by Couch, Dick
Meet the Press (TV show): and Vessey comments about Grenada invasion, 146
Mekong Delta (Vietnam): SEALs raid on POW camp in, 85
Mess, Walter L., 32–33
Middle East
terrorism in, 150
See also specific incident or nation
Midway, Battle of, 19
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), 90–91
military, U.S.
influence of Grenada invasion on, 138
See also specific branch
Mina Saud beach assault (First Gulf War), 160–64
Missouri, USS (battleship), 43
Mobile Support Teams (MSTs): in Vietnam War, 98
Mogadishu, Battle of, 165–68
Monsoor, Mike, 242–43, 244, 245
Montgomery, Tom, 165
Moore, Howard, 21
Morris, Stephen, 142
MSSC (Medium SEALs Support Craft), 81, 84, 86, 88
Mugniyah, Imad, 170–71
Mukarayin hydroelectric dam (Iraq), 219
multi-unit, multi-service operations, 203
Murphy, Daniel, 259–60
Murphy, Michael P., 127, 259–60
MV Maersk Alabama (merchant ship): Phillips rescue from, 248–49
“naked warrior”
UDT operator as, 18–19, 93
and Vietnam SEALs, 93
Natter, Bob, 88–89, 101, 102
Naval Academy, U.S., 20, 78, 89, 116, 162, 176, 189
Naval Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU)
as ancestors of Navy SEALs, 15, 20n, 29, 45, 256
awards and honors for, 14
characteristics of, 28–29
culture of, 29–30
equipment for members of, 3, 6, 14–15
mission of, 21
on Omaha Beach (June 6, 1944), 1–15
training of, 3, 21, 23, 28–29
Naval Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU)-30, 3
Naval Compat Demolition Unit (NCDU)-42, 4
Naval Demolition Project: as ancestor of Navy SEALs, 20n
“Naval Guerrilla/Counter-guerrilla Warfare” plan, 66
The Naval Institute: Proceedings, 116
Naval Operations Support Group, Pacific, 8
Naval Special Warfare Command
in Afghanistan, 248
Bonelli as Force Commander for, 263, 265
budget for, 139
CQD training and, 174
evolution of, 50
and First Gulf War, 164
Fort Rosecrans Cemetery ceremony and, 255
and Gentner “Naval Guerrilla/Counter-guerrilla Warfare” plan, 66
Group One, 8, 189, 204
Group Three, 161
hallmarks of, 258
and Hollywood films about UDTs/SEALs, 139–40
in Iraq, 207
Lyons lectures about history of, 58
mission of, 256
Panama operation and, 158–59
and “plank-owners,” 67
reserve component of, 265
SEALs deployment with, 185
See also specific unit
Naval Special Warfare Development Group, 248
Naval Special Warfare Task Group, Central, 163
Navy, British Royal, 20, 50
Navy Cross, 8, 9n, 26, 27, 44, 156–57, 187, 188, 205
Navy SEAL Foundation, 268
Navy SEALs Museum (Fort Pierce, Florida), 14, 15, 119
Navy SEALs, U.S.
ancestor-legacy of, 8, 15, 20n, 29, 44–45, 256
appearance of, 79–80, 93
attrition rate for, 68
“best practices” of, 165
bounties for killing, 120
characteristics of, 164–65, 185–86, 191, 250, 258, 259–60, 261, 266–67
CIA and, 31, 90
culture of, 30, 90, 91–92, 118–19
decrease in number of, 116–17
equipment for, 15, 70, 80, 93, 126, 129, 133, 139, 140, 141
flexibility of, 164–65, 185–86, 191, 250, 258
force size of, 117
founding of, 61, 63–65, 69, 71, 256
fundamentals and core competencies of, 258
funding for, 116–17, 139
funerals of, 260–61
future of, 261
and Gentner “Naval Guerrilla/Counter-guerrilla Warfare” plan, 66
image of, 139–40, 164–65, 248, 266
impact of missions on individual, 257–58
importance of, 261
influence of Grenada invasion on, 138
influence of Vietnam War on, 117–20
as jungle fighters, 116
lessons learned by, 148, 154, 164, 265
mission of, 67
mixing units of, 140–41
motivation of, 258–59
Omaha Beach as milestone in prehistory of, 2–3
OSS Maritime Unit influence on, 31–32
physical characteristics of, 68
as “plank-owners,” 67
popularity of, 252
professionalism of, 159, 164–65, 248, 266
Navy SEALs, U.S. (cont.)
publicity about, 246–48, 249, 257
relationship with regular Navy of, 91–92
reputation of, 120, 140, 260
secrecy about, 44–45, 91–92, 246
selection of men for, 67
self-image of, 148
successes and failures of, 257
“swim buddies” as core unit of, 24–25
toolkits of, 31–32, 247
transition from UDTs to, 64–66
Trident of, 260–61, 266–67
as unconventional, 92, 116, 120
wives and families of, 267–68
Navy, South Vietnamese, 111
Navy, U.S.
as advisor to Vietnamese, 110–11
in Afghanistan, 187, 189, 195
“best practices” of, 165
as Brown Water Navy, 110, 118
and Grenada invasion, 140
Kennedy’s orders to, 256
and oil embargo on Saddam Hussein, 171–74
SEALs relationship with, 91–92
and SEALs under SOCOM, 257
secrecy about units in, 246
and small-scale warfare, 65–66
in Vietnam, 94
and views about SEALs, 92
worst losses in World War II for, 42–43
See also specific person, unit, or topic
Navy, Vietnamese, 111
neoprene cement, 29
New York Times, 168
Newman, Richard J., 168
Newsweek magazine, 161
Nha Trang Bay operations (Vietnam War), 105–6
96th Division, U.S. Army, 38
Nixon, Richard, 106, 107, 113
Norgrove, Linda, 248
Noriega, Manuel, 150–51, 153, 155, 156, 158, 159, 160
Norris, Thomas, 106–13
North Africa: and Operation TORCH, 9n
Northern Alliance fighters: in Afghanistan, 187–88, 189
NSW Family Foundation, 268
nuclear weapons, 65
Nung tribesmen (Vietnam War), 99
Nurse Corps, U.S. Navy, 212–13
Obama, Barack, 247, 249, 252, 254
Oceanside, California: UDT training at, 43
O’Donnell, Patrick K., 32
Office of Strategic Services (OSS): Maritime Unit/Operational Swimmers of, 20n, 31–33, 45, 56, 256
officers, SEAL: relationship between enlisted men and, 22–23, 29
oil-for-food program, UN, 210
oil, Iraqi, 171–81, 207–19
Okinawa: UDT operations on, 38–43, 44, 47
Olson, Eric T., 67
Olson, Norman, 259
Omaha Beach (June 6, 1944)
casualties on, 13
friendly fire on, 12–13
as milestone in prehistory of U.S. Navy SEALs, 2–3
mission of NCDU on, 1, 2, 4
NCDU on, 1–15, 38
U.S. forces at, 4
146th Engineer Combat Battalion, U.S. Army, 4
160th Special Operations Aviation Squadron, U.S. Army “Nightstalkers,” 83, 250
175th Naval Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU), 1
Operation Anaconda (Afghanistan), 204–6
Operation Assured Response (Liberia, 1996), 137
Operation Chromite (Korean War), 52
Operation FISHNET (SEANET) (Korean War), 55
Operation Flintlock (World War II), 24
Operation Just Cause (Panama), 153
Operation Mongoose (Cuban operation), 61–62, 63
Operation Neptune Spear (bin Laden operation), 249–52
Operation Red Wings (Afghanistan), 127, 238, 259
Operation Thunderhead (Vietnam War), 114–16, 141
Operation TORCH (World War II), 9n
Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada), 140, 147
Operations Plan 34 (OP-34A) (Vietnam War), 90
Osman, Chris, 183–84
OSS Maritime Units, 20n, 31–33, 45, 56, 256
OV-10 (Navy Black Ponies) aircraft, in Vietnam War, 101
Pacific Command, U.S.
and creation of SOCOM, 256
NCDUS in, 21
OSS Maritime Unit in, 32–33
SEALs under command of, 186
in World War II, 16–45
See also specific location
Pacific Fleet, U.S., 114
packing slip, mine (Korean War), 57
Paitilla Airfield operation (Panama), 155–58, 159
Pakistan
killing of bin Laden in, 249–52
nuclear warheads in, 247
and Shawar Kili cave complex, 190, 191, 201
Palacios, Alfred, 11–12
Panama
casualties in, 155, 157, 160
civilians in, 160
and Curtis incident, 150, 151–54
lessons learned from, 265
Paitilla Airfield operation in, 155–58, 159
role of SEALs in, 165, 186
U.S. invasion of, 154–60
Panetta, Leon, 250
Paz, Robert, 151
pearl divers, Korean, 53
Pentagon: 9/11 attack on, 183
Persian Gulf
and Alpha 117 mission, 184
SEALs in, 160–61
personnel recovery missions, 30–31, 94, 187–88, 205–6, 245–46, 247, 261, 265. See also specific mission
Peterson, Gordon, 116
Philippines
UDTs in, 35
See also specific island
Phillips, Richard, 248–49, 257
Phoenix Program (Vietnam War), 99–100
Pope, Lt., 54
Popsong-ni (Korean War): UDT operations near, 54
Powell, Colin, 146
Presidente Porras (Noriega ship), 159
Presidio Modelo prison (Cuba), 61
prisoners of war
in Grenada, 137
in Vietnam, 77, 78–90, 107, 113–16, 117, 119
Pritzker Military Museum, 70
prosthetic leg SEAL, 207
PRUs (Provincial Reconnaissance Units): in Vietnam War, 95, 99–100
Pullar, Walter S. III, 161
Qala-i-Jangi fortress (Afghanistan): prisoner revolt at, 188
quick-action missions, 94, 237–38
radar/sonar technology, 56
Radio Havana, 74
Ramadi, Battle of, 219–39, 243
RAND Company, 118
Raymond, Doc, 90
Reagan, Ronald, 124, 149
Republican Guard, Iraqi, 215, 216–17, 218
reserves, Naval, 44, 265
Rex (CIA spy ship), 60, 72, 74–75
Reynolds, Ken
awards and honors for, 14, 15
death of, 15
Ka-bar knife of, 14–15
military career of, 4, 5, 15
on Omaha Beach, 1–2, 3, 4, 5–7, 9, 10, 12–15, 38
personal background of, 5, 15
retirement of, 14–15
training for, 3, 5
Roberts, Neil, 204–6
Roberts Ridge (Afghanistan), 206
Rodriguez, Isaac G., 155
Roeder, Howard L., 33
Rogue Warrior (Marcinko), 246
Routh, Al, 91
Rowell, Jack, 86
“rules of engagement” (ROE), 215, 233–34
Rung Sat Special Zone (Vietnam): SEALs direct-action role at, 92–93
Russia/Soviet Union
and Afghanistan, 190–91
and Cold War, 165
collapse of, 165
and Cuban operations, 59, 60, 75
and founding of Navy SEALs, 64
and Grenada, 124
Korean War and, 57
Marcinko comments about, 246
and Panama operations, 153
U.S. relations with, 57, 165
Vietnam War and, 107
sabotage operations, 62–63
Saddam Maru (ship): and oil embargo on Saddam Hussein, 172–73, 176–81
Saipan
description of, 17
importance of, 17
planning for landing on, 23–24
UDTs on, 16–19, 23–24, 25–27, 44
U.S. force on, 17
Salzer, Robert, 92
Satterfield, Paul Vernon, 54
Schambeger, Robert, 142
Schoomaker, Peter, 169
Schoultz, Bob, 157–58, 183
Schultz, Richard H. Jr., 169
Schwaleberger, Wally, 96
Schwarzkopf, H. Norman, 161
Scoon, Paul, 124, 141, 142–46, 147, 257
Scouts and Raiders, Army-Navy
as ancestors of Navy SEALs, 8, 20n, 45, 256
hallmarks of, 258
Lyon with, 48, 58
simulated raid in Florida by, 21–22
training for, 8, 21
SCUBA, 56–57
Sea Commandos, South Vietnamese, 108, 109–10
Sea Hunt (TV show), 140
Sea Lion, USS: and Cuban operations, 70, 71
Seabees, Navy, 225
SEAL Teams
and commando-style raids, 70
and direct-action operations, 94
and quick-action missions, 94
secrecy about, 76
size of, 66
and small-unit tactics, 94
traditions among, 260–61
SEAL Team One
Couch with, 77, 78–90
and Cuban operations, 63, 71
and direct-action operations, 93
establishment of, 66–67
platoons in, 95
Seniff as commander of, 204
size of, 66, 93
training for, 77, 78, 80, 89
in Vietnam, 78–90, 93, 100, 105–6, 111, 113–16, 208
SEAL Team Two
CIA and, 71
and Cuban operations, 63, 71, 72
and direct-action operations, 93
establishment of, 66–67
platoons in, 95
size of, 66, 93
in Vietnam, 76, 91, 93, 95, 106–10, 208
SEAL Team Three, 158, 204, 228, 242
SEAL Team Four, 69, 142, 155, 156, 157
SEAL Team Five, 160–64, 204, 239, 263, 265
SEAL Team Seven, 204
SEALs, Vietnamese, 111–13
search-and-rescue missions, 106–10, 165. See also specific mission
Seawolves (heliocopter gunships): in Vietnam, 82–83, 86, 88, 89
Second Marine Division, U.S., 17
Selleck, Tom, 139
Seniff, Todd, 190–204
September 11, 2001
and beginning of war on terrorism, 169–70
as new era for SEALs, 181
SEAL reactions to, 182–85
Serbia, 168–69
7th Division, U.S. Army, 38
7th Fleet, U.S., 35
7th Naval District Headqua
rters, U.S., 21
75th Ranger Regiment, U.S. Army, 141, 154
77th Division, U.S. Army, 38
Seville, John, 240–42, 243, 244
Shah-i-Kot Valley (Afghanistan): SEAL mission in, 204–6
“Shark Base” (Iraq), 220, 238, 241
Shinseki, Eric, 168
Shoomaker, Peter, 169
Sicily: SEAL operations in, 148–50
Silver Star awards, 44, 137, 167, 243
Sino-American Cooperative Organization (SACO): as ancestors of Navy SEALs, 20n
6th Marine Division, U.S., 39
Slattery, Michael, 116
“Sleeping Beauty” (submersible canoe), 32
small-unit operations, 65–66, 94, 119, 140, 162, 186, 258
Smith, Ray, 163, 164
Smith, Sean, 240, 241, 243–44
“snatch and grab” operations, 99
snipers
al-Qaeda bounty on, 233
in Iraq, 226, 229–34, 236, 237
Iraqi insurgents as, 233, 237
and Phillips rescue, 249
training for, 226, 229, 230–31
weapons used by, 231–32, 233
SOF Care Coalition, 268
Solid Anchor (Vietnam)
SEALs base at, 79, 81, 100, 102
UDT at, 103
Somalia
attack on U.S. soldiers in, 165
Buchanan rescue in, 252–54
casualties in, 166, 167, 168
kidnapping in, 245–46
pirates from, 248–49
SEAL operations in, 165–68, 245–46, 252–54
Son Tay (Vietnam): SEALs raid on POW camp in, 85
South Vietnamese
LDNN program for, 98, 101, 102, 111
Navy, 111
as Sea Commandos, 108, 109–10
as SEALs, 111–13
training of, 90, 91
See also Kit Carson Scouts, South Vietnamese
Southern Command, U.S., 186
Soviet Union. See Russia/Soviet Union
Spann, Johnny, 188
Special Boat Teams, U.S. Navy, 32, 88, 98, 208
Special Forces, U.S. Army, 95–96, 99, 105, 188
Special Mission Naval Demolition Unit: as ancestors of Navy SEALs, 20n
special mission units
dynamic landscape for, 256
future of, 261
increase in number of, 186–87
influence of Grenada invasion on, 138, 147
need for, 261
professionalism of, 159
See also specific operation or unit
Special Missions Group (SMG), CIA, 53, 54
Special Operations Command, U.S. (SOCOM)
and Afghanistan operations, 200
creation of, 147, 154, 164, 256–57
Panama operations and, 158–59
purpose of, 154, 186–87
as SEAL-centric, 257
SEALs as commanders of, 67
special reconnaissance missions, 16, 165, 258, 261. See also specific mission
Special Services Unit One (SSU-1): as ancestors of Navy SEALs, 20n
Special Warfare Combatant Craft, 214
“spin-up and spin-down” missions, 170–71
Spruance, Raymond, 23
Starkweather, Mark, 9n
