I’ve been holding out on you – I started a second channel a little while back, focused on SCUBA related material. It’s a subject I am very interested in, but I didn’t want to talk about it much until I had a few videos posted for people to see. I’m only posting there twice per month right now, although hopefully that will increase by the end of the year. Today’s video is on the origins of the SEALs as Underwater Demolition Teams, so if you are interested in something like that, have a look and perhaps even subscribe!
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Excellent presentation. Having served on SEAL Team One 1970-1973 I can state you nailed the history of NCDU, UDT and SEALs very well. Thank you.
Geez, Ian. It’s like I don’t know you at all. What else have you been hiding.
I had the honor of shaking Draper Kaufman’s hand and saluting him several times around the yard when he was a Rear Admiral and was the Superintendent of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, back in 1966-67. He was a great man and his biography would make a good movie. Google him if you want to be impressed.
I would recommend a quick look at the following British and Commonwealth units from the Second World War that carried out tasks and raids that very much presage the later SEAL’s:-
Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment.
Army Commando’s Special Boat Section.
Combined Operations Pilotage Parties.
I would also recommend reading up about the raid on Bordeaux (the Cockleshell Heroes), the raid on Singapore (Operation Jaywick)
Also had General Omar Bradley acted on the briefing regarding the difficulties of landing on Omaha given directly by the members of the COPP team that that reconnoitred the beach ” Bloody Omaha” probably would not have been so Bloody.