CAPT David DelGuidice
QM1 Harold Mingus
EN6 Frank Scollise
 

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CAPT David DelGuidice, USN, Class 20, COR 7/58.    

Capt DelGuidice entered the Naval Service in July 1954 and served 24 years, retiring in July 1978. He has a BS Degree in Physical Education with a minor in Biology.

In civilian life he spent 22 years as a consultant and rancher. Married 41 years, he is a widower. He has three sons, Michael, James, and John. His email address is foxbury@earthlink.net. Tel: 540-338-3151. FAX: 540-338-9698.

Here is his biographical sketch in his own words.

Captain David DelGuidice entered the Navy in July 1954. After completing Basic and Advanced Air Intelligence and Photo Interpretation Schools, he was assigned as Officer in Charge, Commander Fleet Air Philippines Detachment Guam.

Following completion of Underwater Demolition Replacement Training with Class 20, COR, in July 1958, he was assigned to Underwater Demolition Team 12 as a platoon commander.  He made two deployments in support of COMSEVENTHFLT Amphibious Ready Group as Officer in Charge UDT 12 WESTPAC Detachments Lima and Mike. During the second deployment LT  Del Guidice and ten men from Mike detachment became the nucleus of the Mekong River Flotilla, where he served as Assistant Flotilla Commander.  The mission of the Flotilla was to deliver landing craft to the beleaguered Laotian forces to bolster their river patrol capability. Upon completion of this mission and shortly after returning to the United States he became the Executive Officer UDT 12.

On 1 January 1962 he took command of SEAL Team One, the first SEAL Team to be established in the Navy. Ten days later he was sent to Vietnam to survey the situation to determine possible utilization for Seal Teams in country. As a direct result of that trip, two programs were immediately  undertaken.  The first was establishment of a base in conjunction with the CIA at Danang to train selected personnel in covert maritime operations for action against North Vietnam. This program became the maritime component under MACSOG's OP-34A at the end of 1963. The second program was establishment to train Vietnamese Coastal Force personnel in reconnaissance and guerilla warfare and to prepare them to instruct succeeding classes of the Biet Hai Commandos. During the Cuban Missile Crises, SEAL Team One was deployed as a command for the first time in support of potential operations. While still Commanding Officer SEAL Team One he became a member of the Vietnam Delta Infiltration Study Group (later known as the Bucklew Report).

Captain DelGuidice was then assigned to the newly  established Naval Operation Support Group Pacific (forerunner to Naval Special Warfare Group) as the first operations officer. In this capacity he became responsible for the establishment of Naval Operation Support Group Western Pacific Detachment and became its first Officer-in-Charge. The detachment not only provided support to units deployed to WESTPAC but also directly supported COM- SEVENTHFLT and the Amphibious Readiness Group in developing contingency plans utilizing capabilities of Naval Special Warfare Units.

The following tour of duty was in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) where he was  budget sponsor for budgeting and force levels related to Naval Inshore Warfare (NIW) Commands and their subordinate units and related equipment. Through budget action he eliminated the NIW commands allowing for the formulation and funding of a program that created an undiluted Naval Special Warfare community in control of its own mission and destiny. In so doing not only was NSW strengthened, but it also created an environment conducive to the selection of a Naval Special Warfare Flag Officer.

Following OPNAV duty, he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Upon completion of his studies Captain DelGuidice became the Commanding Officer of the Naval Amphibious Base at Coronado, California. He retired from active duty in July 1978.

Photo of Dave DelGuidice & Phil Bucklew

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QM1 Harold Mingus, USN, Class 1 COR 11/50

In his own words:

1943—After graduation from high school in Glendale, California I enlisted in the Navy at age 17. After completing boot camp and Quartermaster School at the Naval Training Center on Point Loma, San Diego, I reported aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Takanis Bay CVE 89 and served in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre for duration of WWII.

1950—After graduating from college and as a member of the Naval Reserve, I was called back for active duty soon after the Korean War started. I reported in at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado and immediately volunteered at the Underwater Demolition Training Unit located in Quonsets Huts on the Strand south of Del Coronado Hotel. Upon completion of UDT Training, we were deployed to Camp Troy McGill located in Takeyama, Japan and blended in with the experienced veterans of UDT 3 whose previous actions had been well chronicled and documented. It was with pride that I was able to serve with a great group of men while on assignments in Korean and Japanese waters aboard the USS Begor APD 127, and the USS Weiss APD 135 under LCDR J. F. Chace. The recons to various bays and harbors in rubber and LCPR's permitted me to utilize my skills in communications, navigation, chart maintenance and cartography.

My [civilian] work career spanned 36 years in the Aerospace Industry. My first job after discharge in 1952 was for Firestone working on liquid propellants. The next job was with the US Army corporal Missile System as Field Engineer and assigned to El Paso, TX at Fort Bliss and the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Then it was to Fort Hood at Killeen, TX  with the 2nd US Army Missile Command (nuclear), later I moved to Fort Carson in Colorado Springs CO. Then I worked for the Sperry Utah Engineering Laboratory in Salt Lake City UT on the new generation solid propellant for the US Army Sergeant Missile System.
 
Once again, we moved, to Sunnyvale, CA IN 1962, to LMSC and the US Navy Polaris, Poseidon, and Trident Programs (A1, A2, A3, C3, C4, and D5) missiles, all submarine based and assigned to the Newport News Shipyard and Dry Dock Co. in Virginia for four years. In 1966, I accepted a promotional assignment back to Southern California as the Resident Manager of LMSC Field Offices located at the Northrop Corps in Anaheim and the Hugh's Company in Fullerton, CA until retirement.
 
My wife, Joanne, and I are enjoying our retirement. We have been married 45 years. We have traveled rather extensively in the USA and abroad. Hobbies include exercising and swimming, fishing, golfing, gardening, and traveling. We have four daughters: Kathy, Karen, Janet, and Jo Dee and five grandchildren Andrea, Daniel, Becky, Jamie, and Jolene.  We live at 2514 So. Rita Way, Santa Anna, CA. Zip 92704.

Photos: Hal Mingus, Hal and Chuck, Hal & Teammates, Hal w/cigar, Hal w/Frank Florian

Hal's biography in his own words

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EN6 Frank Scollise, USN, Class 2 LCK 10/47

Frank "Big Kahuna" joined the Navy just after the close of WWII in April 1945. He served with the fleet on these ships: USS Midway CCVB-41 as Plankowner, on the USS Leyte CV-32 where he crossed the Equator, then on the USS Carpellotti APD 139 where he was voted Most Debonair Mustache, last aboard the USS Plymouth Rock LSD-29.   Frank never missed much, he served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

After surviving UDTRA in 1947, he served in UDT 4, 21 and 22, SEAL Teams 1 and 2.

A qualified SCUBA Diver, he went on to Divers School and became a Second Class Diver completing Navy Ship Salvage Class 18. He also completed Landing Craft Control for Boat Engineering, and later got his Parachutist Wings and Jumpmaster Training in 1960's. He attended other schools but the ones pertaining to UDT were more important to him. He retired in August 1969.

He and Mary Alice were married for 29 years prior to his passing away on August 1979 at age 51.  His wife Mary Alice passed away in 1992. They had seven children: Gary, Alice, Danny, Kathy, Cynthia, and Tamara and nine grand children and six great grandchildren.

In civilian life he worked for a private shipyard as a Shipyard Welder, and Supervisor of Ship's Engine Repairs. In his 10 years as a civilian, he attended and won many awards as an outstanding employee.
 
Legend:  There must be a myriad of  stories about Frank. A lot us remember that there were always unusual things happening when Frank was around. Every time he met someone he gave them a nickname and you couldn't get rid of it. Other times, he'd forget it and so he just gave you another one.