Combat Swimmer (40 page)
Authors: Robert A. Gormly
rig
âTerm commonly used by SEALs to refer to scuba equipment. “How about taking the rig off my back?” one SEAL might say to another after coming out of the water.
âTerm commonly used by SEALs to refer to scuba equipment. “How about taking the rig off my back?” one SEAL might say to another after coming out of the water.
rumor board
âSEAL slang for intelligence maps. “Rumor board” was usually a more accurate description of the information found on them.
âSEAL slang for intelligence maps. “Rumor board” was usually a more accurate description of the information found on them.
SATCOM
âMan-portable satellite radio used by SEALs for long-range voice or data communications.
âMan-portable satellite radio used by SEALs for long-range voice or data communications.
SEAL Team
âSea, Air, Land Team. Navy organization established in 1962 to conduct clandestine maritime special operations. In the beginning only two SEAL Teams were formed, one in the Atlantic Fleet and one in the Pacific Fleet. Now there are nine, assigned to the U.S. Special Operations Command.
âSea, Air, Land Team. Navy organization established in 1962 to conduct clandestine maritime special operations. In the beginning only two SEAL Teams were formed, one in the Atlantic Fleet and one in the Pacific Fleet. Now there are nine, assigned to the U.S. Special Operations Command.
Seawolves
âNickname given the Navy light attack helicopter squadron four, which often supported SEAL operations in the Mekong Delta.
âNickname given the Navy light attack helicopter squadron four, which often supported SEAL operations in the Mekong Delta.
SECDEF
âSecretary of Defense.
âSecretary of Defense.
SECNAV
âSecretary of the Navy.
âSecretary of the Navy.
Secret Zone
âDuring the Vietnam War, a term given to a geographic area considered to be completely under the control of the enemy. Anyone living there was considered to be enemy. In the Mekong Delta, the Secret Zones were mostly mangrove swamps. Originally, not much was known about these areas. SEALs changed that.
âDuring the Vietnam War, a term given to a geographic area considered to be completely under the control of the enemy. Anyone living there was considered to be enemy. In the Mekong Delta, the Secret Zones were mostly mangrove swamps. Originally, not much was known about these areas. SEALs changed that.
semi-closed-circuit scuba
âMixed-gas diving rig used by SEALs when the mission will call for exceeding the depth-time limits for a closed-circuit scuba, and clandestine approach to a target is not an overriding concern. Semi-closed-circuit scubas emit a small trail of bubbles each time the diver exhales. Otherwise, they operate much like a closed-circuit pure-oxygen rig.
âMixed-gas diving rig used by SEALs when the mission will call for exceeding the depth-time limits for a closed-circuit scuba, and clandestine approach to a target is not an overriding concern. Semi-closed-circuit scubas emit a small trail of bubbles each time the diver exhales. Otherwise, they operate much like a closed-circuit pure-oxygen rig.
slick
âMilitary jargon for a helicopter that is not a gunship. Usually signifies a troop-carrying helo armed only with machine guns at each door.
âMilitary jargon for a helicopter that is not a gunship. Usually signifies a troop-carrying helo armed only with machine guns at each door.
SOCOM
âSpecial Operations Command. Established by the U.S. Congress to command, control, and resource special operations forces from all the services. Commanded by a “CINC,” a four-star officer nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
âSpecial Operations Command. Established by the U.S. Congress to command, control, and resource special operations forces from all the services. Commanded by a “CINC,” a four-star officer nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
SOP
âStandard operating procedure. The “playbook” for a SEAL organization; a series of tactical maneuvers performed routinely. In a SEAL tactical briefing the patrol leader might say, “Patrol order of movement in accordance with SOP.”
âStandard operating procedure. The “playbook” for a SEAL organization; a series of tactical maneuvers performed routinely. In a SEAL tactical briefing the patrol leader might say, “Patrol order of movement in accordance with SOP.”
Stoner machine gun
â5.56-caliber machine gun used extensively by SEALs in Vietnam. Popular with SEALs because it used lighter ammunition than the standard M-60 light machine gun also used during that era.
â5.56-caliber machine gun used extensively by SEALs in Vietnam. Popular with SEALs because it used lighter ammunition than the standard M-60 light machine gun also used during that era.
swimmer reel
âDeep-sea fishing reel containing a light nylon line; attached to the underside of a compass board, it is used to log distances underwater.
âDeep-sea fishing reel containing a light nylon line; attached to the underside of a compass board, it is used to log distances underwater.
Team(s)
âTerm used by SEALs to refer to the SEAL community. One SEAL may ask another, “When did you come into the Teams?” or “What Team are you in now?”
âTerm used by SEALs to refer to the SEAL community. One SEAL may ask another, “When did you come into the Teams?” or “What Team are you in now?”
UDT
âUnderwater Demolition Team. The forerunners of the SEAL Teams, UDTs were first formed during World War II to provide hydrographic reconnaissance for the amphibious forces in the Pacific campaign. In 1983 all UDTs became either SEAL or SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams; the latter operate wet submersible mini-submarines used by SEALs.
âUnderwater Demolition Team. The forerunners of the SEAL Teams, UDTs were first formed during World War II to provide hydrographic reconnaissance for the amphibious forces in the Pacific campaign. In 1983 all UDTs became either SEAL or SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams; the latter operate wet submersible mini-submarines used by SEALs.
ZPU
âRussian antiaircraft weapon. A 14.5mm heavy machine gun, the
âRussian antiaircraft weapon. A 14.5mm heavy machine gun, the
ZPU-1 was the standard armament in a BTR-60PB.
ZU-23
âRussian antiaircraft weapon. A 23mm cannon capable of being mounted in the cargo bed of a truck. The Grenadans had the two-barrel
âRussian antiaircraft weapon. A 23mm cannon capable of being mounted in the cargo bed of a truck. The Grenadans had the two-barrel
ZU-23-2 model.
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Though I have relied mostly on my recollections in writing this book, the works listed below refreshed my memory.
Â
Â
Bonds, Ray, ed.
The Vietnam War: The Illustrated History of the Conflict in Southeast Asia.
New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1979.
The Vietnam War: The Illustrated History of the Conflict in Southeast Asia.
New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1979.
Bosiljevac, T.L.
SEALs: UDT/SEAL Operations in Vietnam.
Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 1990.
SEALs: UDT/SEAL Operations in Vietnam.
Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 1990.
Emerson, Steven.
Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era.
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1988.
Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era.
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1988.
Ezell, Edward Clinton.
Small Arms of the World.
12th ed. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1983.
Small Arms of the World.
12th ed. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1983.
Fall, Bernard B.
Street Without Joy: Insurgency in Indochina, 1956-63
. 3rd ed. Harrisburg, PA: The Stackpole Company, 1963.
Street Without Joy: Insurgency in Indochina, 1956-63
. 3rd ed. Harrisburg, PA: The Stackpole Company, 1963.
Halberstadt, Hans.
U.S. Navy SEALs.
Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1993.
U.S. Navy SEALs.
Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1993.
Kelly, Orr.
Never Fight Fair: Navy SEALs' Stories of Combat.
Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1995.
Never Fight Fair: Navy SEALs' Stories of Combat.
Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1995.
Kelly, Orr.
Brave Men Dark Waters: The Untold Story of the Navy SEALs.
Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1992.
Brave Men Dark Waters: The Untold Story of the Navy SEALs.
Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1992.
Marcinko, Richard with John Weisman.
Rogue Warrior.
New York: Pocket Books, 1992.
Rogue Warrior.
New York: Pocket Books, 1992.
Martin, David C. and John Wolcott.
Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America's War Against Terrorism.
New York: Harper & Row, 1988.
Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America's War Against Terrorism.
New York: Harper & Row, 1988.
Sheehan, Neil.
A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam.
New York: Random House, 1988.
A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam.
New York: Random House, 1988.
Spector, Ronald.
After Tet: The Bloodiest Year in Vietnam.
New York: The Free Press, a division of Macmillan, Inc., 1993.
After Tet: The Bloodiest Year in Vietnam.
New York: The Free Press, a division of Macmillan, Inc., 1993.
Stubblefield, Gary with Hans Halberstadt.
Inside the U.S. Navy SEALs.
Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1995.
Inside the U.S. Navy SEALs.
Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1995.
Waller, Douglas C.
The Commandos: The Inside Story of America's Secret Soldiers.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994.
The Commandos: The Inside Story of America's Secret Soldiers.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994.
INDEX
Abbas, Abu
Abrams, Creighton
Abrams, John
Achille Lauro
mission
mission
Acklin, Billy
Air Force, U.S.
Albrecht, Joe
Ambush missions
Bac Lieu
Bassac
Dung Island
Long Tuan
Nui Coto
Operation Bold Dragon
Phoenix program
Tan Dunh Island
Vinh Long
Anderson, Dick
AN PVS-2 night vision scope
Arab nationalism,
See also
Terrorism
See also
Terrorism
Army, U.S.
IV Corps
Mike Force
Rangers
Special Forces
III Corps
Vietnam involvement
Assault Craft Unit 2 (ACU-2)
Auger stakes
Bac Lieu
Bailey, Larry
Barilyme
Barrett, Everett
Barrett, Larry
Basic Underwater Demolition SEAT (BUDS) training
See also
Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs)
See also
Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs)
Bassac Mission
Bassac River
Baumgart, Satch
Ba Xuyen
Ba Xuyen Secret Zone
Bay of Pigs
Bell, Ron
Binh Dai Secret Zone
Binh Thuy:
arrival in
security of
Birtz, Pierre:
Mekong Delta
Tan Dinh
training
Bishop, Bill
Blais, Tom
Blackhawk helicopters
Boat Support Unit two
Boghammer boats
Bosch, Juan
Boston Whaler
Bounce dive
Bowen, E. C. (Ed)
Briggs, Edward S.
Bronze Star:
Gormly, Robert
BUDS See Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL
Bump, Charlie;
Mekong Delta
Rung Sat
Tan Dinh
training
Bush, George
Butcher, Paul
BZ message
Calypso Sticks
Cambodian border
Camp Lejeune
Camp Picket
Canada
Can Tho
Can Tho Air Field
Carbon dioxide
Caribbean, UDTs in
See also
Grenda; UDT-22
See also
Grenda; UDT-22
Caribbean Amphibious Ready Group
Carlson, Dudley
Castro, Fidel
Charlotte Amalie
Chau Doc
Chesapeake Bay
CH-46 helicopter
CIA
CINCLANT
CINCs (commanders in chief)
Claymore mines
Clements, Herb
Clinton, Bill
Cobra helicopter
Combat information center
Combat swimmers
See also
SEALS; UDTs
See also
SEALS; UDTs
Communist ideology
COMNAVFORV (Commander of Naval Forces in Vietnam)
Compass board
COMPHIBLANT (Commander Amphibious Forces, United States Atlantic Fleet)
Cook, Jim
Coronado, California
COSVN
Craxi, Bettino
Criscoe, James “Deacon,”
CTF-116;
See also
Seawolves
See also
Seawolves
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cu Lao Dung
Cu Lao Tan Dinh
Cyrus, Dick
Davis, Bill
Desert Cove
Diving rigs:
closed circuit
Mark
semi-closed-circuit
Dix, Drew
Dominican Republic
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
Dump boat maneuver
Dung Island
Dupont
, U.S.S.
, U.S.S.
Early, Bill
Egypt, Air
82nd Airborne Division
Erskine, Kim
Evancoe, Paul
Face paint, camouflage
Fall, Bernard
Farsi Island
Fire ants
Flanagan, Dick
Flynn, Irish
Fonda, Jane
Fraley, Gene
Free descents
Friend, Dennis
Freindly fire
Gallagher, Bob
Gallagher, Gary
Garnett, Bill:
Mekong Delta
training
Gaston, Tom
Goldwater-Nichols Act
Gormly, Anne
Gormly, Becky
Gormly, Dorothy Percival
Gormly, James Louis
Gormly, Joseph Richard
Gormly, Kevin
Gormly, Robert A.:
background
interim assignments
medals/awards
Officer-in-Charge
UDT-22
wounds
See also
SEAL Team Six; SEAL Team Two
SEAL Team Six; SEAL Team Two
Grabowksy, Ted
Grady, Clay
Gray, Al
Grayback,
U.S.S.
U.S.S.
Great Lakes Naval Training Center
Green Team training
Grenada
Guam
Haina
Haiti
H & I (harassment &interdiction) fire
Hagensen pack
Hayden, Andy
Hell Week
Hennigan, John
Hercules
H-harness
Hispaniola
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Hostages, America
Hussein, Saddam
Hydrographic reconnaissance
Inflatable Boats Large (IBLs)
Iran
Iraq
Iron Eagle investigation
Italy
See Achille Lauro
See Achille Lauro
Johnson, Dennis
Johnson, Johnny
Johnson, Lyndon
Joint Headquarters;
See also
Operation Urgent Fury
See also
Operation Urgent Fury
Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA)
Joint Resolution Center
Jones, Ed “Carbon Copy,”
Junk Force, South Vietnamese
Kapok life jackets
K-Bar Knife
Kennedy, John F.
Killer Eggs
Klinghoffer, Leon
Kochey, Fred
Korean War
Landing Craft Personnel Large (LCPL)
LAW rockets
Leapfrog maneuver
LeMoyne, Irve C. (Chuck)
Leonard, Duke
Leopold, Joseph
Lewis, Bobby
Liberty ships
Life jackets
Light SEAL Support Craft (LSSC)
Linh Doi Nui Nai
Little Creek, Virginia
Lizard Line
Lock and load attitude
Long Tuan Secret Zone
Lynnhaven Bay
Lyon, Judy
Lyon, Ted
Lyons, Ace
Malvesti, Dick
Marcinko, Dick
Binh Thuy
Iron Eagle investigation of
SEAL Team Six
Marines, U.S.:
amphibious forces
attitude
equipment
Iwo Jima Memorial
Small Unit Tactics School
Urgent Fury
Vietnam
Mark 6 diving rigs
McCain, John S.
McCarty, Fred (Doc):
Mekong Delta
Operation Bold Dragon
Tan Dinh
training
McCutchan, Tom
McCauley, Scott
McDonald, Ken
Medal of Honor: Dix, Drew
MEDEVAC
Mediterranean
Mekong Delta:
ambush operations
See
Ambush missions
See
Ambush missions
reconnaissance missions
See
Reconnaissance missions
See
Reconnaissance missions
river patrols
terrain
tide range
U.S. presence in
Middle East
Moser, Tom
Moses, Paul
Motorola MX-360 VHF radio
Mubarak, Hosni
Munich Olympics
M-16 rifles
M-26 fragmentation grenade
M-60 machine guns
M-79 grenade launchers
My Tho River
National Police, Vietnamese
Naval Amphibious School
Naval Hospital, Portsmouth
Naval Investigative Service (NIS)
Naval Operations Support Group Atlantic (NAVOPSUGRU)
Naval War College
NAVFORV (Naval Forces Vietnam)
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