The Ole REAL SEALs Photos;  Page FIVE

.                            by: Erasmo "Doc" Riojas

Friends of the SEAL Trio awaiting                       Court Martial!  

You've stood in line long enough. We now have the info you need for sending checks or for wiring money directly into the account (which is in the First Western Trust Bank, whose president is SEAL Lindsay Thomas Kough, Class 158). 

Using the information below, either mail or wire-transfer your contributions to help "The Trio." Make your checks payable to "Warrior Legacy Foundation," and write "Warrior Defense Fund" (that's us) on the memo line. We have a totally separate account within a much-larger account. 


FIRST WESTERN TRUST BANK 
5460 South Quebec Street, Suite 200 
Greenwood Village, CO 80111 
ABA: 102007011 
Credit Account Number: 2045486 
Credit Account Name:
 Warrior Legacy Foundation Warrior Defense Fund 


There is a Pay Pal account already set up, and links will be on the Warrior Legacy Foundation site; www.freetheseals.com; and a number of other www friendly sites. 

In closing, you should be aware that this account is overseen by a 6-person Board of Advisors, at least two of whom are SEALs and another a lady who is VERY active in the military-support community. We have done all we know how to do to get this thing on the road and to incorporate strict oversight procedures over how the money is spent. I believe that we have done pretty well setting up this account.

Fire in the hole! 

Larry Bailey

PS:  Let me know if you have any comments and/or recommendations. Email me 
at: larrywb [@] suddenlink.net, and Iwill give you my telephone number for discussion.

 

 

             

 Kirkus Reviews

An unsentimental personal account of the Vietnam War. With the assistance of magazine writer Riebling, retired SEAL master chief Keith chronicles a tale that's oddly refreshing in its clear-eyed bluntness. The author and his tough-as-nails team had jobs to do, he writes, carrying out missions protecting friendly villages from Viet Cong attacks; they simply did not have time to let the brutal surroundings affect them.

The narrative opens with the SEALs surrounded by explosions and tracer fire as they wait to be extracted by helicopter. Keith was not consumed by fear, as most people would be. Instead, he reflected on how the red tracer fire was "as beautiful as any Fourth of July fireworks display" and how lucky he felt to be doing a job he loved. The son of a Navy chief and the grandson of two Army veterans, from an early age Keith dreamed of entering the military, and his determination and skill led him to the elite Navy SEALs.

More Reviews and Recommendations

 


                                       
July 2007 Dan Zamuda,  RIP

 

Hey Rio . we went on liberty together in Siagon...and we had to babysit Joe DeMartino...I was sent there this tour to be an advisor for the Vietnamese Seals.I served In Hoi An and was relieved by Mike Thorton and Tom Morris.

  Small world..LOL..I was Tommy roomate for a few years in VA beach..Went thru class 30 UDTR in Little creek..theres thats it..

  Fire in the Hole.  Dan

Danny Mcevoy..I retired after 28years in 1989 

 

Doc Clark called me about 0730 hours this morning to let me know that Zmuda had died.  I believe his son Danny called Bruhmuller and told him of his dads death.  It seems he and Rose his wife where in a store and "MUD"  was feeling bad so went outside and then fell over.  No info on whether it was a heart attack or stroke. God bless MUD and his family.  We did a lot of operating together and were both in the same  platoon as well as just living a few doors down from each other on Bernice Pl. , in Princess Ann Plaza .  I could tell stories about him that would take hours.  He was a SUPER team member.  those of you who knew him will attest to this.

Bill (SOB)

Our Teammate Daniel "Mud" Zmuda will be laid to rest in Fredonia , New York this Saturday the 16th of February. Dan graduated with East Coast Class 26 and retired in 1978 after serving in UDT-22, ST-2 and as an original member of the Navy Parachute Team. Dan is survived by his wife Roseanne, his son Dan and daughters Annette Adamczak and Jacqueline Zmuda. He also has a brother, Frederick and  three sisters; Joanne Sawyer, Marcia Ernst and Claire Knoll while his brother John preceded him. Dan and Rose had 6 grandchildren

 

 

 

class200.jpg
Class 20 E.C.
    Class 20 East Coast

     
                                            Kerry King    Ernest Szokes                               Kerry King

 

                         
                    Adm. Ray SMith              Hershel Davis

 

 

                 

                                       

 

            

 

  

      
Bernie Jose Mike

       

                                    
                      Jimmy  Breits  Precher                                      Richard Marcinko & his Kids

                 

                           
                  Bob Kerry                                  Pete "The Pirate" Coralan

                


            lt. to rt.:Augie Maynard,Ed Schmidt, Frank Scolise, Bill Bruhmuller, Hugh Landsen, UNK.

          

      
Doc Riojas, Eagle Gallagher, DeepDive Deaks         Bill "S.O.B." Daugherty  Cabo Mexico

                                     
     Erasmo "Doc"Riojas eating a VN HOT pepper;  Chuck Jessie next to him.    

                                                     
Erasmo "Doc" Riojas on SEAL STAB being towed by the Mike Boat. washing MUD off gear and getting ready for the next Operation.

         

                      
           Erasmo Riojas & Jesse Ventura                                         

                               


           
                                   Erasmo "Doc" Riojas , Lourdes Tolentino , Bob Shouse and Rosalie Shouse

             
            Jack Walston                               Clark D. Stuart Jack 


                 

 

            
      Charlie Bump, ???,  & Chuck Detmer

 

W. M. Shepherd


Della & Jim Hazelwood

 

 

 

 

These photos from the USNavy movie:  "Men with Green Faces."  ~ 1968  Little Creek VA.  SEALs from ST-2 getting attaboy awards.  The only HEROES came home in body bags.         Viet?

           

        
Bill Langley & Tocci      lt to rt: Mike                                     Bill Langley and Tocci
Boynton, Tocci,Langley,Riojas, Rowell,
Jessie, Peterson, ? , PT Schwartz

                      
               Moose Boinott, &  Doc Riojas                                      Pete Girard

   
Pete Peterson                  "Shorty" Long

  ;             
Archie Grayson Tocci,                                  Mike Boynton; Jim Finley

 

       
                    Jack Fowler                                               Dave Bodkin  and Ted Kassa
28 Oct 2007
Gday Rio,
Maybe this will help Andy Hayden with his documentation problem.
I Remember some of these guys from our 1967 trip in country We had a plt.and did break in OPS with them in Cantho for  month or so before going up to Vin Long , Lt White was OinC an CWO Boils With us  He may remember more details about Andy Hayden's WIA since he was out from the East Coast!! He still in the Coronado A.O. I due Remember Charlie Bump! Brian Rand was also in my PLT.Joe Casmar,Van Orden Teddy Mathison, Got out an Died in Diving Acidient off Australia Going for the big bucks. They got pined to the bottom with gear that fell off  an oil rig .Ten years in the Navy shot too hell?
Only God  Knows!
Only God  Knows!
All the best,  Dave  " Kaloki " Bodkin, (SEAL) USN Ret.

 

          
Jim Tipton, Hightower, Jack Lynch                             Tom Keith  ST-2  'nam

               
      Ephrayim J. Aven                                                                                      Jerry Sweezy Jr.


Tom Keith & Doc Riojas

   

 
Kevin Keith, Tom Keith, Doc Rio, Brian Keith

                               
                                   George Doran (SEAL) Plank Owner ST-2

 

                                          
            Rear Adm Joseph Kernan                                                                  Dry and Martin

                                               
                                         MCPO Andrew Tafelski III   (click on photo to read story)

                                  
                                Nix White                                                     Adm Mc Guire

 

                         
                                                                       Larry Summerfield II  

 

      
     Seth Stone                              A SEAL Motivator  

                               
L to R: Mark Boyer, Jeff Moran, Kirk McConville, BIll Rachman, Joe Hohmann, Paul Barry, Jerry Field, Ron Flockton, Don Tocci

 

                                
                                                                           S. Helvenston

        
                                                                    Class 142

      
                                                             H.S."Bud" Thrift

                    
                                                                           

 

                                          

Lt to rt.TOP row: Jay Stansel, Ken & Lorraine Palmer, Bill Holloway, Bill Daugherty & Beverly, Phyllis & Troy Vaught, Bob Mackey & Jan Turpen, Melissa & Larry Lyons, Pam & Ken Abasolo.  Bottom row LT to RT:  Olga & Bill Miller (Rat), Dee Clark, Debbie & Roger Guerra  

                              
                                                                     
        click on small graphics to enlarge them

 

            

                   
                                                                      Walter Diaczenko

 

 
                                            Admiral Joseph Kernan

                                  


                              Eric T. Olson

                                      

                                                                       Chris Cassidy SEAL Astronaut

                                
                                                                            Damon Woo

   
         Elbert Tillman Jr.                                                               Eric Olson

 

       
      ROBERT HARWARD                                 Joseph Maguire                             Rich Machowicz

       
                      Eric T. Olson                                                                                        "Moki" Martin

       
                         Monsoor RIP                                                                     Harry Humphries

                                 
                                                                         James E. Suh

 

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

 

                                                                

  A Story by Dennis "Doc" Borlek about James R. Nelson, and his Korean & Vietnam Experience.      Ken Garrett knows of Mr. Nelson from their UDT Korea Police Action Escapades.  

April 2009

  Doc Rio,   

James Rad Nelson went from SR to Capt. with a 8th grade formal education. Was UDT in the Korean war as a BMSN, locked out of a Sub, blew a power plant in N.Korea and his team missed pick up, had to evade for several days, maybe longer, I'm not sure of that. 

Any way he made Chief then Ens. Limited Line, petitioned that and was granted Unlimited Line. As a junior officer he was CO of an ATF and  had Command of the Conserver ARS39 out of Pearl and eventually Commanding Officer Panama City. 

 He's one hell of a great guy, lives just outside of Panama City.  

Rad Nelson was my boss when I was on the rivers as Independent Duty Corpsman with River Assault Division 112,

 I was FMF prior to that in '66.  He and I were the only ones in 112 with any prior combat experience, we are very tight to this day.  We were supporting the Marines in I Corps, the only Assault Division up there.   

I feel that I can talk to you because you are a brother Corpsman and have "been there". I'll bet that if you went through my family pictures, you won't find more than two or three of me in-country.  I'll send it but please do not put it up on the internet.

I have one good picture that was taken on the pontoon of the USS Benewah before a beer call.  The gent with the mustache is James Rad Nelson, my "Boss" on the rivers. Please don't put my picture on your web site. 

He was Korea UDT (Two Silver Stars there and Navy Cross 'Nam, five Purple Hearts total) we had a deal which we kept "wherever you go, I go", he retired as CO Navy School of Deep Diving and Salvage, we were in some pretty heavy shit together and are close friends today. Don't expect him to be around much longer as he is in his eighties now.

We also worked with our army and the RVN Marines. Did a lot of work keeping the river clear of mines, not always successful. I'll attach a pict. of one of the mines we captured. in the picture it is less than 1/2 out of the water. It's an old Polaroid so quality isn't so great. The mine was Russian and EOD said that it  was large enough to sink any ship in deep water. Was magnet, acoustic and pressure influence all interacting and could be set to detonate anywhere from the first boat over to the tenth and anywhere in between.

photo by: "Doc" Borlec

I was undergoing training with  FMF Force RECON. We went to UWSS in Key West FL. Later I finished all aspects of Diving Physics/Medicine along with Chamber Treatment Operations while with SubDevGpONE, wanted to go all the way but BUMED said no, I had to go back to SSN's.

 While in S.D. got to 2nd Class Diver's School and learned to cut and weld, that's as far as I got. Pissed me off as I could have been part of the new Deep Diving Research Unit at Ballast Point. HMC (DMT) Miller had gone AWOL with a Navy Capt. POW's wife and there was an opening, I just didn't have the pull with BUMED that SubPac had. 

I did get to work with TriMix and lectured at the Commercial Diving School, Calif. Mens Prison Chino in Medical Aspects of Diving etc. Was a Licensed Treatment Chamber Operator in Calif.

 Dennis "Doc" Borlek

Doc Rio,


I  trained in Coronado when their training was cut short in Nov 1950. All class members AND instructors were immediately shipped to Korea to serve with UDT-1.
During the Korean war  James R. Nelson  was in UDT-3. This is verified by several documents I have in my possession. It was UDT-1 and UDT-3 that handled the Korean War, with UDT-5 being commissioned later doing I don't know what. 

About; James R. Nelson, BM3  -He also trained in Coronado   -Assigned (PCS – Permanent Change of Station) to UDT-3 Dec 1949 (presumably upon graduation from training)  -Assigned (PCS – Permanent Change of Station) to UDT-1 8/9/1950. 

James Rad Nelson


However, there was never any group in Korea that had to be left behind and "evade capture for several days or longer" during the Korean War. Only one Frog during the Korean gig got left behind and he was dead.

Ken Garrett

 

Doc,

You can find my photo here:

 http://users.frii.com/rdruss/PhotoAlbumGarrett.html

These photos are from my personal album, or rather just all that I have. So you will be copying my own photos, not somebody else's.

 You can pick me out in the photos to the far top right and second row by the Strand sign. In the top right photo is Steve Bouresky and my swim partner (now both dead also), Paul Brewton. I am a dangerous man to be around. I'm 80.

Ken Garrett

 

 

Marcus "Doc" Luttrell Arrested for 'Educating' Foreigner

 

How SEALs Carried Out Their Mission


By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 13, 2009 

The operation to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips involved dozens of Navy SEALs, who parachuted from an aircraft into the scene near dark Saturday, landing in the ocean.

                               

 The SEALs were part of a group of Special Operations forces involved in the effort, according to military officials. The SEALs set up operations on the USS Bainbridge, which had been communicating with the four pirates via radio and had used smaller boats to make deliveries of food and water to their lifeboat.

 Yet the pirates were growing increasingly agitated, the officials said. At one point Saturday, the pirates opened fire on one of the smaller U.S. Navy craft that approached. As the seas grew rougher, the Bainbridge offered to tow the lifeboat to calmer waters, and the pirates agreed, linking up the lifeboat to the destroyer with a towing cable that left 75 to 80 feet between the two vessels. Phillips at the time was tied up in the lifeboat, having been bound -- and occasionally beaten -- by the pirates ever since he had attempted to escape by jumping into the water on Friday, the officials said. 

Meanwhile, one of the pirates, estimated to be between 16 and 20 years old, asked to come aboard the Bainbridge to make a phone call. He had been stabbed in the hand during an altercation with the crew of the Maersk Alabama and needed medical care. "He effectively gave himself up," a senior military official said. 

The Navy then allowed that pirate to speak with the others in hopes that he could persuade them to give up. The three other pirates, however, showed signs of growing irritation, as the Bainbridge, 18 miles from shore, towed the lifeboat further out to sea, the senior military official said. "They had no promise of money, clearly no passage. The one ticket they had was the captain," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record. "In the last discussion, they said, 'If we don't get what we want, we will kill the captain,' " the official said. 

Soon afterward, two pirates moved to one of the hatches of the lifeboat and stuck their heads out. The third pirate advanced toward the captain and pointed his AK-47 straight at Phillips's back, the rifle touching it or inches away, the official said. U.S. military observers thought that Phillips was about to be shot. SEAL snipers, who were positioned on a deck at the stern of the Bainbridge, an area known as the fantail, had the three pirates in their sights. The on-scene commander gave the snipers authority to fire. "As soon as the snipers had a clear shot at the guy who had the rifle, they shot him and the other two in the hatches," the senior military official said. 

A member of the Special Operations team slid down the tow line into the water and climbed aboard the lifeboat. Phillips was then put in a small craft and taken to the Bainbridge.

Harry Humphries

                                
                        Doc Riojas & Joe Singleton UDT WWII                                       Schmidt  May 2009

                          
                                Timothy P. Richardt

 

A salute to Tom Tarbox
By Tiffany Strong
The Herald Gazette Reporter

http://knox.villagesoup.com/print/Print.cfm?StoryID=165266

CAMDEN (June 27): Tom Tarbox, 74, of Camden began training to become a Navy SEAL even before the SEALs were officially formed. Before the present day SEALs there were UDTs, or underwater demolition teams. The UDTs began training in June 1943 in preparation for the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France. Their efforts were originally focused on demolitions and mine disposal.  

 
Tom Tarbox. (Photo by Tiffany Strong)

  Thomas N. Tarbox was born March 7, 1935, in Montana. "My father loved initials," said Tarbox. "The 'N' doesn't stand for anything, he just liked that my initials were TNT. I used to tell people that 'N' stood for 'nothing.'" Tarbox graduated from high school in 1953 and from the University of Colorado in 1957 with a bachelor of arts in geography.

  He then enrolled in Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., and started UDT training. At the time there were no careers in UDT, so he left and went back to the University of Colorado and started studying to become a journalist. In the summer of 1962 he got a call from a friend telling him about the SEALs. His friend told him SEAL stood for "sink enemy and leave." 

He left school and enrolled in basic training in Little Creek, Va. Officers and enlisted men train side by side to become SEALs. SEAL actually stands for "sea, air and land," and the training is considered by many military experts to be the toughest training in the world.

At the time basic training lasted for four months. It was very physically demanding, Tarbox said. "We ran everywhere. There was a lot of swimming and the instructors constantly harass you."

The harassment is necessary to see if a man is going to break when things get tough, Tarbox said.

There were 91 men in his class when it started, but only 20 finished. "I was confident I could make it through," said Tarbox. "I would look at the next guy and think if he can make it then so can I."

Tarbox said men who are afraid of the water or heights or who are claustrophobic won't make it. "I'm a strong swimmer, " he said. "I did a lot of swimming with my brother when I was young.

A man may drop out of the course at any time, Tarbox said. To do this a man strikes a brass ship's bell three times and places his helmet down on the ground. Most classes lose about 80 percent of their trainees due to dropouts or injuries. Tarbox said winter dropout rates are higher due to the cold, and he was lucky his class was in the summer.

Tarbox did make it through and was eventually named commander of the Basic Underwater Demolitions/SEAL (BUD/S) instructors.

The only time Tarbox ever lost a man was in May 1965 in a skydiving accident. "When you skydive, a man who is free falling will wave his arms to let other skydivers know that he is going to open his parachute," Tarbox said. For some reason Melvin Melochick, a man in his late 20s, did not do this, Tarbox said. The man above Ochick, Jerry Todd, fell into Ochick's chute, which caused it to malfunction. Ochick died of a broken neck.

"He was my teammate," Tarbox said.

In 1971 Tarbox volunteered for service in Vietnam. The SEALs were initially deployed in and around Da Nang, training and supporting the South Vietnamese in naval special warfare, including reconnaissance and combat diving.

Much of what Tarbox did during his career is still classified, he said. His son Wit, who lives in Tuscon, Ariz., said of his father, "He didn't go into details of what he did or where he was doing it. He's a man of honor and never shared anything that wasn't to be shared."

 

 


 

Jim Josse's Photos of Frank Flynn in Vietnam

----- Original Message -----
From: Embarq Customer
To: doc rio
Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 3:42 PM
Subject: Re: the photos you sent me are here: 
Doc 

Image #1. Kien Giang PRU Leadership (The Original Bad Boys). Third from left = Mr. Hien-PRU Commander. Tuan-PRU interpreter. Frank. Mr. Diep-Deputy PRU Commander. Others-Platoon Leaders. 
Image#2. Left=Stan Rodiman-RD Advisor. Frank. Bob Babb-RD Advisor. 
Image#3. Right to left. Sgt. Jim Fosse-RD Advisor. Frank. Unknown Army Sgt. Mr. Diep. Tuan. 
Image#4. Right to left. Bob Babb. Jim Fosse. PRU interpreter. Mr. Diep. Unknown PRU. Tuan. Mr. Hien, Cobra Pilot. Frank. 4th from left=Stan Rodiman. 


Doc-

The pictures look great. You can add my e-mail address in case someone wants more info. Keep up the good work 
P.S. My last name is spelled
Fosse.  email: jimfosse [at] embarqmail.com 

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

   
           
        Steve A.Hlberg                                                              


                                     DavidFitzgerald


          
                                David Tannery                                                                      Rob ROy

  
       
                                                    

 

    From Capt. Larry Bailey's Files

             

                                   Per Erick "Swede" Tornblom put on report on Vieques Puerto Rico

                          

     "Swede"  Per Eric Tornblom taught me this song while in Puerto Rico.  /s/ Larry Bailey

 

                                   

         
   Don King                                                                    Jack Lynch                 Jerry Todd            

                                      
Eric Prince

   
Lt to Rt: Dennis Gaughan, Russ Geraldi, Brian Mulholland,                                SEALs at Coronado
CHad Buck, Ron Seiple and Rep. John Mizuno

 

 

                
                      Jessse Ventura                                                          SEALs in 'nam

         
                                               Tom Keith                                                 Jesse Ventura in Predator Movie

 

 

                   
Ken Abasolol's Wedding: Lt. to Rt: Dan Potts, Roger Guerra, Ken Abasolo, Bob Ross, Mike Macready, Larry Lyons

                            

 

                     
                                                                    Carl Swepston and company

                             
                                                         "Big Al" Ashton   &   John Friesch

              

 

 

 
      Daniel Cnossen   W.I.A.                                                                                                            Howard E. Wasdin DC

 

       
                                              Michael P. Wood

 

                                                                         
                                                                                                                       L-R: Roger Guerra, Troy Vaught, Wally Diacenzko

 

   
                                    L-R:  George Clarke,  ? ,   ? ,    Greg Flores

 

                                                                               
                                                                                                                                Roger GUerra and  Jimmy "Gator" Algier

 


                     Roger GUerra and  Jimmy " Gator" Algier 1970 P.R.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, February 7, 2010 

  Doc,

 You can do your magic with any pic that I send to you.
Have added a few more.
MyTho pool,  L t R:  Unk, Rudy, Doc Pachurick,T. Sullivan,J. Lynch (on belly), J. Findley, B. Neidrauer
Pic of the 4 of us, LtR   Hammerle, Neidrauer, Bai(Cheiu Hoi), T. Sullivan
Pic of PRU Advisors Jan 1970
Sitting front M.Collins
Kneeling L t R UNK, J. Tolison, M. Walsh, A. Huey, P. Slempa
2nd row kneeling E. Jones, UNK, Harris
Standing, J Hammerle, Army guy, UNK, D. Drady, Abrahmson,Welch, Whittum, Mihatsch


                PRUs,top row,left: Jerry Hammerle
The group pic with all in Uniform was UDT 21 Oct 1960
Have the names but would be a lot to ID tonite.
Thanks Amigo

Jerry Hammerle


UDT-21

                                            

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

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Mi Vida Loca - Copyright ©1998 - All Right Reserved            email me at:     el_ticitl @ yahoo.com     Erasmo  Doc Riojas