Don C. Marler
The SEAL/UDT community came, as we all know, into
the limelight in May with the killing of bin Laden by SEAL Team 6. The
limelight is not the best environment for SEALs or
any other Special Forces organization. The operation that took out bin Laden
was a well-kept secret before its execution and lets hope no more details of
the op. are released. The retrieval of the computer hard drives, etc. was, as
they say in Louisiana, “lagniappe” —meaning a little something extra.
As editor I have taken care to remain as neutral as
possible on the political issues surrounding the instigation and execution of
the wars in which we have been engaged since 911. I was asked by a small
Louisiana newspaper to write an article on the SEAL achievement; it is included
in this issue. The article was picked up by another paper and published there
also. The article is, in my mind, very basic stuff. I welcome your comments on
it and am open to publishing your opposing position.
The feature story of this issue is the “History
of UDT-3:” It is interesting and puts some things into perspective.
It is time to start planning for the September
reunion in Colorado hosted by Frank and Marti Anderson. See the details in this
issue and remain vigilant for other notices as things develop and change. We
always get anxious to get on the road to meet old friends. There is no bond
like that experienced by units like ours. It is surprising and beautiful the
degree to which the ladies have bonded with each other.
Colorado is beautiful. Don’t miss it.
HISTORY OF UNDERWATER
DEM0LITION TEAM THREE
[Editor’s note: this article is a continuation of
the series provided by Mack Boynton, who preserved an old history of UDTs of which there is one typewritten copy in existence.
There is more to come. Just a reminder to the reader that the grammar and
misspellings are largely left as they appear without question or comment. For
those who may not be familiar with it the term (sic) is an editorial way of
saying the preceding spelling, etc. is the error of the author not the editor.]
UDT-3 was one of the five original demolition teams
organized in March 1944 at Maui, T.H. Lt. Crist, CEC,
USNR, Operations Officer of Team 2, was designated Commanding Officer. Three
Officers and 22 men from
Team ONE and TWO with combat demolition experience in the
Marshall Islands Campaign formed a nucleus for the newly formed UDT-3.
Supplementing these were officers and men who had recently completed the six
weeks of basic demolition training at Ft. Pierce, Florida. Team organization,
training, and maneuvers took place at Waimmanilo Oahu
and later at Maui, T.H.
Of the original eixteen
[sic] officers and eighty-one men of UDT-3, one officer and thirty-four men
have remained with the team thruout. Two officers
have become Commanding Officer of other UDTs, and
four officers are, or have been, executive officers of UDTs.
Many of the men who left UDT-3 helped in the formation of later Demolition
Teams. With very few exceptions the enlisted personnel were "SeaBees". Eleven of the officers were CEC, four were Line, and one a Marine. All men and officers
were volunteers, and the majority had several weeks of demolition training and
physical fitness work at Camp Perry, Va., in addition to the training at Ft.
Pierce.
MARIANAS
CAMPAIGN
On the 17th of April 1944, UDT-3 embarked aboard the
SS TYPHOON in the Hawaiian Area and left the following day for the Solomon
Islands, via the Marshall Islands and the New Heberdies.
UDT-3 arrived off Guadalcanal on the 2nd of May. From Sixth May to Sixteenth
May the Team lived ashore at Turner City, Florida Is. and experienced the
questionable delights of the Solomon Islands. During this period liason was established with the 3rdMarDiv and some coral
Blasting was done. On 16 May UDT-3 boarded the UBS DENT (APD-9) and
subsequently engaged in maneuvers and demolition work with the Fifth Amphibious
Corps.
The DENT with UDT-3 aboard departed for Roi-Namur, Marshall Is. on 4 June 1944. Because of a
breakdown on the DENT transfer was made to the USS DICKERSON (APD-21) in the
Marshall Is. on 9 June, and the following day the DICKERSON departed for the
Marianas Islands.
UDT-3 was in a reserve capacity for the landings on Saipan, and then proceeded to Guam to begin reconnaissance
of the landing beaches. The decision to postpone the landings on Guam, in view
of the 1st Battle of the Phillipine Sea, came just as
the Team was to Commence operations at Guam on the 16th of June 1944. From this
date until 1 July the DICKERSON with UDT-3 aboard underwent daily air attacks.
On 1 Ju1y the DICKERSON returned to Eniwetok and
again sortied for Guam on 10 July 1944.
On 14 July 1944, Task Unit 53.1.14, composed of DDs DEWEY and MACDONALD, APD DICKERSON with UNDERWATER
DEMOLITION TEAM THREE aboard, and LC1(G)s 469, 471,
473, and 472 arrived off the western coast of Guam and received orders from CTF
53 to commence reconnaissance and demolition operations
Four officers were put aboard the LCI(G)s
to coordinate fire support, and remained there for the pre-invasion work of the
Team.
Below is the chronological order of the
reconnaissance and demolition operations of UDT-3 prior to the landings of the
3rdMarDiv on William Day, 21 July 1944. UDT-4 arrived in the area 17 July and
began demolition work on the eastern beaches used by the First Provisional
Brigade.
14
July
(1)
Daylight reconnaissance of 2000 yards of Asan Beach.
(2)
Daylight diversionary reconnaissance of Agana Beach.
(3)
Night reconnaissance to high water line of all four landing beaches at Asan. At 2300 one
rubber boat received three bursts of machine gun
fire and contact with three men from the boat was lost. Men were given up for lost at 0015 and the signal to
withdraw was given.
15
July
At
0530 the MACDONOLD picked up the three missing men 2500 yards off shore. They had been forced by our own fire and
enemy fire to leave the edge of
the reef and had swum for five hours. They were suffering but slightly from exposure. These men were Ens. M. Jacobson,
Ens. W. J. Dezell, and J.
E. Bagnall, GM3.
(4)
Diversionary daylight reconnaissance of Dadi Beach.
Heavy fire drawn from Orote peninsula and the BB PENNSYLVANIA came in and effectively silenced the enemy
battery. LCI 469 received five casualties
from enemy fire.
(5) Reconnaissance of Agat
Beach, 2000 yards.
(6)
Diversionary reconnaissance of beach between Facpi
and Bangi Points.
C. WO. R.A. Blowers was killed by enemy
small arms fire when his LCPR
grounded momentarily on a coral head.
(7)
Night reconnaissance of Agat beaches. Heavy rain and
extreme darkness prevented the LCI(G)s from getting station and LCPRs
were unable to locate their
beaches. After three hours the operation was cancelled.
16
July
(8) Diversionary reconnaissance of Tumon Bay.
17 July
(9)
Night removal of obstacles on Asan Beaches. LCI(G) 348, which had
just joined the Task Unit, went aground and delayed operations while personnel were removed by UDT.
120 obstacles removed. 2400 tetryltol
used.
18
July
(10) Daylight removal of obstacles on Asan Beaches. 150 obstacles
removed.
3000# tetrytol used.
19
July
(11)
Daylight removal of obstacles on Asan Beaches.110
obstacles removed. 2200# tetrytol used.
(12)
Daylight removal of obstacles on Asan Beaches. 84
completed obstacles and 70
partially completed obstacles removed. 2000# tetrytol used.
20
July
(13)
Daylight removal of obstacles near Adelup Point. 90
obstacles
removed. 1000# tetrytol used.
The enemy had placed these obstacles in an almost
continuous front along the reef which extended from 100 to 300 yards from the
high water line and which was completely exposed at low tide. These obstacles
were piles of coral rock within a wire frame made of heavy wire net, similar to
"Cyclone" wire fencing. The obstacles were three to five feet in
diameter, three to four feet high and five to eight feet apart. Some of them
were incomplete and the enemy had actually been building them at night after
the UDT withdrew from the reef. No mines were located.
During the pre-invasion period 620 obstacles were
removed by UDT-3. The method was as follows; each platoon (15 men and two or
three officers left the APD in an LCPR, towing behind them two rubber boats
loaded with 30 packs of tetrytol (630). As the LCPR
approached the reef the rubber boats were cast off with five or six men in each
boat. These were paddled or dragged as close to the obstacles as possible. A primacord trunk line was run along the length of obstacles
to be removed. One pack of tetrytol was placed
alongside each obstacle to be removed and tied in, with the primacord
leads to the trunk line. Two caps were used on each lead, when all obstacles
had been loaded and men had returned to rubber boats, the firing signal was
given and a four-minute fuse pulled.
In some instances obstacles were less than 50 yards
from the shore, and the reef was completely dry, making it necessary for the
men to run across 150 yards of exposed reef carrying 40 lb of powder to get to
the obstacles. In all cases the obstacles were completely removed. In daylight
work, the average time for a platoon to remove 30 obstacles was 16 minutes from
the time the rubber boats left the LCPR until the shot was fired.
The work of Underwater Demolition Team THREE was
recognized by all concerned as contributing decisively to the success of the
landings. For their work each man in the Team was awarded the Bronze Star
Medal, and each officer a Si1ver Star Medal.
On William Day 21, July 1944, UDT personnel were on
the edge of the
reef to Guide the 8th
Wave, (LCMs carrying medium tanks) to satisfactory
beach areas. Contact with the Marine Engineer Regiment was established ashore H
hour plus 45 minutes. There were UDT officers with the Beachmasters
the entire day, but there was no call for demolition work on William Day.
POST ASSAULT
OPERATIONS
UDT-3
worked under the Beachmaster during pos-assault
operations and accomplished the following:
1.
Selected and marked 7 beaching places for LSTs.
2.
Located and removed 5 anti boat mines from Green and Red 2 beaches.
3.
Surveyed and marked Tepungan Channel and Piti Channel.
4.
Removed, by blasting, a total of eight barges and sampans
blocking Piti Channel.
5.
Removed the stern of a 400 foot Japanese Freighter blocking
the Harbor outlet to Piti Channel.
6.
Attempted to enlarge turning basin at causeway in Tepungan
Channel.
7.
Blasted a 200 foot wide unloading slot in the reef at Dadi
Beach,
using 16,000 lb tetrytol.
This completed the work of UDT-3 at Guam and on 28
July the Team was released by CTF 53. However no accounts of UDT-3 could be
complete with out giving credit to the Fire Supporting Units, and expecially to the LCI(Gs) It is to
them we owe the success of the Team and the low casualty rate. The fire of the
gunboats was both intense and accurate. They kept the beach covered with such a
volume of 40MN and 20MM fire that it was almost impossible for the enemy to oppose the work of ;he UDT. It was often
necessary to fire directly over the heads of the demolition personnel. They
suffered hits from enemy fire of all caliber but kept
up their mission of support the UDT.
When released, the DICKERSON, with UDT-3 aboard,
departed from Guam from Pearl Harbor. The DICKERSON arrived at Maui 10 August
and the Team said goodby to the ship which had acted
as transport, supply ship, control ship and fire support ship) for the past two
months.
Upon return from a ten day interisland
leave the Team underwent some slight revisions. The officer complement was
dropped to 13 and the enlisted complement brought up to 85. The Team underwent
a short physical conditioning program at Maui and engaged in some night
maneuvers and problems.
On 15 September 1944 UDT-3 embarked aboard the USS
TALBOT (APD-7) at Maui, expecting to go to Yap, Caroline Islands. Enroute to the Marshal Is. orders were changed. Yap was by
passed and the liberation of the Phillipines was to
commence at a much earlier date than heretofore hoped for. UDT-3 reached Manus,
Admiralty Is. 5 October to stage for the initial assault on Phillipine
Islands.
LEYTE CAMPAIGN
The TALBOT with UDT-3 aboard sortied
from Manus 12 October with TG 77.2 (Bombardment Fire Support units). The voyage
to Leyte was marked by a storm of typhoon proportions,
considerably delaying the speed of advance. The TALBOT arrived off the southern
beaches of Leyte 1400, 18 October 1944. Operations
were begun immediately without benefit of planned bombardment.
Platoons ONE and THREE were to make a swimming
reconnaissance of a 500 yard landing beach. Platoons TWO and FOUR stood by in
their LCPRs to assist if called upon. LCPRs proceeded to within 500 yards of the beaches, drawing
some fire on the way in from machine guns located in the town of Dulag. Mortar fire became fairly heavy inside of 500 yards
as the swimmers were dropped off.
LCPRs retired to 1000 yards to
draw fire away from the swimmers. Fortunately no hits were made on any of the
boats, however UDT-4 had a boat hit and sunk on the adjacent beach and the 4th
platoon of UDT-3 stood by to assist, but was not called upon.
The swimmers were able to swim right to the beach, a small dune prevented the enemy from bringing small
arms fire to bear upon them. No mines or man made obstacles were observed. The
one and two fathom lines were determined beach installations noted and the
beach adjudged ideal for amphibious ivouac. The
swimmers swam out and were picked up less then 400 yards off shore by the LCPRs. No casualties were suffered by any of UDT-3
personnel. The entire operation, from time of leaving the APD until return to
the ship took only 70 minutes.
There was no call for work on D-l or on D Day, 20
October. On D plus 1 UDT 3 was called upon by the Group Beachmaster
to survey the sandbar at the mouth of a river just south of Dulag
to determine the feasibility of blasting the bar away. The project was
considered impractial and no demolition work was
done. UDT-3 was then released and the TALBOT ordered to proceed to Manus.
During the five day period at Leyte no casualties
were suffered, and no actual demolition was done. A total of three air attacks
by one or two enemy planes I during this period.
The night of 21-22 October the TALBOT took screening
sortied from Leyte Gulf.
The TALBOT reached Manus 27 October and 1 November UDT-3 was transferred to the
USS President Hayes; and remained at Manus until 11 November before departing
for the Hawaiian Islands.
The time at Manus was pleasantly spent enjoying the hugh Fleet Recreational Beach and
swimming along the coral reef surrounding the harbor.
Upon arrival at Maui, Thanksgiving Day, 23 November
1944 the Team was
granted another interisland
leave. Lt. Crist (shortly appointed Lt. Comdr.) was
designated Base Training Officer. Athorough eight
week training program, consisting of four two week courses under the direction
of the officers and men of UDT-33. Swimming and reconnaissance were stressed
and much greater scope was given to night operations and problems of control.
Small arms instruction were taught in the field the principles of ivouacking and small unit tactics in the anticipation that
a UDT might be required to live ashore in forward areas. Coral and Lava blasing were added to the program in addition to expanding
the beaches used for standard type obstacle blasting.
UDTs TWELVE thru TWENTY-TWO benefited
from this program as shown by their later excellent record at Two Jima and Okinawa.
Early in April 1945 the Team was ordered to the
States and given leave until 1 May, at which time UDT-3 reported to the
Demolition Base, ATB, Ft. Pierce, Florida to assist in training duties there
and to work on research and development projects for anticipated future use.
LT. (jg) R.P. Marshall
former executive officer of UDT-5, replaced Lt. Comdr. Crist
as Commanding Officer of UDT-3 on 9 June when the 1atter
was ordered to return to Maui.
Team reorganization was quite extensive, ten new officers were acquired and six
new men. The Team trained as a unit for three weeks at Ft. Pierce and was then
ordered to Oceanside, California 19 July 1945.
Upon reporting to ComUDTsRon
ONE at ATB, Oceanside, California, 8 August 1945, UDT-3 was ordered to prepare
for embarkation.
OCCUPATION OF
JAPAN
On V-J Day, 14 August 1945, UDT-3 embarked aboard
the USS IRA JEFFERY (APD-44). This was a modern high speed converted Destroyer Excort, not like the older converted Four
stack destroyers that the Team had ridden on in prevous
operations. Crew quarters were far more spacious and the living conditions far
superior to what the Team had been accustomed to.
UDTRon ONE departed from Oceanside
16 Aguust and arrived in Manila, P.I. 5 September
after what is belived to be a recore
[d[ run (l9) days for this type ship. UDT 3 was assigned to TU 54.6.4 together with
UDT 17.
The Task Unit proceeded to Cubic Bay, P.I. on 7
September and training exercises were conducted by the Team until leaving for
San Fernando Harbor, Lengayen Gulf on 14
September. On 17 September UDT-3
participated in a rehersal operation conducted by CTU
54.6.4. On 18 September the Task Unit was underway for Okinawa, and arrived at
Buckner Bay 20 September, 1945. The following day the Task Unit was underway
for Wakayama, Japan. In the early morning of 23 September (D-2) this unit was
off the beaches of Wakayama in position to commence operations.
The mission of UDT-3 was to accomplish
reconnaissance and necessary demolition work to prepare the landing beaches for
the 33rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Sixth Army, and to assist in
post landing operations as directed by the Group Beachmaster.
In view of the Surrender of Japan, organized
resistance was not expected but the operations was
carried out as a combat mission in anticipation of possible scattered
resistance by local fanatics.
A six man party was first put ashore in a rubber
boat to defifitely determine the possibility of enemy
reaction and to assist in marking the beaches for the reconnaissance work.
Observing that the attitude of the Japanese was not hostile this party
proceeded to assist in the controlled “string-reconnaissance” covering the area
one mile inland from the beaches to locate beach exits and road network.
The hydrographic work consited
of making a profile of the bottom, by means of soundings, every 200 yards along
the 1000 yard beach assigned to UDT-3, for a distance of 1000 yards to sea.
In conjuction with this a
regular swimming reconnaissance was made. All work was completed by 1000 this
same day. No mines or planned obstacles were encountered. Charts were prepared
and turned in to CTU 54.6.4.
In the afternoon of this same day a survey of Kino Kawa was made and the dock facilities inspected with the
object in view or unloading LCTs and LCMs in the harbor. A channel for this craft was marked in
the river.
On D-l (24 September) the following was
accomplished: in accordance with orders from CTU 54.6.4.
1. Three hulks of small craft on the landing beaches
were demolished.
2. Wooden pilings in the area of the pier on Yellow
Beach were cut away with explosives.
3. A sea mine just west of Blue 2 beach was blown
“in Situ”.
4. A string reconnaissance of the beaches from the
pier east
1500 yards was accomplished.
On D Day UDT-3 provided radio equipment and
personnel to the Beachmaster on the landing beaches
and assisted in guiding LSTs to satisfactory beaching
areas.
From the 26 September thru 25 October UDT-3 stood by
aboard the JEFFERY anchored in Wakaneora Wan. On 6
October a submerged steelmember was blown Wakayama
Harbor. On 17 October a reconnaissance was made of Jino
Shima to determine the suitability of using the
island for recreational purposes. During 23-24 October UDT-3 assisted in the
destruction, by demolition of YMS 478 which was high and dry on the beach of Wakanuora.
The JEFFERY with UDT-3 aboard left Wakayama 25
October and arrived at Nagoya the following day. There was no call for the
UDT-3 to assist there and on 28 October, 1945, this unit was released by ComPhibGrpEIGHT and ordered to proceed to Coronado ATB,
California.
Underwater Demolition Team THREE was formed in
March, 1944, when demolition was little more than an idea fostered by the
initial progress and pioneering of UDT-1 and UDT-2. A large portion of the
present complement of UDT-3 is composed of men who were among the first
volunteers for underwater demolition and with previous service in either UDT-1 or
UDT-2 while the older men have consistently upheld the high reputation of the
Team and of demolition, the newer members, by their youthful, hearty
enthusiasm, have kept the old spirit alive with a marked success.
*****
TOM HICKEY -- Dan Potts, William Doug Pritchard, Dave Schmeck
and Julio Gomez all report that TOM
HICKEY passed away May 19th, 2011.
The number of people reporting his passing is testimony to how much he
was honored and liked among his peers. He was in BUD/S class 103.
BOB WITHEROW – MCPOROBERT L. WITHEROW, USN (RET)
Training Class 6 LCK (1951) passed March 13th, 2001 in Leesburg, Va.. He went through
training with Rudy Boesch—they shared the “Bullfrog”
title. If anyone is in touch with Rudy let him know his friend passed over the
finish line first.
*****
I check frequently and read with interest the
stories in the 50s Frog Magazine…My reason for this email is to inform you that
in Vol. 16 No. 3 the story by Phil Carrico “Navy
Frogmen Operate with Marines in Korea” there is a picture with 3 men, one being
Tiz Morrison. The unidentified guy on the right is my
father Emil James Barta
(Teams 1 and 3). My father passed away in 1959 and we have few pictures of him
during his navy days. I have actually found quite a few pictures and references
to him and his fellow frogs in your fine website and associated links. Most of
these stories we did not know about as I guess he kept it pretty quiet with my
mother. I live in San Diego and am a firefighter in Orange County.
Chuck Barta
Thanks Chuck for identifying your father in the
photo.
Anyone have more photos or information on Chuck’s
father please email him at chuckbarta@cox.net.
Roy
F. Scalia--Roy passed away on 5/8/2008. He was from
the Monroe and Baton Rouge, La. areas and was a US Navy diver—perhaps UDT. His
son and friend are searching for any information available on him. If anyone
remembers him please contact: Judy Allen at jallen10825@verison.net.
*****
Don C. Marler
[Editor’s
note: I was asked by a small Louisiana newspaper to write an article on the
SEAL’S killing of bin Laden. It was actually published in two papers there.
Anyone wishing to use it for any purpose may do so.]
*****
We have all done our share of Monday morning
quarterbacking, but with the killing of bin Laden for me it is more I told you
so. As an ex- U.S. Navy SEAL I have been an advocate of use of Special Forces
and an array of surgical procedures instead of use of cumbersome full-scale
military assaults on multiple countries.
Islamic countries are a hold-over from ancient times
when they were ruled by a united church and state; when leaders represented
both entities. Perhaps America’s greatest achievement was divorcing church and
state. We were so successful in that accomplishment that we hardly know how to
deal with an enemy that uses religion as the motivating force driving a war in
which terror is the mode of operation. We are so sensitive to the issues
involved between church and state that we cannot admit the wars we are engaged
in are with radical religionists; thus, in a real sense we are in a religious
war. We, therefore, prefer to fight the primarily political element of, in this
instance, Islamic countries.
Muslim extremist/terrorists live all over the
world--even in America. That is their main advantage and we played into their
hands by attacking countries rather than individuals and organizations
representing and acting on extreme religious agendas. Surgical strikes are, in
this instance, the equivalent of fighting fire with fire. When one gives the
situation sober thought it is evident that as wars go the terrorists have
killed relatively few people in the west directly. What they have done is cause
us to kill more of them, spend trillions of dollars, change our lifestyles,
suffer inconveniences, and most important of all suffer psychological and
emotional stress. This stress is a result of the uncertainty of when, where and
on whom the next attack will fall and anxiety about going bankrupt supporting
large armies as they invade countries and as we guard every vital asset in
America. This bankrupting a nation was no doubt bin Laden’s
goal. He did it to the Soviet Union and almost completed it for America.
Terrorist warfare can work both ways. SEALS have
long ago made great use of the art of being where they are not supposed to be. They are not supposed to be under a ship
anchored out in the bay, loading explosives underneath it, nor showing up in
bin Laden’s compound armed and ready. The surprise
and the sudden deadly consequence is something to be dreaded. (I speak here of SEALs
because of my experience, but now there are other Special Forces groups who are
well trained and capable who all cooperate with each other).
Shock and awe, as we saw in Iraq, is no doubt
terrorizing, but it is most expensive and a lot of innocents are killed. Often
it is not the number of people killed but who they are and the manner in which
the operation is carried out that causes terror. In the Korean Conflict certain
Turkish NATO soldiers spread terror by slipping into a tent at night when all
were asleep and cutting one soldier’s throat. When the others woke the next
morning and saw their comrade dead and realized that they too could have been
killed, they were terrified and more importantly they spread their terror among
their comrades; it was contagious.
It would be advantageous for America to not
publicize the event of a Special Forces Team killing radical Muslims or
destroying their assets. When the pattern becomes clear to them and they have
difficulty identifying their attackers their terror will grow. They will know
they will never be safe again.
By their nature armies occupy countries and thereby
cause as many problems as they solve. They are highly visible and somewhat
predictable. America could at a small fraction of the cost in blood and
treasure instill terror in the hearts and minds of Islamic terrorists in any
location in the world. We could force them to be looking over their shoulders
day and night. They could enjoy the
defense of their families, compounds and other assets. They could not freely
travel or use electronic communication equipment without risking their lives
and the safety of their families.
Had we not announced to the world that we were
sending two armies after Saddam Hussein and bin Laden we could have taken them
much earlier and with much less cost in blood and treasure.
The SEAL style is to use stealth. They do not
welcome the limelight, publication of their methods or accomplishments. They do
not want personal attention; they want good intelligence, equipment and freedom
to accomplish their mission. In the Panama operation their style was cramped by
orders to not fire until fired upon. That order was counter to all their
training and orientation. Give them a mission, let them plan and execute the
plan and the enemy will not know what hit them or if they do it will likely be
too late to do anything about it.
We likely will never know the names of the SEALs involved in the killing of bin Laden, the founder of
Al Qaeda, and that is not important to them. They are professionals dedicated
to taking out bad guys or destroying their assets.
SEALs and their counterparts in
the other branches of the military are so effective and efficient, especially
in this type of war, they may become our primary choice—our First Responders so
to speak—but tradition is a powerful, binding and predictive force. Our
tradition inclines us to use large military forces to fight our enemies. The
Muslim extremists count on us continuing in our traditional ways. We are
smarter than that. It is difficult to predict when, where and on whom a small
military team will fall and what it may do. That should be something for Al
Qaeda to figure out in the next fifty years.
*****
Phil
Carrico
Warren Foley was a
member of the Big Ten Squad from Team 3 who went to Japan in the early Spring of '50. We called him "Peekskill" for what
reason I have no idea; however, if we had a guy in the squad close to
representing an old China Hand, he was it (Crazy). I understand that later,
when he was an instructor for the numbered classes they called him "Fins
Foley".
On the night of
the First Raid, perhaps you have heard something of it,
Foley was shot charging a Commie strong point. He took two rounds that knocked
him off a 25 foot cliff. He landed on rocks and rolled a few feet to the waters
edge where he was still. We figured he was dead. As the firing
eased up some of us started crawling down the beach to see about Foley. When
the first guy got there he grabbed a shoulder and rolled him over, both of
Foley's eyes were closed. As others arrived suddenly one eye popped open - when
he recognized who was there, both eyes opened and he squawked, "Thought
you SOB's had left me for the dinks". We all
started smiling - it ain't easy to kill a Frog.
Foley has the
dubious distinction of being the first naval combat causality of
the Korean War and he received the Silver Star for his actions that
night.
Photo Here
Dates: 21-25 September,
2011
Location: At
the SKY UTE CASINO AND RESORT.
Accommodations: We have a block of rooms set aside, but
it is requested
that you make your reservations earliest,
so that we can get a count for our Hospitality
room and the Banquet.
Rooms are as follows:
Non-Smoking King -$72.00
Non-Smoking with two queen beds -
$l00.00
Smoking rooms are also available
at the same price, but must be requested
and will be on another
floor.
To Make
Reservations: call 1-800-876-7017, and
reference the Date (21-25),
and reference 50’s FROG Reunion
For online Reservations skyutecasino.com, Group
ID 5061
Cutoff for Reservations
is 5 September 2011, any reservations made after this
date will be charged normal rates.
RV PARK The resort has an
excellent RV Park located close
to the Casino, and the cost is $25.00 per- day.
Transportation: The
Resort will pick you up and return you to the
Airport—However, they must know your flight time and date, as they do not meet all
planes.
When booking your flight information and
before leaving, give them a call or e-mail. Durango,
CO. is the nearest airport--about 10 miles
from Ignacio.
Check in. When checking in be
sure to ask for the Welcome
packet, as it contains valuable information
and coupons.
Restaurants: There are several places to
eat in the Resort/ Casino
and also some good places in the small town of
Ignacio.
BANQUET The Banquet will be the
evening of the 24TH Cost
$20.85 cents (includes tips and tax).
Menu: The Banquet Menu
is (Southern Ute Tradition) and
consists of Buffet:
Fresh Green Salad with two dressings
Fresh Crudite’s
Tray
Fresh sliced Roast Beef with Au
Jus
Rosemary Baked Herb Chicken
Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy
Assorted Dinner Rolls
Butter Corn
Assorted Desserts including Sugar
free desserts
Coffee, Iced Tea, and Water.
WE can also have a cash bar
set up in the Banquet
room if desired.
Things to do:
Ride the Durango/Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
See the Train Museum
Melodrama performance at the
Henry Strater Theatre
Visit Animas Museum and
Durango Discovery Museum
Wine tasting at Richard
Parry’s (east of Ignacio)
Southern Ute Indian Museum
(recently opened)
Mesa Verde National Park
(Indian ruins)
Navajo State Park- Navajo
Lake
Pagosa
Springs Hot Springs – Largest in the World
(50 miles from Ignacio)
Wolf Creek Pass – Continental
Divide 11,000 feet-scenic views (70 miles
from Ignacio)
Fort Lewis College
((Durango))
Lots of good restaurant’s in
Durango
5 different eateries in the Casino
Slot Machine Tournament
There are some nice trout steams locally, and I am working on getting a complimentary fishing license from the Ute Indians Tribe, as most of the streams close by are on tribal land.
If you have any questions
please do not hesitate to give me a call or e-mail.
Call 970 -883-5406 or
E-mail at fwaranch@wildblue.net
Be sure to bring some
items to be raffled off to support the 50’s Frogs-
Franklin