Fraternal Order of the U.S.Naval  UnderWater Swimmers School (UWSS) Key West FL

                            Take all the photos you want,  if used on the WWW give credit to photographer  

Reunion in Key West FL  May 19  2007

Doc Riojas has the current roster of the Fraternal Order of the UWSS Key West,  write him for it

                    
              Photo taken at the Diving Museum on Islamorada Key

   Diving Museum at Islamorada Key  Fl.
                     Photo Album

                   Emails from UWSS students

Please start reading the BOTTOM email first and continue reading until you reach this notice.  Thank you.

----- Original Message -----
From: Larry Bissonnette
To: Doc Rio
Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2007
     Subject: Thanks For Your Service & Kind Words.. 


Hi Doc. Yes, French.....The other half is Irish and with the last French President I decided to be known as O'Bissonnette in deference to the Irish. And we who drove PBR's would never have made it without the SEAL's, Sea Wolves, LST's and other NSA groups. It was definitely a team effort. 

Don't know about being beheaded in Apocalypse, but River Division 593, my Division, was in "Patrol Boat Rescue" on the Combat Zone Series of the Military Channel which will be shown later this month. I think on the 19th, 20th, and 21st on the Military Channel. Check the Front Page of the Gamewardens Website  www.tf116.org/   left side if you are interested. 

Merry Christmas to you too, Doc!! 

Larry 


------ Original message
from "Doc Rio" : --


Merry Christmas to you Larry. 

Bissonnette? French? you were in the movie APocalypse? You were the "sauceeehe" too bad he was beheaded. 

We would have never made it without PBR's and SeaWolves and the other support personnel. 

We are what we are because we worked together for the good of all. 

Your warrior brother 

Doc Riojas      in Pearland "mi casa es tu casa" 


----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Bissonnette"
To: ; "Keith Reyes"
Cc: "ChiefBronson" ; "jack lynch" ; "info" ; "greg kassa" ; "john howry" ; "john westfall" ; "ktnguyen95" ; "Licause, Victor ETCM CNRC N312" ; "president" ; "ted kassa" Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2007 10:29 AM
Subject: Thanks For Your Service & Kind Words.. 


Doc Rio, I too appreciate your "Christmas Letter" content and read it through in only one sitting. Thanks.
Larry Bissonnette Gamewardens of Vietnam Supply 


-- Original message
from "Keith Reyes"


Doc, though we've never formally met, I've heard your name from numerous Vietnam era Frogmen, I.E. Ted Kassa, Jerr y Hammerlee, Jack Lynch (UDT/SEAL Association HQ & Pacific Northwest Chapter) etc.. I for one appreciate your letter and wanted to pass on my personal thanks for your service... 

Happy Holidays Brother, 

Hoo Yah, 

Keith F. Reyes, ULC - UM USN (DV/SWCC/SERE/CM) Ret. UDT/SEAL ASSOCIATION GAMEWARDENS TF-116 ASSOCIATION BLACKWATER ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

http://webpagesbybob.com/

 

http://www.usn-usmceodassoc.org/

 

http://www.navynucweps.com/index.html

 

http://www.nateoda.org/index.htm

 

http://www.vietnameodvets.org/

 

http://www.sealtwo.org/

 

http://www.uwss.org/index.html

Robert J. “Bob” Bureker

Phoenix, AZ 85023

Doc Rio, 

Please see attached. 

One photo is of my swim buddy Jimmy Williams and me. 

Merlin

                          Frank Trent  and Merlin Simonson in Iraq    

-- Original message
from "Keith Reyes"

Doc, though we've never formally met, I've heard your name from numerous Vietnam era Frogmen, I.E. Ted Kassa, Jerr y Hammerlee, Jack Lynch (UDT/SEAL Association HQ & Pacific Northwest Chapter) etc.. I for one appreciate your letter and wanted to pass on my personal thanks for your service... 

Happy Holidays Brother, 

Hoo Yah, 

Keith F. Reyes,

ULC - UM USN (DV/SWCC/SERE/CM) Ret.

  UDT/SEAL ASSOCIATION GAMEWARDENS TF-116 ASSOCIATION 

BLACKWATER ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

-----Original Message-----
From: Doc Rio
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 5:12 PM
To: Steven Sagri
Subject: Re: Merry CHristmas to all you crazy Frogmen ! 

Hey Steven, 

I can see my christmas letter is making the rounds! 

It was not meant to scare anyone. I did not know SF guys were scared of old age. Maybe you are only pulling my leg.

Rio                                       

----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Sagri
To: 'Doc Rio'
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 5:39 PM
Subject:
Hi Doc, 

Or is it bac si?. “Certo”, in Italian it means “of course” you can add me to your Email list. Italian was my 2nd language. Us SF guys had to have a 2nd language at that time one got accepted to the “ Q “ course. 

Anyway, that seemed like several lifetimes ago. 

Your Email did not scare me in so much as it made me realize what I may have to look forward to!?. 

I have been trying to stave old age off by doing my old workout routine every other day, such as a bit over 200 push ups, lots and lots of flutter kicks, 4 count jumping jacks, good morning darlings, etc, etc…. 
I do not know if it helps, maybe in my head it does!. 
Indeed we used the panty hose trick, learned from a black Sgt from the 7th Group, and it indeed did work to keep leaches off, but they were hotter than hell, or at least it seemed so. 

I do not recall the WD-40, other than to use it to try and keep the rust off of everything. If I recall we used the issue bug juice, it worked somewhat. 
I knew some guys that used the nuc mha?, can’t recall if that’s how you spell it or not, but it was that God awful sauce that the Vietnamese used, that sauce that smelled like dead fermenting fish, which it basically what it was. 

I actually learned to like it, and use it to yhis day. As mentioned, some guys swore by it, at least to keep the bugs off. 
To this day, if I go to a Vietnamese or Thy restaurant, I always as for some of that sauce. It’s not quite the same, but I do like to see the shock value on the server’s face; priceless! 

My wife now just rolls her eyes as if to say, “Not again!”. 
Anyway, got to close for now, but will stay in touch. 
WETSU 
Steven Sagri 

President 

Princeton Watches 

From: Doc Rio
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 5:12 PM
To: Steven Sagri
Subject: Re: Merry CHristmas to all you crazy Frogmen ! 
Hey Steven, 

I can see my christmas letter is making the rounds! 

It was not meant to scare anyone. I did not know SF guys were scared of old age. Maybe you are only pulling my leg. 
panty hose? tell me more about wearing those, for leaches, or for what? First time I heard that, no shit. 
Have you ever heard of spraying WD-40 to keep warm? THe mosquitoes did not like it either. 
you remember those little cans of WD-40? I don't know where they came from, but we used them for that. 
"closet" SEALs, very interesting. I must say, we needed some of those where I was, I may have liked it ! 
I enjoyed your reminiscing very much. May I add you to my SEAL email list? I normally dont forward any junk mail, only stuff like my christmas letter. 

Take care and have a Merry CHristmas, if you are where it snows, send us some, but only for one day. 
in Pearland TX 

Doc Riojas 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Steven Sagri 

To: 'Doc Rio' 

Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 1:32 PM 

Subject: RE: Merry CHristmas to all you crazy Frogmen ! 

Hi Doc, 

Just red your Christmas letter, at first with a bit of humor, and than as it progressed along, with a bit, to put it mildly, trepidation!. 

Here I am, at the tender age (Compared to some of you "Old Timers" of just nearing 60......and seeing some of those things come and smack me on the face. 

Such as the brown stains!. (Will fallow your suggestions there) Hell, for me that was never a problem, even in Nam (70-72) Other than the first week or so "In country" where running to the shitter was a running minute by minute commentary!. But after that, I think the pucker factor took effect, and it no longer became a problem. 

Not that we wore underwear much. I was SF, so not as tough as you SEAL boys, but I did learn, from some other old timers, to wear panty hose out on bush strolls. But than I do not recall having any "brown stain " issues with the panty hose either. 

RE:the Panty hose, since I was single at the time, it was rather easy for me to get some friends stateside to ship me an occasional supply, albeit with some snickering, I am sure. But I know that it was a bitch for some of our married guys, trying to explain to their wife's why the wanted then and all!. I am surprised that someone did not start an enterprise in providing them to SF guys, and some SEAL guys as well, as I know a few "closet " SEALS that wore them as well. 

Anyway, hate to reminisce, just wanted to thank you for your informative letter: I think!. 

Steven Sagri 

5th SF GP (Airborne)  WETSU 

Steven Sagri President Princeton Watches 
Putz; Henry H H

----- Original Message -----
From: "Simonson, Merlin D GRD"     Merlin.D.Simonson@usace.army.mil
To: "Doc Rio" 
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 12:26 PM
Subject: former ENS Simonson 


Doc Rio, 

You are as good looking as ever! 

I recall you and the other instructors standing over ENS Kevan Acton yelling "You want to quit, hamburger!?" and Kevan puking his guts out and yelling "No, Instructor!" You gave us the business all right. We really wanted to kill the 18-year-old Recon Marines who kept doing 'one for the Corps,' which ended up making us all do more push-ups. There was a Marine First Lieutenant already a Vietnam Veteran, Carmine Del Grasso, who washed out when he did a swim with his double-hose regulator put on backwards, so that he wasn't getting any air. Many years later I happened to see him as a colonel on the national news on TV, in a story having to do with bugging of the newly built embassy in Moscow. 

I was in the UWSS Class with Ben Rand if that rings a bell. Chief Alton Spear was in our class. 

I am one of the persons in the attached photo. It may be a while before I locate a photo from the UWSS period. It is sad news about John Rabbit and Dow Byers. Pappy Cahill is a name I just remembered. I read that he died. 

It is late, my brain wants to rest, so I will continue another day. I am not doing any more push-ups, and I'm not quitting! 

Best regards, 

Merlin Simonson 

-----Original Message-----
From: Doc Rio
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 6:13 PM Re: Greetings from a hamburger 

Hey ! you got a terrific memory. 

I hope we did not treat you to harshly. It was done for your own good whether you wanna buy that or not. 

Johnnie died of a massive heart attack. He was swimming at the ST-6 pool with his pregnant daughter. They finished their laps with a race. He won, they went to the showers and he never came back. She went to look for him and he was already turning blue laying on the floor. By the time they got to ER, Rudy Boesch (she was the secretary in ER) said he looked purple/black, CPR was too late. Johnnie had one of those tear jerking military funerals. I attended. He had been having chest pains but his wife Viola said he ignored them and diagnosed himself as indigestion. I think he would still be alive now if he had been seen and given proper treatment. 

Dow had sudden death in FL. He had a terrible drinking problem. straight gin washed down with beer. He had one of those GIN carboys and an old fridge in his porch with a keg in it. We saw him about two months before his two grandkids found him dead on the floor of his bathroom when they got home from school. He was already cremated when Lourdes, my CO, and I drove back to FL. All his kids were there and I think his son is a pilot and he scattered his ashes in the Gulf of Mexico. Dow drank himself to death, literally. 

I lost track of Gurerreri after I left for SEAL Team TWO. I remember he lived there at the school by the air generators. He had a female dog and i used to laugh my ass off when she had her period. He used Kotex on her. 

I wish I could remember you. I have a UWSS web site and also a page on: www.sealtwo.org please send a photo for the buddyline and for my web site. OR: a photo of you then and now. 

Maybe we can see each other at Panama City FL next year May 2008. John Hobbs, he was the senior instructor at UWSS when you went through , he and I have not missed one reunion. He is super old, but still drinking like a fish and driving his camper to all the reunions. He is one of my seadaddies along with Bob Shouse who taught mixed gas. 

take care and keep your head low and get living quarters next to a good bunker. 

tu amigo and shipmate 

Erasmo Elias "Doc" Riojas retired and tired 

thanks for reading my christmas letter and learning from it, i hope.

----- Original Message -----
From: Payne, Paul T
To: Doc Rio

Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 10:32 AM Subject:
RE: Queries and Questions and Suggestions 


Doc, I will tell one true story. Believe it or not. This actually happened! 

My first official dive after graduating UWSS; I was a the only qualified ship's diver aboard the USS Cutlass (SS-478). The other diver washed out after two weeks of school (cigarettes)but dove anyway as my partner while on the Med cruise. 

It was approx. 05:30 when I was called to go over the side before getting underway into the Med. Ships' divers aboard submarines were to check the hull for limpet mines before getting underway. Terrorists were a problem in '72 as well! There was a stiff rain coming down, and there was no moon. It was also around 40-50 degrees! 

We went over the side with battle lanterns as lights. Alot of good that was....you couldn't even see the hull unless you were a couple inches from it! I knew this was TOFU! We were supposed to meet at the bottom of the sonar dome, he'd take starboard and I'd take port side. But, you guessed it...we didn't meet. We both became seperated. Unfortunately I hit the bottom(about 40 feet or so) head first right into a bunch of rocks! My first thought was, "There could be tons of cable here, not to mention those thousands of coffee cups from the tender alongside)!" I could wind up tied to this crap! 

But out of nowhere....and I swear I heard this........"Remember, whenever you get disoriented, and don't know which way is up(I did not), always follow your bubbles up." Who said it????? Mike Nelson of Sea Hunt (a show I watched as a kid). LLoyd Bridges(alias Mike Nelson) saved my life that morning. Out of nowhere at the bottom of that harbor came that voice just as clear as it did as I heard it as a boy. I did exactly as he said and wound up approx. 40-50 yards off our port side. Could hardly see the sub it was raining so hard. I tried writing LLoyd Bridges' son a few years ago to tell him he'd saved my life once. Don't think he ever got the message. But he did. I'll stick to that story to this day. Not to forget the instructor's rule of not panicking. I have to admit that I'm sure the good Lord was actually behind it all. 

I began searching for my buddy who, believe it or not...wound up not only going under two submarines moored side by side, but underneath the pier with the tender outboard it! If he'd came up between the two subs....well, hamburger meat would be close to the description. It still makes me shutter even today. 

I immediately called the dive off. A diver in the water had the authority superceding the captain and chief of the boat's authority when it came to decisions concerning the diver's safety. We were both initiated that morning to the real world of diving. It served me well from then on. On our last dive(in Rota as well) my partner's o-ring blew out, no problem we buddy-breathed to the surface and were ok. 

On the last dive in the Med (Rota again) we were approached by the tender divers and told they would be diving alongside of us...What gives???? 

According to the chief master diver, It was due to the U.S.S. Scorpion's sinking. At that time the Navy thought the Scorpion went down due to a limpet mine being placed on her hull. That her hull had imploded. The navy has since bobbled on that one!! 

You can print this story if you'd like in the newsletter. It actually happened! 

Thanks, 

Paul Payne. 

From: Doc Rio
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 10:44 AM
To: Payne, Paul T Subject:
Re: Queries and Questions and Suggestions 


You did good, better than that really! 

It is always great to hear from old frogmen. I think Pat Badger is still around somewhere in FL. He lost a leg to Diabetes, but I have not seen him a long while. C. Allen, I don' remember him, but that was before my time. 

you know I have a page for UWSS on www.sealtwo.org send me your photo, then and now to post. you got a class picture, send it to Don Stone. his email is on the BuddyLine. 

You remember a lot of good stuff, i will put it up on my web site. 

I did two trips on the USS SEalion to South AMerica and did both day and night lockouts using the MK VI , N2O2 rig. I was the chief in charge of the platoon with two officers as my bosses, Mr. Yeaw, retired Capt Yeaw, and the other guys was new in ST-2 sent to us from ST-1 and I cannot remember his name. 

They allowed us SEALs up on deck when charging batteries and not the boat sailors. They were pissed. Their CO told them that if we fell off, we would be around to be picked up, and they would probably immediately drown. He was right on that one. The young lions went up on deck to get sun rays, I slept most of the time and read comic books. 

i added you to my email list. not to worry, i do not sent out a lot of junk, mostly stuff i think the divers may enjoy reading. 

tu amigo in Pearland TX 

Doc Erasmo Riojas 

----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Holmes
To: A. Dee Clark ; Aaron Farrior ; Al Hale ; Alfred L Lagan ; Allen Stanek ; Andrew Kochie ; Anthony McFarr ; ArdythSt@cs.com ; Aubrey Davis Jr ; B E Rebb Rebbetoy ; Bernard W Diggs ; Bernie Campoli ; Bill Arens ; Bill Bruhmuller ; Bill Tamboer ; Bob Barth ; Bob Holmes ; Bob Maloney ; Bob Nissley ; Bruce Russell ; Bruce W Hulbert ; Cathal Irish Flynn ; Charles Aquadro ; Charles Blakeslee ; Charles D Griswold ; Charles Don Lindsay ; Charles Morrow ; Charles Richard Wisher ; Charles Savarese ; Charles W Hoell Jr ; Christian N Seger ; Chuck Allen ; Clarence E Provaznik ; Clayton Grady ; Cole Panning ; Daniel Barlow ; Daniel Ryan ; Dante S Stephensen ; David Byers ; David G Robin ; David Gholson ; Dean Ab-Hugh ; Denford Stevens ; Dieter Rosellen ; Don Collins ; Donald R Morris ; Donald Schultz ; Douglas Casavant ; Douglas J McGill Jr ; Dwight S Blazior ; Earl Petty ; Ed Able ; Ed Boyle ; Edward A Gard ; Edward Chiasson ; Erasmo Riojas ; Ernie Caltenback ; ExecutiveUWSS@gmail.com ; F. M. Barney Bakaras ; Fernando Lugo ; Frank J Stitt ; Fred Dull ; Fred M Cox ; Gary M Betterton ; Gary Smith Stevens ; Gene Gluhareff ; George Bass ; George H Warner ; George Mickey Kappes ; George R Coughlan ; George Sullivan ; Gerry A Flowers ; Gideon Don Checote ; Gilbert A Hanley ; Girard J Foster ; Gorden Ablitt ; Gordon Hiles ; Hans Putz ; Henry H Holder III ; Henry J O'Beirne ; Howard M "Chip" Harman ; Jack Bennett ; Jack Reider ; James C Patterson ; James Denton Scott ; James Elliott Doan ; James F Tribon ; James G White ; James Grilli ; James J Becker ; James Nash ; James Stewart ; Jeffery Fisher ; Jerome Mosley ; Jerry Hammerle ; Jerry Padrta ; Jim Pearson ; Joe Kruppa ; John (Bart) Bartleson ; John (Top) Sargent ; John B Grace ; John Kirby ; John Lundy ; John Robert Pinkiewicz ; John Thiel ; John W Hobbs ; John W Pendrey ; Joseph B Riehl, Jr ; Joseph Brooks ; Joseph Michael Walsh ; Joseph R Thrift ; Joseph Romero Cervantes ; Joseph T Kennedy ; Joseph W "Bill" Steele ; Keith Reyes ; Kelly C Grenard ; Kent Rockwell ; Kip Fischer ; Larry Francis McArthur ; Larry G Anderson ; Larry Hart ; Lawrence Lanterman ; Lawrence Ronan ; Lawrence Theorine ; Layton B Bassett ; Len Vigare ; Lewis E Roane ; Lewis J Roberts, Jr ; Linda Hubbell ; M. Mark Hoffer ; Manuel N Perez ; Merlin Simonson ; Michael Driscoll ; Mike McDowell ; Mike Murphy ; Norman Olson ; Otto Holmberg ; Patrick Badger ; Paul F Brown ; Paul Payne ; Peter Dirkx ; Peter R Wells ; Peter Rundquest ; Peter Thomas Blair ; Philip Knauth ; Ricardo Bethart ; Ricardo Juarez ; Richard A Anderson ; Richard A Peterson ; Richard A Pouliot ; Richard M Blackburn ; Richard McGill ; Richard Takahashi ; Richard W Claar ; Robert Bornholt ; Robert C Bornmann, MD ; Robert C Stevens ; Robert E Evers ; Robert E Miller, Jr ; Robert J Bureker ; Robert J McGill ; Robert Kelley ; Robert M Richter ; Robert M Rieve ; Robert P Doc Clark ; Robert R Darlington ; Robert Vincent McCullough ; Robert W Shouse ; Robert Zablocki ; Roderick Weiss ; Roger Lynch (S) ; Ronald K Hamilton ; Roy H Boehm ; Rudolf Enders ; Rudolph E Boesch ; Russell Van Billiard ; Stanley A Worthley ; Steve Waterman ; Steven Sagri ; Stonefish7@cs.com ; Terry Gemmell ; Tex Brewer ; Thomas James Koder ; Thomas Owen Biddle ; Thomas Poel ; Tom and Katie Northrup ; Tom Campbell ; Transito Trujillo ; W Robert Singleton ; W. Carmack ; Walter G Kaiser ; Walter Wesphal ; Wayne Edward Whitehead ; William A Garnett ; William Daugherty ; William J McCombie ; William J Rice ; William McNally ; Woody Woodward Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 3:23 PM Subject: Queries and Questions and Suggestions 


Gentlemen: 

On behalf of President Bob Holmes and myself, I would like those of you that receive this to realize that this will now be a way for you to ask questions about the group, gives suggestions, indicate things you would like to see changed or straightened out. 

This email site can be where you go to look and see who has sent something, or how to get in touch with someone regarding the Fraternal Order of Underwater Swimmers. 

It would be good if all of you could make a note of the address,,,,, executiveuwss@gmail.org to send us an email.. 

I would like to give everyone access to the site and everyone elses email address, but I will check with Bob Holmes and Don Stone first. If you have any reservations about members of the Fraternal Order of Underwater Swimmers having a way to contact each other if you do not already know their email address, please let us know. Regardless, if you have a question or suggestion, this is where it should be sent. 

This does not, of course, preclude you emailing anyone with any problems or questions, but it will certainly help keep us in the loop with what is going on for the reunion. It will also give us a way to decide things via the group with an email vote if that is deemed a satisfactory way to do it ..... by the members. 

So, in closing, if you have an update for an email, a friends email that is not on the list and wants to be, please let us know. So far, the reunion is a long way off, but let us prepare early. I initially made an minor error in asking someone to do something when it was already handled...this is a way to help clarify, rectify and make this an excellent reunion....start nagging your friends and divers that do not attend to give it some thought. 

Also, Gunner, if you have an update, we can pass it on to the masses.. 

Warmest regards and best of the season to all of you. 

Bob Holmes, President Gerry Flowers, v.p.

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

I am the man responsible for submitting all the photos in the below Table. I hope you enjoy them. Marlin Simonson EOD Ret.    Thanks a million Marlin.  Doc Rio

You UWSS SCUBA guys are great!  My dad came to the United States from Germany when he was eight years old. He was already an American citizen as my Grandma was American and had married a German citizen.   My dad joined the Corps when he was seventeen.  He tried to get into Korea but they found out that he was too young.      In the early years, he was in Battalion Recon. He went to Underwater Swimmer’s School in 1962.  He told me that the PT was really tough. He was in great shape from Recon but not having worked the muscle groups used in swimming, diving and stretching regularly, it was a killer for him, since his muscles were not developed in that manner.       He was in the Caribbean during the Missile Crisis in the early 1960’s looking for Castro supporter Che Cavera.   In 1964, he was sent to Amphibious Raider School  in Okinawa as an Instructor in Hand to Hand Combat, Cliff Scaling, Knife Fighting and Sentry Take Down.  That same year, he went to Vietnam for a short time to access how training was going with the troops in the fi eld.  I believe he taught some sort of basic recon in Colorado although I am not sure of the exact dates. He never made it to Jump School . He was scheduled to go twice but he kept getting sent all over so, unfortunately, it never happened.   He was an advisor to the Hoc Bao, near Hue , during 1967-1969 as part of Advisory Unit #3 where he was wounded by a landmine.  Amazingly enough, he escaped with minor injuries and eventually returned to active duty.     He went back in 1974 with the Joint Causality Resolution Team looking for MIA and POW's.   There was a time in between where he was back home in the U.S knocking on doors. That was one of the worst things he said he has ever had to do. I know from personal experience how dif fi cult it is as I have had to do the same in my profession, however not with the same frequency as he had to at the time.   From there, he was sent back to Hawaii where I was born in 1975.    He got transferred to a Marine Reserve Depot in Illinois in 1979. It was a small unit near Great Lakes Naval Base.  Our family took up residency in southeastern Wisconsin , where we stayed when he went back to Okinawa attached to the Tracked Vehicle Battalion. .    After that, the family relocated once more to Yuma , AZ where he fi nished off his last fi ve years. He was in charge of an Air Wing Radar Unit at that time.   He never really adjusted to working with the Air Wing but he is a grunt through and through.  Didn’t really enjoy his last ten years. He said it changed too much for him.   As I stated in my previous email message to you, I am driving my dad out to Virginia next month for a reunion with many in his Advisory Group.   It should be interesting as he hasn't seen these guys in forty years.     This all evolved from him asking me to fi nd two of the Australian Advisors that he served with.  I started my search a few years ago but had a hard time fi nding anything. Then, this past year, I found an Australian website and ultimately located both men. One had already passed away from natural causes but the other was still alive.  After that, it was as though a door opened.  I found out though a contact on the Australian site that a guy by the name of Andrew Wiest was writing a book about the history of the Hoc Bao.   I got into contact with him and reunited my dad with many of the people he served with between1967-1969. In addition, we discovered that his close Vietnamese friend, Capt Hue, whom my dad thought was killed after he left, was alive and living in Virginia . Hue had been taken POW by the north in 1974 and was in a camp for thirteen years before being released to house arrest. An American found out that he was alive and brought him back to the United States .    (The Book is Vietnams Forgotten Army)   Much has happened in the last year or so. We are taking it slow. He actually took out all his maps and stuff and was showing me many things he had not shared with me before.     I am an avid recreational scuba diver and my dad comes out on the boat with us from time to time. He always says "Shit kid, we never needed all that gear! How are you going to storm a beach with all that gear on?" I try to tell him that diving is much safer now. He just laughs and says "when I was diving, all we needed was a mask, fi ns, tank, back pack and a k-bar." The other funny thing is that when I expressed an interest in diving, he went down in his foot locker, pulled out the Navy Diving Manual and said, “read this and THEN you can take your class!”    When I was 18, Bill Clinton was in of fi ce and the recruiters were calling.  My dad actually talked me out of going in. I think partly because what the Clinton ’s did do to the military and also because he knew how much had changed.   So, I started dispatching at one of the local police departments and became a police of fi cer by the young age of twenty.   I think back and in a way I wish I would have done at least four years but, on the other hand, I really did not need the discipline as I grew up with enough of it.     Well, that is probably much more than you needed to know, I am just happy to have been able to reconnect him with his comrades and friends since, after his 30-year career, these were really the only guys he has ever talked about.  I will try to talk him into going to one of the UWSS reunions.    Fl.  Sounds nice. My wife’s family has a home in Sarasota so we visit a couple times a year.    We had the opportunity to go to the S.E.A.L. museum in Fort Pierce and thought it was great.   We were also diving in Key West a few years ago and would love to get back.   Take Care,   Pat Weyand   patweyand  at  wi.rr.com   From: "Patweyand" patweyand [at] wi.rr.com To: "Erasmo "Doc" Riojas" el_ticitl [at]yahoo.com Subject: Re: Fraternal Order of Under Water Swimmers  Doc;  I had spoken to Don Stone a few years back, it took a little time for me to talk my dad into pulling out some of his stuff. I was still trying to contact the Order with what must have been an old web site. http://elticitl0.tripod.com/photolog/photolog.htm  Any way My Name Is Patrick Weyand I am 32 years old and a Deputy In Kenosha WI. My Dad is Retired Sgt Maj R. Weyand U.S.M.C.  He was not a SEAL but He did attended the Key West school in 1962 as a Recon Marine, and has fond memories. He is not much of a guy to belonging to any organization, but I would appreciate it if you could post his class photo. I am very proud of him and the things and places he has done and been. He was in the Marines from 1955-1985.  On a side note I just reunited him with his Advisor team from Vietnam, and talked him into going to Falls Church Va In Feb for a reunion celebrating the 40th anniversary of the counter offensive for the Battle of Hue. Many of his Hoc Bao will be there.  I have attached his class photo., it would be an honor if you could post it and or FWD it to Mr. Stone.  Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Patrick Weyand son of: Sgt Maj Ret Richard Weyand  Kenosha WI 53142

 From: Richard H McGill 
To: Doc Rio
Sent: February 07, 2008
Subject: UWSS

DAMN DOC.. THAT WAS A NAVY SHIP that holds revellie.   THE CIVILIAN ONES, DO NOT WAKE YOU UP.

About the  Abandon Ship DRILL they pulled on your cruise ship, HELL, THEY DO THE BEST THEY CAN. THERE NOT DEALING WITH SEASONED SAILORS LIKE YOU..........KNOWING YOU, YOU WOULD SAY" FUCK THE LIFE BOAT" I'LL SWIM ASHORE.......... 

THE LAST TIME I WAS IN KEY WEST, FL. WAS ON A CRUISE SHIP..........PLACE CHANGED SO MUCH.............THE BASE ? COULDN'T SEE THE DUMP ANYMORE..... WHILE IN SCHOOL, I HAD TO DO " BEACH WATCH AT NIGHT" LOOKING FOR SWIMMERS FROM CUBA.. THING 

THAT WAS NOT A FOUR HOUR WATCH, IT WAS ALL NIGHT. NO LIGHTS.........WAS THE NAVY "DARKEN SHIP" FOR THE BASE..........in 1962 .

GOING TO GET READY FOR LUNCH.  NO MENUDO!

WOULD ENJOY THE COMPANY IF YOU STOPPED BY San Antonio..........JUST THE DOG AN ME HERE.  I'll pay for your Menudo, all you can eat !  

 WIFE RUN MY ASS OUT OF LOUISIANA........

Richard H McGill 
in San Antonio TX

Doc Riojas NOTE:   Richard, look at the Sea Diamond.  She sunk last year over there in the Med.  We had to stand in line to eat.  I got tired of eating goat and sheep meat.  I survived on bread cheese, salads ,fruit and desert.  I shouldn't bitch, the price ($$$) was right.  Rio

From: Steve Wells 
To: Doc  Rio
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Subj:  UWSS class picture 

Rio, Great to hear back from you. Thanks for sending our class picture to Don Stone. 

I also have limited recollection of details. The only instructor I remember was Rabbit. Thinking back, it’s a fun coincidence that the only SEAL I worked with in country was Lt. jg Bear… another animal in many senses of the word! That was near Dong Tam and My Tho. 

I’m only 64 and am doing very well physically. I took up rowing about 25 years ago and I still compete in open water races of 6 to 14 miles in length. I do OK, too. 

I’m not in contact with many from the Navy. I still correspond with Rebbetoy down in Nevada, as he and I did a TAD trip on USS Camden. I also hear from Bernie Diggs from time to time and am so pleased he’s well. Among my classmates, I correspond with Karl Telin (in Florida) and Tom Booher, a Veterinarian in Oregon. 

I enjoyed reviewing the FO-UWSS newsletters and photos. Seeing the pictures of the mixed gas rigs brought back memories. On our deep qual dive I was second in line to use the Mark 6. The first guy sucked it dry. I had a choice of using the rig or missing the qual dive and getting rolled back, so I dove. The tank was dry when I purged at the bottom, so I headed up and didn’t stop on the rope! All came out well. 

I also enjoyed reading the diary entries over several issues. On one of my 1000 yard swims I was paired with Clancy Hatleberg. Since Clancy was already UDT qualified, he didn’t care about his score. He took me on a hunting trip for langouste, and we came onto the beach just inside the farthest flag. Clancy walked down the beach with a “bug” in each hand yelling “food from the sea, and it’s all free!”. No wonder I didn’t finish first in my class. Then there was the time in class when we were introduced to mixed gas. The instructors (you?) made the Recon Marines in our class breathe helium and sing the Marine Hymn. I well remember how hard it was on their egos! 

Lots of fun sea stories from those days, eh! --      Steve Wells

Arron  Lew Roberts  Morrow

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