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SEAL TWO Photo ALbums by Doc Rio

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William D. "Fat Rat" Sutherland

Some bad news. William D. Sutherland ["BIG fat rat"] passed away last night. he had been in the hospital about 7 days. Nancyand I just got back from N. C. yesterday and went up to see him last night. Don't know the particulars as of yet. please put out the word to everybody as you have all the address's. As soon as I know anything will let you know.

P. T .DOC Schartz.

I just received the above from P.T. Doc Schwartz. Bill aka "BIG fat rat" Sutherland was one of those that helped start this First Chapter of the UDT/SEAL Association. We are where we are today because of Bill's untiring efforts, he will be deeply missed. Not only was Bill a great team mate he was also in my training class and a friend for the past 55 years or more.

Lenny Waugh. News came to me 04/11/2010; Riojas

PERMISSION granted by MR. WOOLARD to post his email.
Sunday, May 23, 2010 - 01:51 pm:

Bill Sutherland was one of my favorite SEALs. We were in UDT 21, SEAL
Team 2, and the East Coast Training unit (UDTB) together.

Bill was one of those SEALs who just got things done with no drama or
fanfare. He always was the voice of wisdom and experience. Great sense
of humor and a fine storyteller as well. Believe his rating was
draftsman - very small rating; an E7/8/9 Draftsman practically had to
die for a younger guy to get promoted.

It took Bill a long time to make Chief, and with all his dependents as
well as for sport, he augmented his income by finding "lost" golf
balls and selling them to golfers at the course on base. He found the
balls by snorkeling in the shallow water traps at night and picking
them up by hand. The golf course had people whose job it was to
recover the balls so the pro shop could resell them, but their
technique of raking the balls out could not compete with Bill. It took
them awhile to realize they were recovering nowhere near as many balls
from the water traps as had been hit into them and they began
patrolling the course at night to catch the rascal who was
undercutting their business. They tried for years to catch him, but
they never could. Bill had many close calls as well as encounters with
snakes and other noctural critters, which he would describe to
admiring Teammates the day after.

Toward the end of his career he was a bit portly but still would
participate in the seniors events at the base swim meets. He was a
creditable swimmer and I still remember his racing dive - he sprang
out flat and straight and looked like a torpedo being launched from a
WWII PT boat.

I'll miss him. Rick Woolard

from: Randy Rabun foxholearmynavy [at] earthlink DOT net
20 April 2010

Hello Doc Rio
I spoke to you awhile back and sent you some pics of "Swede" Tornblom that I took while he was at my Army Navy store .

Well my friend Norm Olsen informed me that FatRat had passed away also . He was a good friend who inspired me to collect and learn as much as I could as a historian about UDT/SEAL anything in fact he sold me his 40 year collection to look after.

I owe him a lot because I went places and met people that are ledgends in your community Fly Fallon, Sam Bailey to mention a few.

Anyway here are two pics that I took of him visiting my store and one of him and Miss June.

Randy Rabun,   Foxhole Army Navy,   609 S 14th St.
Leesburg ,Fla.        Email: foxholearmynavy [R] earthlink DOT net

Bill "Fat Rat" Sutherland

Taken at FoxHole Military Surplus Leesburg FL.

Bill "Fat Rat" Sutherland and Miss June    In the background:                                   red shirt is Jim Tipton

It is with great sadness that the UDT-SEAL Association informs the membership on the passing of

QMC William D. Sutherland, USN - (Ret.) Class 13, March 31, 2010.

QMC William D. Sutherland, USN - (Ret.) Class 13

QMC Chief William D. Sutherland UDT Class 13 passed away on March 31, 2010.

Bill was affectionately known by his shipmates as " Fat Rat ". He was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. After graduation from Manual Training High School he was offered a position with Walt Disney as a cartoonist. Bill declined the offer, and at age 19, joined the Navy. Upon completion of Boot Camp, he was ordered aboard a LSMR as a Quartermaster striker.

He applied for UDT Training in 1954 and commenced training as a trainee in Class 13. Upon completion of training he was assigned to UDT-22 and worked in the Chart Shop. Bill was known for the UDT Character shown riding a shark as seen in many Cruise Charts. He was also one of the main designers of the Seal Trident, worn by SEALs today.

Chief Sutherland was one of the founding Fathers and early Presidents of the UDT-SEAL Association and was very involved in Association activities.

Bill married his wife June in 1967 and together they had two girls and a boy. Bill also had three children from a previous marriage.The Sutherlands moved to New Port Richie, Florida where he and June took up golf, a game that he could never beat her at. Bill and June settled into a life of enjoyable retirement until his passing.

Chief Sutherland's ashes will be spread upon the waters at the Muster Memorial Service in Fort Pierce in November.

Mrs Sutherland will reside in Virginia Beach with her daughter beginning in June.

From: Randy Rabun
to: Erasmo \"Doc\" Riojas
docrio45 [at] gmail DOT com

date: Sat, Nov 20, 2010
subject: Got your 'nam hat Doc.

Doc.Riojas ,

I received your camo hat yesterday and it is very cool . Thanks for including a pic of yourself wearing it and that you bought it at Sears . It is a very nice addition to my UDT/SEAL collection . I will send you a pic of it when I get it arranged in the display .

I hope we can meet up sometime I think we would talk for hours about UDT-21 and SEAL 2 . Thanks for letting me take care of it for you . One day I will absorb the UDT/SEAL museum into mine . I included a few more pics from the memorial .

The one with the Officer standing in front of the swimmers in line is where Swede was being given to his swim buddy . I thinking about you when I took this one because you said you two were really tight friends .

Randy R.

Randy Email: foxholearmynavy [at] earthlink DOT net

Mark Divine Chuck Newell reading to his doggie

Chuck Newell & Dorothy Leon Tagle Ryan Zinke

Eric Greitens

John Chalus John Chalus in 'nam

Doc Riojas, The photo of the monkey and the two other SEALs does not show me unless you think I am the monkey. They are HMC Charles Hill on the Left and Frank Czajkowski on the right. It's ok though they were both great operators. The monkey's name is Wally. He was named in honor of LTjg Walter Merrick our AOIC of MIKE Platoon at ISB Ben Luc RVN. John

Bob Holmes A. Dee Clark Larry Bailey Bill Daugherty

??? A.Dee Clark and Larry Bailey in red shirt

Mike GOld & Jim "Patches" Watson John A. Cruz

Shaun K. Flynn Dennis Horn

A. O'Dell, Rudy Boesch, Brian Barbata Carley Norm, Kelly McGraw Norm Olson

Robin King, Ron Seiple, William T.White Al Moreno

Amir Pishdad Jr. Arles Nash Ben Lichtenberg Genny Green

Benny Green Bill Holloway

Bruce Cullen Carl Swepston Chip Maury

Carlos Moleda, WIA Panama Fiasco

Chris Nicola Chris Nicola Daniel Toth

Dan Potts Dennis Horn Dave Del Giudice

Clint Majors & Family David R. Hostetter

A. Dee Clark Gilbert Espinoza Greg Kassa

Greg Kassa Shawn K. FLynn

Haymon, Mo Emihl, Jim Bellar, Larry lasky, Rusty Strickland, Mark A. CUmmings, Ernie Yribe, Michael Oyew

Jan ALbertie Jeff Gonzalez

Joe Hunter and ?? Justin Gonzalez

Allan Archeey & Family Patty Rambo

Justin Gonzales Cake by Mrs. Mike Gold

Larry Bailey Mark Cochiolo

Matt Kelm Melanie Bragg

Mike Argo Jesse Ventura

Mike Gold, Wife & kid Nickolas Bickle

Robert Stirling Skip Crane

Brett Lynch Brett Lynch

Clint Majors Jeep

Skip Crane and Friends

Skip Crane and Buddy Wally Fowler

Skip Crane Mike GOld and Jim "Patches" Watson

SKip Crane

Skip Crane

Skip Crane Collage

Jim Graham Cade Courtley

Max Morgan

Matthew J. Bourgeois Marvin Gonzalez

Dennis Miranda's FUneral in N.J.

Dennis Miranda's FUneral in N.J. Rocky H. Carlock

Checking for Leaks

E-MAIL Oct. 2005
From: Larry Bailey larrywb3 [at] cox DOT net
To: Maynard Weyers
Subj: A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

Maynard,
Last Tuesday I was flying from Greenville, NC, to Charlotte to catch a flight to Las Vegas to attend the Special Operations Assocation convention. I was sitting next to a young lady who inquired about why I was going to Vegas, which was to speak about phony SEALs at the SOA banquet. In the course of the conversation I spoke of the 35,000-plus phonies a bunch of us
have busted in the past decade or so.

When we deplaned in Charlotte, I spotted a guy wearing both a tee shirt anda baseball cap with a Trident on them. I told the young lady that she couldactually get to watch a "bust," whereupon I walked over to this guy and began to ask him his class number. It was only then that I recognized Jim Janos, aka Jesse Ventura! He was on his way to Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA, to talk about third-party politics.

Naturally, we had a chuckle and a few reminiscences before I had to go to my gate. Jim/Jesse certainly doesn't look like an ex-governor! Wonder who braids the two strands of his beard.
Larry Bailey, EL Menos de Magnifico
PS: Feel free to put this on your net...it might be good for a laugh or two.

2nd EMAIL:
Razz (aka Rio)

Last week. I was flying to Charlotte, NC, and was seated next to a young lady to whom I was talking about all the phony SEALs in the world. We landed in Charlotte, and on getting off the plane I saw this big phony with a Budweiser on his tee-shirt and on his baseball cap. I told the girl to watch--I'm going to show you how it's done. I walked over to the guy and only then looked into his face; It was Jim Janos (aka Jesse Ventura).

I said, "Jesse, you so-and-so! What're you doing here?" He replied, "Captain, what are you doing here?" We had a nice chat about teams 'n' stuff, and then I had to catch my plane to Vegas. He looked weirder last week than he does in this photo.

He was on his way to Washington and Lee University to lecture on third-party politics. What else? Post this if you like.

Larry Bailey, CAPT (SEAL) USN Retired

Admiral Irve Charles Le Moyne, RIP

In 1946 Frankfurt American High School, located in the heart of Frankfurt, Germany opened its doors for the first time. Almost fifty years later those doors would close with a disheartening echo as the halls emptied for the final time. The class of 1995 would be the last to leave their mark.

Roy Dean Matthews, Doc Riojas, Thuy LDNN, lost a foot in one of our Ops.

Dee Clark and Rip Collins

Joe Smith, Hqrts Plet PN2, was in ST-2

Solomon Atkinson

John Roat & Campoli photographers Mate

Don "Doc" Stone & wife Art

Eddie Payne & John Griggs

SEAL Team ONE

CDR "Red" Faine & Rio Lt.-Rt: Pete Meston, Doc PT Swartz, Fat Rat Sutherland, Dennis Sprenkle

.
"Doc" Plankowner UWSS John "Fly" Fallon

Lt-Rt: Fly Fallon, Harry Humphries, ?Jim Cook?      Fred Miller, Harry H., Lenny Waugh, ??, SIT: Rio, Lil Fat
                                                                                                                                           Rat Sutherland

.


     Fred Miller,    Linda Watson and "Patches" Jim Watson


                                                                       Bob Shouse,Doc Riojas, Woody , John Hobbs, "King" Bassett


           George Walsch & wife                         Glen Grinage living in Japan now

Lt-Rt:Dan Potts, ??, AD Clark, Joe Hunter, Doc Riodjas, Joe Smith & sittingChris Nicola

Young Lions get all the beautiful women

             Hyrum"Hank" Mullikin    and Erasmo "Doc" Riojas

Harry Constance "Good to Go"    Erasmo Doc Riojas


Jim Hazelwood                     Dick Shay  Hershel Davis


                                  Capitan Norman "Sky Fossil" Olson                John Francis Rabbitt


Lt-Rt: Stand: Jim Watson, ??, Jim Finley, Jim Tipton, Jim Wallace
SIT: Don Tilton, Dante Stephensen, Roy Boehm

Dante has finally got an email address, go to his web site for it.

         Dante's Down the Hatch



.

Bill Brumuller, Bob Nissel, Dante Stephensen, Dennis Sprenkle, Doc RIojas

Lt-Rt: Doc CLark, Hoot ANdrews, Clayton Grady, Rudy Boesch


Erasmo "Doc Riojas & John Kirby


Jack & Sandra Harrington

Jerry Hammerle & Judy Northrup


                                            Mrs. and Jim Hazelwood                       Rio   and Swede Tornblom

.


??,                             Jack Lynch,                     MOH Kerry

LDNN, Memorial Day 2004

.


         Lourdes Tolentino "Doc" Riojas C.O.

Lt-Rt Stand: Henry ?, Mike Naus, ??, ? Doran?, Bartlett, ??, Red Coyle, ?PT schartz? , ??, ?? KNEEL: ??, Fly Fallon, Redmon, ??, ??, ??, Front sitting: ??

Gene Cahill in center on his lt: Jack Lynch

.

NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE ARCHIEVES,
CENTRAL RECORDS DIVISION
R. D. Russell head honcho

RD Russell and Pam; The SEAL Archieves


Rio, Roy Dean Matthews, Hook Turre                       Doc Rio and Stan Janecka in Pine Key FL


Dusty Rhoades                   Rudy and Marge Boesch


                                          Rudy and Marge Boesch

         Richard "Rogue Warrior" Marcinko, His seadaddy Ev Barrett and   Roy Boehm
at Little Jim's Baitshop, Ft. Pierce FL

.






Erasmo"Doc" Riojas remembers his tour at SeaFloat with LCDR Sphinx, the Biet Hi, and the Sand Barges 1970. Worse duty any Navy SEAL could be assigned to. If you don't agree, ask Gary Smith BMCM, he was also an Advisor with Tuta Sphinx.   That is the worst assignment that I had in Vietnam. No shit !

http://brownwater-navy.com/vietnam/S1anchor.htm    THE BEGINNING of
Solid Anchor was constructed by the SeaBees in 1970 on sand that was transported by tug and barge for Qui Nhon.
The site was known as CAMP HURT.
The area clear of trees was defoliated by Agent Orange.
There is also numerous bomb craters from earlier B-52 strikes and shell craters.

Click here for individual stories
About Solid Anchor in the beginning.

.

M.Newton, H. DeLaCruz, R. Work, B. Maynard, J. Wood, R. Lesher, L. Decker, A. Schneider, P. Cappelen, F. West, P. Salerni.




SEAL Team ONE guys





                      SEAL Team ONE








Gulfcoast SEALs

                           Schwallenberg                                                  Bobby G. Stamey

Sea Story

From: John R. Rapp
To: 'Bill Langley'
Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 8:57 PM
Subject: Joe Silva and Bob Stamey story...

Bill, Story time!

We were on a two squad insertion along the coast on the South China Sea north of the Bassac River.

During the series of operations out there over a period of time we used a STAB, an IBS, and then a Whaler… We ended up using the Whaler since we lost a STAB that fell into the sea from a Huey after it swamped, overturned, and got stranded floating near the beach.

After the STAB deal - I suggested we use an IBS for a few ops. Great, first operation out - the motor quit and left myself, my gunner, and Chief Clemens (the squad leader left Clem to stay with us) stranded on the beach. We had to three man paddle out toward open water as the sun was coming up to a spot where we could try and restart the motor. Finally Clem and I got it going!!!

Later on we switched to the small Whaler which ran fine…

The following evolution occurred early September in 1967, within days of my 21rst birthday.

So a long story short, the night was dark, the seas were rough, the swells were pretty good size, and with that said - I inserted the first squad onto the beach without incident after going through three surf zones. I returned to the LCPL to pick up the remaining squad. In the retransmit of the second squad and while in the surf zone we were ambushed. During the initial ambush Bob Stamey was hit multiple times, and Joe Silva was hit as well… Joe and Bobby ( inches from me) were located directly in front of me on the starboard side.

The steering was shot out, the throttle was shot out of my hand -although I still had part of it to work with to control the engine RPM and maintain some headway. I had my gunner Hendricks wrap his arms around the motor where he provided steering for me as I guided him and provided engine control. I think it was Lt. Bill Bishop on my left side,,, anyway, I leaned over and asked him if he wanted to abort the insertion or continue on. He advised we continue on to the beach – which we did…

During the ambush a PBR was sitting out there in the dark beyond the surf zones. The PBR moved in and provided fire support with its twin 50 caliber forward and it’s single 50 aft, while we completed the insertion and I extracted Stamey back to sea to the LCPL. We put him on the LCPL, gave him emergency medical assistance, all while transporting him to the HSSC (Mighty Mo) where- I think it was Doc Shorty Long who was waiting. Doc Long hopped on board the LCPL and took over the medical care. Stamey was transferred to the HSSC and was flown out to a field hospital.

Joe Silva on the other hand, if I remember correctly – received rounds through his hand which travelled up through his forearm which then exited his elbow. I asked him if he wanted to be extracted for medical treatment. He said no, hopped off the boat and continued in on the operation!!! Unbelievable!!!

It looked like the Fourth of July out there…

End of that story…Regards,

John Rapp

From: Bill Langley
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 12:51 PM
Subject: #2: Joe Silva and Bob Stamey

This is a story that you may find interesting and entertaining. I made some name changes (Joe Silva vs. Dave Sutherland) to correct a previous email.

Bill

From: Bill Langley
To: John Rapp
Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 10:46 PM
Subject: VN Op

John,

You might be referring to Chief Herb Clemens (we called him Clem sometimes), who was in my squad with Ltjg Bill Bishop. I was on the Mighty Mo when Bob Stamey was brought aboard. If I remember correctly, Stamey was hit in the neck/jaw.

I was on the MSSC as a gunner while healing from a foot wound I received on a previous operation, I think. A lot of fire was also coming our way that day on the MSSC. The 50 caliber machine guns were smoking, as well as everything else that we could shoot.

That was one very exciting day in Vietnam. I'm going to print this story and show or send it to Lt Bishop and Joe Silva.

Thanks for jogging my memory.

Bill


                                           on left looks Like Jerry Waters and instructor Bobby G. Stamey

             Fred Miller's Sea Story about Bobby Stamey at USNH Portsmouth
From: fmilcusguns [at] aol.com
To: docrio45 [at] gmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: Davey Sutherland, Bob Stamey and Rick Trani

Rio,

When I was I the Portsmouth Hospital Bobby Stamey had the bunk on my left for a while, he was recuperating from a gunshot wound in his left cheek.

Bobby was perpetually pissed off about everything and complained about everything and was not a model patient. pulling rank or trying to on the corpsman trying to help him. One interesting story while we were there.

When the guys were coming up to visit us they would stand around the bunks between me and Bobby and couldn't see Bobby's left cheek. I guess Bobby had his mouth open when a bullet zipped right into it blowing out his cheek but not bothering his teeth. he had big unhealed hole and you could see his teeth and tongue working while he was trying to talk.

The space between our bunks became crowded and some of the guys moved around and to the left side of Bobbys bunk. Then they saw the hole in Bobby's mouth and one of them said in a loud voice " Dam Bobby I bet you have a hard time drinking beer" If anyone could have had a heart attack from being pissed it could easily have been Bobby.

His face got red as a beet and he started accusing everyone of making fun of a injured Man. Then he got quiet and wouldn't talk at all and someone said well fuck you if you can't take a joke! shortly Bobby was put in the quiet room, at his request, so no one could bother him. I never saw him again.

Bobby and I were in the same platoon in Vietnam and when we were in the hospital together I bet he never said ten words to me. I never knew anyone like Bobby Gene Stamey while I was in the teams or ever since.

All of the Corpsman referred to Bobby as O.W. Stamey "one way Stamey" because they never did a thing right according to Bobby Gene.

Your Amigo Fred

Arles "Nasty" Nash, Pete Stanley, Dave "Little Fat Rat" Sutherland



Erasmo "Doc" Riojas USNavy SEAL COrpsman

Lt to Right TopRow: USS SEALION SSAP-315; Sub Skipper, John Muckle,Ron Yeaw, Jim Wallace , Fred Toothman, Mr. Schutzman ? , Pete Girard, Joe Silva, Ron Rogers, Dr. Lee             Sitting: Erasmo "Doc" Riojas, Mike McQuillis, Blackiston, Jerry Waters     Our trip from Key West FL, to Panama City FL (rehersals on the offshore oil rigsusing MKVI rigs), then on to South America. What a trip to be remembered by the ST-2 gang !   And as a bonus, liberty in Curacao !

03/02/68 - KIA - Joseph A. Albrecht, MM1, Falmouth, MA.

--- Original Message --
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 1:43 PM
From: Ronald E.Yeaw, Sr.
To: 'Larry Bailey' ; 'Doc Rio' ; 'roy boehm' ; 'Tom Shoulders'
Cc: Ty Zellers

Subject: RE: Andy Hayden (SEAL) from the old days at ST-2
All,

I received a call from Roy Boehm and Andy today. Andy mentioned that he was wounded when Albrecht was killed. The only other thing he could remember was that Clay Grady was on the same op. He is unsure whether or not he received the Purple Heart (gave all medals to his brother). He was unsure as to Platoon or dates. He cannot get any verification from the Navy.

After researching a lot of files, I found the platoon folder in question. I put a call on Andy's answering machine with the following info:

I have both the Barndance Card and the Spot Report from the op. Date Time Group on the SPOTREP is: 031335Z AUG 68. 8th Platoon SPOTREP #9-58.

Barndance Card info:

a. Participants: LT Bob Gormley, LTJG Dave Purcelle, WO1 Jones, Hayden, MacDonald, Grady, Albrecht, Bowen, O'Bryan, Cyrus, Rabbitt.

b. Friendly Casualties: 1 KIA (Albright ?); 1 WIA (Hayden ?). (does not list names).

The SPOTREP does not include names of the SEALs who were KIA or WIA.

Best recommendations I have are:

a) Have Andy get letters from others on the op to verify his wounds,

b) Have Andy contact Ty Zellers. Ty went through this process and was successful. Ty was able to get his medical records from the Navy verifying his wounds.

I stand by to be of any further assistance.

Ron Yeaw

This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm
“Doc,

Joe was in my platoon when he was killed in July, not March, 1968 It happened on Niu Coto, a mountain in the Delta near the Cambodian border. He stepped on a mortar booby-trap while we were trying to get to a large VC arms cache. We got him med-evaced but he died later on the operating table on a hospital ship in the Mekong—he lost too much blood while we waited for the helo. He had a wife and kids (two, I think) and was a good operator, who volunteered to go on a tough op on the mountain.    Bob Gormley


Steve Waterman (photographer)                    Per-Erik Tornblom (SEAL)



C.J. "Indian" Sweesy and Erasmo "Doc" Riojas

I noted the above picture of you and the totally white-haired Sweesy. Do you remember when it was taken? Parrish, Detmer, me and Jerry played golf together for many years and I saw Jerry last at a reunion in Fort Pierce. I don't remember the year, but he had just gotten out of the "pen." Within the next year, he went off the deep end with his partying. He had couple stints in the Portsmouth Naval hospital to dry out after acquiring pneumonia. Best I remember he went through a couple of failed attempts to recoup his life. I recall that before he left for his son's place to start his life over, he destroyed a room at Gallagher's house during one of those Red Hart parties. May he and "Red" Rest in Eternal Peace.     Chuck Newell
NOTE: Chuck, best I remember, we were there at Ft. Pierce together when Jerry Sweesy and his son C.J. Sweesy Jr. and his wife attended together. Jerry and I stayed at the same motel on the North Island.   Chuck, you remember very correctly.

Tom Blais, Jim Cook, and I drove to Portsmouth Naval Hospital to visit "The Indian" during his first bout with pneumonia. We could NOT see him because he was on life support and totally sedated. "Eagle" Gallagher was in the waiting room and told us he was in a guarded condition.

Upon Jerry's arrival in Shreveport LA to start his life over in the company of his son and wife; CJ Jr. kept me posted and I spoke with Jerry on the telphone. Jerry told me that he had gotten a job at a local golf course and was moving to his own apartment.   The next call i got from his son was that he had fallen off the wagon and was back into the hospital.

Bo Burwell was working here in Houston at NASA and on a weekend we drove up to Shreveport and saw Sweesy. He was on life support, we sat there at his beside and talking about old times.

Way later when Jerry was extubated and talking, he told CJ that he remembered Bo Burwell and Doc Rio at his beside talking.   He was doing fine, eating, doing his beside physical theraphy and suddenly one day he had a cardiac arrested and they could not bring him back.   I don't remember where he is buried.

C.J. Sweesy Jr. to this day keeps in touch with me.      Erasmo "Doc" Riojas in Pearland TX

Boy on left: Scott Adolphson, Jerry's nephew, now retired but was a former tribal council member. Woman on left in background, Otto's daughter, Cindy, now an attorney. Standing, from left to right: Raymond, Kenneth, Lorraine, Jerry, William, Otto, me (Roger), and Clair Vernon. The boy on the step ladder was Curtis Sweesy, son of Clair Vernon Sweesy and Clayton's nephew.

Clayton Jerome Sweesy (SEAL) R.I.P.
from: Rcbucholz [at] aol.com
to: Doc Riojas docrio45 [at] gmail.com
Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009
Subject: Your web page THREE about Jerry Sweesy

Doc:
Allow me to introduce myself. I am Roger C. Bucholz, Ph.D., retired US Navy and half-brother to Clayton Jerome "Jozz" Sweesy, former Seal Team Two member and now deceased. The photo shown below appeared in your sealtwo.org/photoalbum03.htm:

It was taken by Jerry's mother at her 76th birthday at the Red Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota in the summer of 1976.

Jerry was born Clayton Jerome Sweesy. You have the spelling of his last name as "Sweezy" it should be spelled: "Sweesy."   Jerry's nickname at home was actually "Jozz," but many of his Navy friends called him Clayton as well as Jerry and "the Indian."

Jerry's mom (Alice Amelia Jones) was a Dakota (Sioux) woman born into the Spirit Lake Campfire (tribe) of the Dakota nation. In our language, Dakota (Allies), the word "lake" is "mde," pronounced meh-day. The word "spirit" is "wakan," pronounced wah-kahn." The suffix "-tonwa," pronounced "tohn-wah," indicates "from."

Hence, Jerry is a descendant of the Minnesota Mdewakantonwa Dakota Oyate. Oyate (Oh-YAH-Tay) means People. Literally, the Minnesota Dakota Spirit Lake People. As the Dakota nation grew larger, the largest tribe, the Teton moved west (Teton Mountains of Wyoming and Montana) and dropped the "D" from their lexicon and adopted the "L" which gave rise to the Lakota language, a dialect of the Sioux.

Alice's first marriage was to Otto August Bucholz (Buck-holtz), a first-generation German-American. Otto and Alice had two daughters, Lorraine and Betty Lou. Betty Lou died in infancy. Lorraine, Jerry's sister is sandwiched in the photo next to Jerry. Alice's sons with Otto were, in order of birth, Raymond, Otto (Jr.), William, Robert, and Roger (me). With her second husband, the four sons were Kenneth Darwin, Clair Vernon, Clayton Jerome, and Lyle James. Her second husband, Clair Ellsworth Sweesy brought two of his children from a previous marriage, Bernard Sweesy and Marguerite Sweesy, to the marriage.

Interestingly enough, all ten sons (who were related as brother, step-brother, or half-brother) served in the US Navy. Secretary of the Navy, Middendorf signed and presented Alice with a Letter of Appreciation for having had ten sons in the Navy and it was presented to our mother on the occasion of her 76th birthday (July 1976). The photo was taken at that occasion.
When the photo was taken, three of the brothers were already deceased (Barney, Robert, and Lyle). The ten sons are listed in order of their age, oldest to youngest, along with their respective Naval service:

1. Raymond Leroy Bucholz, Radioman Second Class in WWII. Served on two destroyers that were sunk by Japanese submarines. Survived and, after WWII, joined and retired from the US Merchant Marine.

2. Bernard "Barney" Sweesy, Commissaryman 2nd Class in WWII in western Pacific, survived, lived in Covina, CA until his death in the 1970s.

3. Otto NMN Bucholz, Senior Chief Gunnersmate was part of the Armed Guard on merchantmen in the Atlantic. Sunk by Stukas on run to Murmansk, USSR in 1942. Survived and later he participated in a landing in North Africa as part of a shore party. Otto was then transferred to a SeaBee unit in the Philippines until the end of WWII. Otto served on board several ships during the Korean Conflict and completed one tour in Vietnam. Otto died this past August, 2009 on the Lower Sioux Indian reservation, Morton, MN.

4. William John Bucholz, Chief Warrant Officer (W-4), promoted from Chief Radioman, submarines, to W-4 prior to retirement from the Navy. Completed law school under Native American Indian scholarship and received J.D. degree. Retired from Bureau of Indian Affairs and lives in Front Royal, VA.

5. Robert Gene Bucholz, Communications Technician, served a minority hitch during the Korean Conflict. Died of heart failure, buried near Lower Sioux Indian Community cemetery.

6. Roger Colman Bucholz (me), Ph.D., retired LCdr, US Navy. Served during Korean Conflict as Aviation Electronics Technician First Class, took GI Bill and attended South Dakota School of Mines, Rapid City, SD as a physics major while in the reserves. Went back on active duty, was promoted to Chief Petty Officer, and promoted under the Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program, attended pre-flight in Pensacola, FL and designated an Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officer (1510). Completed two tours in Vietnam and was a physics instructor at the US Naval Academy. I am now retired and live in Bartlett, TN, although I also have a home on the Lower Sioux Indian Community reservation. I was Jerry's Den Chief (boy scout) when Jerry was a cub scout.

7. Kenneth Darwin Sweesy, the only other airdale in the Navy from out family. Kenny was an Aviation Machinist Mate Third Class when he was blown off the wing of a P-2V in Newfoundland and broke his back. He is retired and lives on the Lower Sioux reservation.

8. Clair Vernon Sweesy, served in the Pacific as a Quartermaster Second Class, graduated from San Diego State and currently lives in Portland, OR.

9. Clayton Jerome Sweesy, First Class Equipment Operator, SEAL, US Navy retired. Unfortunately, the brother with the biggest smile and most likeable personality in our family couldn't overcome the alcohol that has so often plagued those of us of Native American Indian heritage. We all loved him and miss him.

10. Lyle James Sweesy, a Fireman who died while still a youth in a tragic scuba diving incident.

So, Doc, there you have it. Another story about one of your team. There is a granite monument on the grounds of the Lower Sioux Indian Community Center with Clayton's name carved on it.

Roger C. Bucholz, Ph.D.,

LCdr US Navy Retired.
Cell: (703) 371-6512
5727 Elizabeth Grace Cove
Bartlett, TN 38134




Steve Waterman by Dow Byer's Shark UWSS           Dave Bodkin & Ted Kassa


Kochy,Schultz,Riojas, Humphries, Hammerle, Frank Thornton      TyZellers        Frank Thornton




                                Joe Thrift and Blackie Meyers


                                            Pete Mc Nair , Waddell, Sam Orr, and H.T.


      Tom Blais               Tom Hawkins   Bob Shouse     Ray Tullis

Tom Hawkins & Wife

Tom Keith   ST-2 'nam



      Erasmo "Doc" Riojas   &  Tom Truxell     ST-2

A seastory about Mr. LT. Tom Truxell.   We were in Northern Germany on an exercise consisting of the North German Guard, the SAS, USA Special Forces, and USNavy SEALs (us).   Our squad had to check in by radio each night. Steve "Doc" Elson was the radio operator. On night Steve asked me to go with him atop this small hill so that he could set up his antenna and radio to contact the SAS camp in Hereford England. We were covered under a poncho so that I could hold the flashlight so that he could do his dit-dat-dash stuff.   Suddenly we hear foot steps.   Steve continue to finish his message. The sounds of foot steps kept getting closer and closer. Steve packed up all his stuff and we were going to "beat feet" outta there. When we came out from under the poncho, there were a bunch of cows standing around us! We left in a hurry.   Steve found out the following night that he had lost his CLASSIFIED CODE BOOKLET! Aw boy! He told Mr. Truxull just kept repeating over and over for the next few days that he was going to get passed over for LCDR. Finally Rudy BOesch told him to "shut up about getting passed over for LCDR."     end of story, this is no shit.   Tom did make LCDR.


Dave Bodkin & Ted Kassa        Ron Yeaw & Joe Silva                ??





Tom Blais                Tom Hawkins      Bob Shouse   Ray Tollison


UWSS Plankowner HMC    Dick Shay & Hershell Davis    John Rabbitt         Jim Hazelwood


            Rio and Swede           MOH, Mr. BobKerry       Chuck LeMoyne             Lynch Jack


Frank Thornton                           Billy Burbank        Tiz Morrison                     Sam Orr                H.T.


Ev Barrett, Ash, Ron DOuglas,Gene Cahill                         Capt. Heron


        Minh & "Eagle" Gallager          Jack Salts making HMC (SEAL) LeiLi Hotel Saigon RVN 1970




Marcus "Doc" Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL whose story of heroism in Afghanistan is told in his book "Lone Survivor," shared his world view at the National Rifle Association event in Louisville on May 16.
MY NOTE: Is this really Doc Luttrell?

                                               Marcus "Doc" Luttrell









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SEAL TWO Photo ALbums by Doc Rio . . . . .,. . . . . . . . . .




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