Vol. 18 No. 2 May,
2012
FIFTIES FROG
MAGAZINE
© 2012 Persons or entities wishing to use material
in Fifties Frogs Magazine are free to
do so provided full credit is given to the author and the magazine.
Publication Policy: Fifties Frogs Magazine is, beginning in 2010, available only in
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Frequency of publication may vary from time to time
but the magazine will be published at least annually. The goal is 4 issues per
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Our website: http://www.navyfrogmen.com/fiftiesfrogs/
Send responses and material
to the editor at:
or
Don C. Marler
112 Chris Lane
Pineville, La. 71360
Cell 409 594 8221
Don C. Marler
A few issues back I mentioned that of the journals I
have edited this is the easiest one yet. I mentioned that it was made easy
because of the plethora of material you send me. The other reason it is made
relatively easy is that Pam Russell posts it on the internet for me. I just
“celebrated” my 79th birthday and I can testify that performing
those rather complex tasks on the computer do not get easier with age. I edit
another journal and putting it on the internet is almost beyond my capability.
Thanks Pam for all you do for us.
Don C. Marler
THE HISTORY OF THE UNDERWATER DEMOLITION
HAYLEY ANDREWS
[Editor’s note: Several months ago we asked you to respond to Hayley’s request for information about UDT training at Sub Base,
People visit Sub Base, St. Thomas today to visit
shops or to pay their bills at the WAPA building. The incredible history, the
footsteps that have passed over the same ground and the history made there
decades ago may not even enter their minds. Well, let us take you on a little
journey back to the 1940s and 50s.
During WWII a few intrepid Navy sailors left the
relative safety of their steel ships. They had an “extra hazardous duty”
assignment and entered the seas to wage a dangerous, more personal war on the
enemy. Then called the Navy Underwater Demolition Team (the UDT), they were
based in St. Thomas and were the precursor to the present day SEALs (
The original purpose of these teams was to survey
beaches and waters just offshore, locating reefs, rocks and shoals and to map
conditions in landing zones in order to then use explosives to demolish any
underwater obstacles planted by the enemy. The teams employed the Navy’s elite
combat swimmers to breach the cables and nets protecting enemy harbors, to
plant mines on enemy ships and to locate and mark enemy mines for clearing by
minesweepers. These dangerous tasks were performed with little more than a pair
of tan trunks and a set of rubber fins. It was, after all, well before the
invention of what we now know as scuba diving.
The area known as Sub Base in St. Thomas is so
called because it served as a Navy submarine base during WWII. As early as
1947, Lt. Commander Doug Fane helped to establish the area as an important UDT
training facility.
Under Commander Fane’s command, UDT divers practiced
free-diving operations aboard the USS
Quillback and developed the diver lockout technique (where men would enter
and exit while underwater) from submarines, the use of diver transport
vehicles, closed circuit building systems, underwater navigation techniques and
other innovations. The clear calm waters of St. Thomas with minimal currents
were ideal for UDT divers practice.
At the same time, Dr. Christian J. Lambertsen, who specialized in diver diseases, had
developed the radical Lambertsen Amphibious
Respiratory Unit (LARU) but had been turned away by maritime corporations who
deemed his radically new Oxygen “rebreather” too
dangerous for their projects. Lieutenant Commander Fane saw its covert ops
potential though, as the rebreather prevented air
bubbles from reaching the surface. So in February of 1948 the two teamed up and
essentially pioneer scuba equipment in our waters. They demonstrated how the
new equipment provided a necessary enhancement to the UDT tasks when, using
equipment, they performed a successful lockout and re-entry from USS
Grouper. The equipment was approved and following this, men from UDT- 2
and UDT – 4 began intensive training that they simply called ”submersible
operations,” with submarines both underway and stationary on the ocean floor.
They also used a British submersible called the Sleeping Beauty, which had been used by
the OSS Maritime Unit during WWII, and this was the first time a submersible
had been launched and recovered by a US submarine.
Still needing to persuade people of the value of
this equipment, in 1948 Lt. Cmdr. Fane also recruited a reserve lieutenant
Commander with a substantial background in underwater photography, something
rare for that period. He was the highly respected Fennimore Johnson and with
his half ton of underwater photo equipment he filmed and photographed these
first UDT underwater operations aboard Quillback
with the men using the LARU and the Sleeping
Beauty. These valuable visual aids significantly assisted the development
of the UDT technique for the future.
Archivist Holly Mengel has
worked with Johnson’s historical files, which are now housed at the Natural
Sciences in Philadelphia “The Fennimore Johnson Collection is extraordinary,”
she said. Unfortunately they wouldn’t send us photo scans, but one can imaging
how cutting edge this photography would have been both for the classified
subject matter and for the difficulty of the work itself.
From 1948 to 1966, the Atlantic Fleet UDTs used Sub Base routinely for their winter training
between January and April. The teams lives were
centered there. Living conditions for the UDT men were primitive, with
barracks-style double bunks set up in a warehouse setting. Many of the
operations were performed out of CONEX boxes (shipping containers), much like
they would be if the men were aboard ship.
Upon arrival in early January, team members cleared
beach areas and hotel building sites as part of the demolition training. During
the 1950s and early 1960s almost all UDT Submarine operations were conducted
aboard Sea Lion,
which had been specifically modified to conduct swimmer operations and designed
for amphibious use.
A typical training class would consist of 20-25
students, with test and evaluation staff also present. They also practiced
nighttime underwater sneak attacks on the vessels tied up at the base. The
teams also frequented Lindberg Bay for compass swims and deeper waters south of
St. Thomas for night dives.
During later years the teams even practiced
parachuting and their demolition work took place on Buck Island, seven miles
southeast of Charlotte Amalie. Norman Marsh, of 1958
UDT-21 recalls that a favorite daily regimen was “to free dive off the end
(unreadable possibly <of the pier and came back up with>) a handful of
bottom sand.
Eyewitness accounts from the early years are
obviously a little tricky to come by at this date. There are, however, men
dotted around the US who are united by astounding memories, each with
fascinating stories to impart. They contribute to the online magazine Fifties Frogs
and were more than happy to elaborate on what life was really like in those
days as pioneering Frogmen.
During 1960 and 1961, Bill Meyers, UDT-21 recalls, “Team
members operated the Silver Bullet bar on the Base for team members and
visiting naval vessel personnel. Once a week we had outdoor movie showings which were open to the
public and projected on the end of one of the base buildings. Meyers
also remembered that one of the barracks was transformed to the Gramboko Hotel by a well-known local lady. So while
training was sometimes grueling, the frogmen also had good times too. The Gate
was [also] a favorite for team members, they had steel
pan music nightly. The St. Thomas Club was another late night stop, “ Myers explained Yes, we were getting the picture! Why
hasn’t a movie been made about this yet?
Dante Stephensen entered
the service in 1953, first serving in the National Guard then serving in UDT –
21 and SEAL Team 2. Stephensen said he remembers
meeting former
“A St. Thomas deployment tour was an unforgettable
experience,” Larry Bailey, UDT 21 commented. “The teams worked and swam their
butts off, but night time was something else. The stewardess from the continent
showed up on St. Thomas in enough numbers to temp the team guys. A number of
marriages were made and a few were broken up down there, Tom Hawkins, UDT
member in the late 1960s added, “Much to the chagrin of their wives, the men
thoroughly anticipated and enjoyed their winter deployment to St. Thomas,
returning with a golden tan to the envy of all.
Bailey added a side note. “Each year when the teams
redeployed to Norfolk, many, many gallons of tax free liquor was stowed in
CONEX boxes and brought back for use by team guys, especially at the annual
Christmas parties. The last deployment, in 1966, saw the biggest haul. Several
CONEX boxes were filled with barrels of Cruzan Rum and case after case of other
liquors. If we had been caught by US Customs many folks would have suffered,
including the team commanding officers.” But we are sure the parties were a
blast.
The Sub Base was turned over to the territorial
government at the end of 1966, due to the growing use of nuclear submarines in
the Navy and the phasing out of the diesel submarines, but also Bailey
explained, “largely as the poor political situation caused by the detonation of
a large amount of
demolitions on a pristine coral reef at the west end of St. Thomas. The owner
of the property adjacent to the reef was a Mr. Corning (of Corning Glass
Co.) His wife gathered a basket of dead
tropical fish and dumped them on the desk of the Lieutenant Commander who had
been sent over from Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico to be the administrative
commander of the Sub Base in St. Thomas. The Commander retired around the time
the base was handed over, and apparently was given a position in the Paiewonsky administration as a reward for his part in
getting the Navy to give the base to St. Thomas.
As military training goes, this certainly would have
been a plum assignment. The Navy’s best, brightest and bravest men testing out
new technologies and elite techniques in one of the most beautiful parts of the
world.. St. Thomas was a hot spot with calypso and
tourism exploding, what energy! These days the Navy SEALS get a lot of
recognition for the daring things they accomplish, but the UDT was there (here)
first and that important history shouldn’t be forgotten.
The 50s Frog Reunion for 2012 will be in
Rate: $84.00 / day
Reservation Contact: 1 800 725 2236
Email: INFO@CLARIONHOTELBRANSON.COM
Webpage: www.clarionhotelbranson.com
Frog Contact person: Lloyd
Crosby
Ph. 417 887 0386
Email: vendit52sbcglobal.net
Aleutian
Campaign
I was active
duty USN 1942-46. Met UDT in Aleutian Campaign in 43. They were awesome.
Any of them still around I could contact via e-mail?
Thanks.
[Editor’s note: Can someone write an article about
this duty?]
If anyone was
there send a message to the editor and he will pass it on to this inquirer.
This is a
neglected part of UDT history/ Anyone have anything of interest on it
please pass it on for publication here.
Information Wanted
James Wardrobe, Jr. is seeking photos of his father,
CDR James “Mean Gene” Wardrobe. His father is in poor health and he would like
to present him a photo album. Contact: James, Jr. at james.wardrobe@fe.navy.mil or jwardrobe1@gmail.com
Information Wanted
I am a relative of Rene Gough - who (through google search) was profiled to some degree in an article on
your site. I have heard stories about Rene and about how he died as a
youngster -- but
no one ever really knew the cause of death. Most of my family that knew
Rene has since passed and I was hoping you may have some information on the
events surrounding his death in
Thanks
Wyatt Rogers, M.Ed
If anyone has information related to the
situation described here please contact Wyatt at: wyatt.rogers@rcsd.ms
More Information Wanted
The following story is from storyteller Phil Carrico. He seeks the name of the frog involved. Can you
help? If so send your message to the editor at doncmarler@gmail.com
REMEMBERING
By: Phil Carrico
When Team 3
returned to Coronado in '51, we were most pleased to again be among
familiar things; like the Silver Strand and the beautiful Del Coronado Hotel
that sat on the northern end of our training area...
If you remember
that hotel, it had a jillion windows, soon after we returned the hotel ran an
add, announcing a contest: The person who could come closes to naming the
number of windows in the hotel would win a prize. The prize would be a free
weekend at the facility.
A number of us
entered the competition and sure enough one of our guys won. The guy was our
biggest drunk and a "Wild" man to say the least....
He went to the
hotel and they gave him the keys to a nice suite, without ever going to the
room he went straight to the bar (the prize also offered free food and drink).
When completely blasted,
he began harassing every skirt in the place and causing a general uproar.
They kicked him
out and he came staggering back into the barracks sometime after midnight.
We rode the guy
hard over getting kicked out, but he was a hero for a while for getting kicked
out of such a famous hotel.
I can see the
guy's face but cannot call his name - who can remember it?
New Book
Fifties Frog member Chet Bright
has published a new book.
Don,
this is to let you know that at long last the book is available and for
sale. The book "Bluejacket"
is now available at www.createspace.com/3836205 and Amazon. It
is priced at $12.95. In days to come it will be available at several other
places. For more information check out our website: www.bluejacketbook.com.
You can buy the book there. This is the story of my life. I hope you enjoy
reading it as much as I enjoyed living it. Hope to see you in Branson in
September. The book was co-authored with Derek Turner. Sincerely
, Chet Bright
Congratulations
Chet!!
As reported by
Pam Russell:
LCDR James H. McGee USN (SEAL) Ret.
Jim Passed away on Tuesday, 6 March 2012 at age 83. He started his
Naval career in the late 40's and was in UDT in the early 50's. He
retired from service in 1971. He served in UDT 21 as a seaman and
advanced to Chief Mineman prior to earning a commission
at which time he was transferred to the West Coast where he served with SEAL
Team
Dan Potts. (US NAVY
SEAL)
Daniel J. Potts, 61, of Houston, Texas
died March 3, 2012 in a skydiving accident in San Marcos, Texas. He was born
January 4, 1951, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Jerry and Alma (Tittle) Potts.
Dan enlisted in the US Navy in March
1969 during the Viet Nam war and volunteered for duty to serve in combat with
the UDT-SEAL Teams. He qualified for and completed training in
Dan moved to Houston in 1980 and became
a self-employed master plumber and spent his entire career as a self-employed
independent businessman and had an excellent reputation for quality work and
dedication to his work. He was an active member of the national UDT-SEAL
Association and served as the founding President of the Gulf Coast Chapter of
the UDT-SEAL Association from 2000-2006.
He supported the Fifties Frog Magazine by frequently sending messages to the editor
regarding the SEAL/FROGS he loved. The editor received more announcements about
his untimely death than for anyone else who has passed; just another but of
evidence of how much he was loved and respected.
Hi Folks- Attached are a couple of pictures taken
while visiting Bill & Pris Atkinson in Lancaster,
CA. He was a member of the "Big Ten" Squad from Underwater Demolition
Team #3 that Lt. jg George Atcheson
took to Japan before the Korean War broke out. I was assigned to UDT #3 in late
'50 to join them. We had a great visit with them sharing photos of the team
and of the Fifties Frogs. He and Pris had
attended the '50's Frogs Reunion in Colorado this year.
Bill & Pris Atkinson are
on the left and Harold (Hal) & Joanne Mingus are
on the right.
Tiger Woods was shot in the leg with a rubber
bullet while training with SEALS. His father was a Green Beret and Tiger has
always wanted to follow his example by being a SEAL. Reported in the Daily Mail. He said “I screwed
up”…in a real mission I probably would have gotten some of my squad killed”.