs in Nam
Navy SEALs ?Alaska?
Sterling Baker and Doc RIojas
Coronado CA. SEAL reunion 2013
Petition to Oust Jesse Ventura from UDT
SEAL Assn
Mike,
This petition has my full support also. James Janos has been nothing
but an embarrassment to Naval Special Warfare. His lawsuit against Chris
Kyle shows his real character which is to dishonor the brotherhood we
share as Navy SEALs. To continue a lawsuit against Chris Kyle's family
when Chris can no longer protect and defend his family is something only
James Janos would do to a fellow brother Navy SEAL. Janos is a disgrace
to the UDT/SEAL Association! Remove him from our association!
Jim LaVore class 49 wc, ST-1.
JAMES LAVORE
From: "Michael P. Macready" <cruiser_49>
Date: July 29, 2013,
To: Jim LaVore <jmlavore>
Subject: Petition
Jimmy,
This is something you may be interested in putting your name to. If you
agree to it there is a link to a Brother who's heading it up and his
name is "Drago". You can respond him with your approval to
include your name.
Link to open petition: http://
maritimetacticalsecurity.com/ documents/petition_to_udt-
seal_association.pdf
Later,
Mike
From: JAMES LAVORE <jmlavore> Date: July 29, 2013,
To: Association UDT-SEAL <executivedirector>, "Macready
Michael P." <cruiser_49>
Subject: Fwd: Petition
From: "Michael P. Macready" <cruiser_49> Date: July 29,
2013,
To: Jim LaVore <jmlavore>
Subject: Petition
Jimmy,
This is something you may be interested in putting your name to. If you
agree to it there is a link to a Brother who's heading it up and his
name is "Drago". You can respond him with your approval to
include your name.
Link to open petition: http://
maritimetacticalsecurity.com/ documents/petition_to_udt-
seal_association.pdf
Later,
Mike
|
Chris Kyle R.I.P.
Stew Smith
SEALs KIA in Bengazi Tyrone S. Woods, Glen
Doherty,
SEALs KIA & Passings
Fall Winter 2012-13
8/16/12
Patrick D. Feeks, 28
Afghanistan
ST3
8/16/12
David J. Warsen, 27
Afghanistan
ST3
8/16/12
PO1 Sean P. Carson
Afghanistan
NSW Support
9/11/12
Tyrone S Woods, 41
Benghazi
Doing what he enjoyed doing.
9/11/12
Glen A. Doherty, 42
Benghazi
Doing what he enjoyed doing.
10/04/12
Kevin C. Shanahan, 61
NJ
UDTR -51 EC-ST2
10/15/12
Andrew C. Hayden, 75
CA
UDTR-35 EC-ST2
10/28/12
Ramon S. Vandawalker, 90s
MO
NCDU 216
11/1/12
Matthew G. Kantor, 22
Zabul, AFG
BUD/S 280
11/12/12
Robert Bryan Guzzo, 33
CA CONUS
BUD/S 251-ST5
11/14/12
Duncan Winkler, 66
CA
BUD/S 41-NSWG1
11/24/12
Kevin R. Ebbert, 32
Afghanistan
BUD/S 265-NSWG2
12/08/12
Nicolas D. Checque, 28
Afghanistan
BUD/S 247-ST10-NSWDG
12/15/12
Paul Burkley
OR
UDTR 28-UDT-21
12/22/12 CDR
Job Price, 42
Afghanistan
BUD/S 193-ST4
12/22/12 Duane
McDonald, 77
ID
UDTR16
12/24/12 Skip
Connor, 50
OK
BUD/S 143-ST4
12/25/12 Barry
Enoch, 76
TN
UDTR24-UDT12-ST1
12/30/12 Kenneth
Lange, 85
NC
UDTR16
1/7/13
Matthew P. White, 31
RI-CONUS
BUD/S 253-ST10
1/10/13
C. Gardner Sullivan II, 82
AZ
UDTR16
1/30/13
Mark L. Shaw, 66
CA
BUD/S 70-ST1
1/27/2013
Ronald David Dean, 66
WA
UDTR 38-ST1
2/2/13
Chris Kyle, 38
TX
“American Sniper” BUD/S 233-ST3
2/17/2013
Robert Lewis Billinger, 65
CO
UDTR 42-UDT11
2/19/13
SO1 Matthew J. Leathers, 33 HI-CONUS
(MIT) BUD/S
245-SDVT-1
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K.I.A. SEALs in Afganistan
Brett D. Shadle
Chad M. Burkhart
John T. Qirk
Lance Vaccaro
Mario G. Maestas
Paul P. Kelly Sr.
Peter G. Oswald
Rock E. Blasis
Shapoor A. Ghane
Theodore M. Moreland
Tom Carlin
Folks are asking Doc Riojas "how to
find a picture" on www.sealtwo.org
HERE IS NOW !
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Mi Vida Loca - Copyright ©1998
- All Right Reserved Webmaster: Erasmo
"Doc" Riojas email: docrio45@gmail.com
THE INDOMITABLE PATRIOT Fertig,
The Guerrilla General
One of our guys, although he had the
misfortune of going Army instead of Navy, has become a writer in
his old age. His first few books were about the paranormal... he likes
to chase ghosts in his spare time. But his latest
endeavor; Wow! He has started a new series of books he calls Behind
the Lines. His first book, recently completed and
published is titled “THE INDOMITABLE PATRIOT: Fertig, the Guerrilla
General.” It’s a historically correct novel about Wendell Fertig
in the Philippines in World War II. Here’s what the book looks
like.
Cover Final :
May, 1942. General Wainwright has just surrendered the Philippines.
Wendell Fertig, a Corps of Engineers Lieutenant Colonel, refuses to
comply and flees into the mountains of Mindanao. Fertig is soon
joined by dozens of former Philippino Army scouts who encourage him to
form a guerrilla Army. Over the next few months Fertig is joined by
several other displaced American soldiers, one of whom builds a small,
makeshift transmitter and establishes contact with the Navy.
General MacArthur denounces Fertig, going on record claiming it’s
impossible for a guerrilla movement in the Philippines to succeed. The
O.S.S. decide to take a chance and covertly supplies Fertig by
submarine. Once he receives the tools to wage war, his achievements
become legendary. By the time MacArthur returns to the Philippines in
1944 he is met on the beach at Leyte by a force of over twenty
thousand of Fertig’s guerrilla Army.
This fictional accounting is based upon the actual military records
and reports of one man’s impossible achievements against
overwhelming odds; against an enemy who outnumbered him a hundred to
one. Wendell Fertig, a civil engineer and untrained amateur in the
ways of war, defied the predictions of the experts and brought the
Japanese Army to its knees. Enjoy this first installment in the new
Behind The Lines series of combat thrillers based upon historical
records.
.
The book is available from Amazon in either print or Kindle versions,
or by special order from almost any book retailer.
(He’s not Tom Clancy yet. They don’t stock his books but they can
order them). These links will take you to the Amazon listings. If you
look at the Kindle listing there is a Look Inside feature that lets
you read through the first chapter.
Print:
http://www.amazon.com/Indomitable-Patriot-Fertig-Guerrilla-General/dp/
1512025623/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431972445&sr=8-1&keywords=the+indomitable+patriot
Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Indomitable-
Patriot-Fertig-Guerrilla-General-ebook/dp/B00XUSX4RU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1432050603&sr=
1-1&keywords=the+indomitable+patriot
About the Author
Carl’s professional career began as an
Army and then FAA air traffic controller. He advanced from a small
radar van in the Central Highlands of Vietnam to the TRACON in one of
our nation’s busiest airports. He also became a commercial pilot and
flight instructor, retiring after thirty-nine years of flying. By 1986
he was experiencing severe burnout. He put himself through the police
academy, resigned from the FAA and became a deputy Sheriff in Reno,
Nevada. He retired after a distinguished career on the street. Not
only the cop on the beat, Carl became a renowned traffic accident
reconstructionist on his departments Major Accident Investigation
Team, as well as a highly acclaimed crime scene investigator.
Throughout his life Carl has been a student of the paranormal and
often experienced the effects of the supernatural in his personal
life. In 2012 he became involved in the saga of the haunted Allen
House in Monticello, Arkansas and its resident spirit, Ladell Allen
Bonner. The result of dozens upon dozens of paranormal interactions
with Ladell led Carl to write his first book about Ladell’s life and
death. Writing that first book sparked a latent avocation in his life:
writing. Carl has always been a connoisseur of military history, and
that interest began a new direction for his writing. This latest book
is the story of Wendell Fertig, and the beginning of a thrilling new
series, 'Behind The Lines.' While the stories are fictionalized, they
are all based upon factual military history. Join in with Carl and
enjoy his books as you gain an interesting new insight in what war is
all about.
The following is typical of the reviews
I’m receiving on the book:
Just finished your book and you get 4.0 marks from this old Navy Seal.
Really enjoyed and it adds to my hobby of WWII.
Spent 22 years of my 34 in and out of the PI. Have traveled every
island and was trained a marksman by RJ when we were
stationed at Team 2 during Vietnam. Still a very good friend I keep in
contact with. Going to recommend it to my friends,
at least the ones that can read.
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THE INDOMITABLE PATRIOT Fertig,
The Guerrilla General
Doc Riojas Comment: Once
i started reading this book, i have find myself hard to putting it down! because
of my very old age (84 yr old
eyes and at the end of being able to correct my vision) I
find that the way the paragraphs are other important text are spaced to be
extremly easy to read.
Having retired from the Navy
and traveled to that part of the orient reminds me of my days as a guerrilla
combatant as part of the Navy SPecial Warfare serving as a Navy SEAL in the
Jungles of Vietnam.
The author is equally as good a
military writter as Tom Clancy. This story may possibly be material for a
great movie similar to the the movie produced about the POW rescue in WWII by
Filipino Guerilla fighters and the U.S. Army Rangers.
"The Great Raid"
Do not wait to buy it tomorrow,
order
it today ! It was recommended to me by CDR R.D. Thomas (recommended
for the Medal of Honor by the US Army, but our politically correct US Navy
downgraded it to a Navy Cross. SHame on them !
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