Since Lee Hughs could not attend this year we had a silent auction. At the business meeting we discussed whether to continue having the auction. It has been our major fund-raiser, but more of us are arriving by plane and it is difficult to carry some items on that conveyance. Our automobiles are often crowded, especially as more of us double up and travel in one car. There was unanimous agreement to stop having the auction. Most did not wish to start membership fees; so voluntary donations was the next best choice.

Gene Poole, who was unable to attend this year, informs that few used the potential savings of the non-profit organization (501 C3 (19) so it has been allowed to expire.

Another item discussed in the business meeting was a need for an update of the roster. If you have moved, changed, address, email address or telephone number, please notify Lee Hughs at lee@wyoming.com or Don Marler at doncmarler@gmail.com.

We discussed ways to make travel easier for members; there is no easy solution. We agreed that when we can do so the Musters should be planned for Eastern, Mid and Western parts of the U.S. alternatively; thus giving all a shot at attending with a shorter distance to travel. This is a goal and not an absolute.

Finally, we wish all who could not attend the muster well and know that you were missed.

Bulletin Board

1. The next muster will be in or near Colorado Springs, CO, tentatively the first week of September, 2013.

2. See the above editorial for details of the business meeting we had and the effect they will have on future meetings.

3. See the editorial also for updated contact information.

4. The date, time and meeting facility will be announced.

5. The Principles and Guidelines for hosting the group has been revised; see this issue.

6. Our group is no longer a 501 C3 (19) organization recognized by the IRS

7. Lee Hughs keeps the roster of members; please notify him if your address and especially your email address changes.

8. See other changes identified in the editorial.

9. A Note of Caution: Shallow Water Blackout is a relatively new discovery. It is caused by hyperventilation and is different from deep diving blackout. The characteristics of the mechanism is now well known, but not well advertised. Do not hyperventilate before shallow diving. Hyperventilation causes a DECREASE in oxygen which desensitizes the body to the need to exhale. Google <Shallow Water Blackout> and read more.

10. The following items are always available for your review and use—just click on the topic you wish to explore.

· Welcome – Who we are

· Home

· Questionnaire for your Bio

· Reunion Hosting Guidelines

· Submission of Article Guide

Note: The Principles and Guidelines for Hosting the Muster have been recently revised.

11. Since we began the annual muster we have lost 16 members that we know about. If you know of others please notify us. Here is a list of those lost.

List of Deceased Fifties Frog Muster Members

1. Bourecksky, Steve

2. Bowers, Leo

3. Brown, Bob

4. Dalrymple, Bob

5. Dear, Otey

6. Heard, Trevor

7. Hebert, John

8. Hilton, Billy

9. Keith, Wesley

10. Rawls, Bob

11. Supplee, Ben

12. Swendinski, Tom

13. Waller, Rick

14. Weller, Bob

15. Robert Van Valin

16. Robert Tucker

Phil Carrico Has a Story and Question.

Remember the old Del Coronado Hotel in Coronado? The thing had a jillion windows. They ran a contest once, the prize would be a free weekend for whoever got closest to guessing the number of windows in the place.

One of our guys, who had just returned from a tour of combat in Korea, won the contest.

The guy got drunk during his weekend, began harassing any skirt in the place and causing a general ruckus. They kicked hem out.

Does anyone else remember the incident? Does anyone remember who the Frog was or are ready to fess-up?

PHOTOS OF THE 2012 MUSTER

(click on each photo to see a larger view)


Harry & Joann Barelka, Martie & Franklin Anderson, Bob Berry, Don Belcher, Lloyd Crosby, Rudy Davis, Grady Allen	Don Belcher, Chet Bright, Don Marler	Harry Barelka, Sybil Marler, Lloyd Crosby

Lloyd and Norma Crosby – hosts of the 2012 Muster	Sybil and Don Marler	Bill and Estelle Taylor

Martie and Franklin Anderson	Joann and Harry Barelka	Bob Berry

Lloyd Crosby, Melvin Byers, Rudy Davis, Slim Lueb, Don Belcher, Grady Allen, Bob Berry	back-Don Belcher, Rudy Davis, Don Marler, Bob Berry, Grady Allen, Slim Lueb, front-Harry Barelka, Bill Taylor, Franklin Anderson, Lloyd Crosby	Sybil, Marler, Estelle Taylor, Norma Crosby, Maxine Allen, Joann Barelka, Diana Droke, Martie Anderson

Maxine and Grady Allen	Jim and Diana Droke (friends of the Barelkas), Harry Barelka, Bill & Estelle Taylor	Bill Taylor, Jim Droke, Franklin Anderson, Harry Barelka

Vignettes of WWII UDT in the Pacific

[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.]

HISTORY OF UNDERWATER DEMOLITIION TEAM SIX

The complement of Officers and men who were later to form Team SIX was composed of Sea Bees from Camp Peary, Virginia. Incorporated into Classes 5 and 5A, these men and others went through the Fort Pierce, Florida stage of training in Demolition during March and April of 1944 as units of the one officer and five men. Shipped to the Demolition Base on Maui, T.H, on 9 April, these units went through more extensive reconnaissance and demolition work. Then on 30 May, Teams SIX and SEVEN were commissioned, and Left with Team FIVE for the Saipan - Guam - Tinian Operation.

Off Saipan on 13 and 14 June, the team was assigned stand-by duty. Over a month later, however, during the Guam invasion, the team received its first taste of action. In the forenoon on 27 July Team SIX was ordered to blast ramps for tank landing craft over an area of at least 700 feet on the reef off Daid Beach on the southwest coast of the island. This work was required to

be completed before 1400 of the following day. A reconnaissance indicated an irregular reef front with numerous fissures and a large number of coral heads. Lieutenant (jg) CARR was directed to take two platoons to make a test load of about 200 feet of the reef. Commencing at 1400, the men loaded about nine tons of tetrytol before firing the shot at 1800. As a hurried check the next morning showed that the test shot had produced an excellent ramp with a clear approach, Lieutenant (jg) CARR resumed (sic) operations with the entire team, less certain personnel left aboard the U.S.S. CLEMSQN to handle explosives. By 1230 an additional 550 feet of the reef and adjacent coral heads had been loaded with twenty-nine tons of powder. The excellent organization of teams and ships personnel on board under the direction Lieutenant (jg) METHWIN was responsible for the enormous and rapid out-put of powder for the reef loading. The shot was fired at 1245. Investigation was impossible since the CLEMSON left that area immediately , but it was thought that the results would be as satisfactory as the previous days. For their work in this operation officers and men received; the SILVER and BRONZE STARS respectively.

Next the team still aboard the CLEMSON was ordered to join the task force, which was then being assembled for the attack on Palau Island in the Caroline Group. Pending departure from the staging area at Manus Island on 7 September, the team was reorganized, additional personnel were obtained and a complete outfit of battle equipment was procured.

Upon arrival on l2 September, Team SIX was informed that it has been allotted two 'beaches on Pelelieu Island. An operational casualty, however, occurring to one of the accompanying teams resulted in it's work being shifted to Team SIX. This gave the team a total of. three beaches and an LST area to reconnoiter. This operation conducted three days prior to the assault, was accomplished under heavy machine-gun and sniper fire. The data assembled showed the areas were strewn with large coral boulders which would prevent the passage of tanks, DUKW's and other vehicular equipment. Futhermore, (sic) the' enemy had erected lines of heavily braced posts near the shore abreast of the beaches. Finally it was reported that heavy machine guns effectively covered the area. On the following two days, although constantly exposed to enemy fire, the operating platoons blasted the large coral boulders just off the beaches.. On the' second night eight picked units proceeded to within fifty yards of' the enemy's rifle pits and machine guns to place over a 1000 demolition charges which successfully cleaned out the obstacles on the beaches, A fortuitous combination of good fire support, 'coolness and battle-wisdom and good luck enabled the team to accomplish the whole operation without a. casualty.

On the twelfth day of this battle, when the Marines had driven the enemy to the northern of Peleliel, this team and EIGHT were directed to conduct a daylight reconnaissance of the narrow straight between Pelelieu and Negesebus Islands. The parties were to swim. a distance of three miles during a great part of which they were exposed to mortar, machine gun, and sniper fire from both shores. Once again the team was fortunate in not sustaining any casualties, while successfully completing its mission.

The commander of the Demolition group, in his action report on the Pelelieu operation, commended this team for its “outstand (sic) performance in action requiring extraordinary courage and endurance while working with high explosives on an exposed reef without natural cover, while under enemy machine gun and sniper fire, for daylight reconnaissance under fire on 12 September 1944 and 26 September 1944 and night demolition work close to enemy held beaches."

Upon completion of the Negesebue reconnaissance the team was ordered to join the task force which was then assembling for the attack on the Philippine Islands. On 19 October the team arrived in Leyte Gulf. On this operation the conditions were far different from these to which Team TEN had become accustomed for here our attacking forces had such a wide choice of beaches that the enemy was unable to prepare adequate defenses. Since, moreover. there was no coral to be removed, the team's only task consisted of reconnoitering its assigned beaches for good landing facilities and searching for mines. Naturally enemy fire was encountered, but again, there were no casalties (sic).

Upon conclusion of this operation, the team proceeded to the Admiralty Islands, where it disembarked from the U.S.S. SCHMITT. A week aboard the U .S.S. PRESIDENT HAYS, SIX was on its way to Maui. Following a two week inter island leave, a training program was instituted. Finally on 12 January 1945, the team left for San Francisco aboard the U.S ISLAND MAID. Upon arrival in the United States, all men were granted thirty days leave. On 3 April at Fort Pierce, Florida, team SIX was reorganized with most of the personnel being assigned to the training staff.

Reorganized Team SIX commenced training here on 1 June with a nucleus of veterans, augmented by men from the training staff, as well as many newcomers. Lieutenant Carl P. HAGENSEN was made Commanding Officer with Lieutenant (jg) FOLEY as his Executive Officer. Upon completion of this six-weeks training period, the team was formerly commissioned and received a twelve day leave before it was to report to Oceanside, California for the proposed cold-water training program there. Japanese peace offers caused cance1lation of the program, however, as most of the teams hurriedly prepared to go to sea.

On 18 August, Team SIX left for Pearl Harbor on the U.S.S. SCHMITT (APD.76) leaving here, the SCHMITT arrived in Sasebo harbor, Japan on 20 September.

A reconnaissance conducted of this area revealed that the docks were of flimsy construction, but suitable for use. Two days later the SCHMITT transported the team to Kakaiga Shima, one of the Ryuku Islands, were (sic) another reconnaissance was made.

Departing from Kikaiga the afternoon of 26 September, the SCHt1ITT arrived off Miyako Shima Sakishima Gunto the following morning. As heavy minefields had been reported, the APD lay about fourteen miles offshore, causing the team to take LCPRs in the rest of the way. Such intense minefields were encountered upon nearing the beach that, according to previous instructions from Lieutenant HAGENSEN, the operation was cancelled. On this same day the SCHMITT shoved off for Guam with its final destination the United States.

Arriving at San Diego, California on 19 October, the team was immediately transferred ashore to the Naval Amphibious Base, at Coronado, where it was decommissioned on 2 November, 1945.

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