After finishing the exhibits inside, we went outside to see what they had for us to see there. The first display we saw outside was the Naked Warrior statue honoring the men of the U.S. Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) from WWII.
They got this nickname because of their lack of clothing and equipment; they were supplied only with shorts, swim fins, a dive mask, a knife, a pencil, and a slate board for recording their findings.
These brave warriors entered enemy waters to recon enemy-held beaches and destroy any natural or man-made obstacles that could impede Allied amphibious landings.
All major Naval Special Warfare training sites—Fort Pierce, Virginia Beach, Coronado, and Bellows Air Force Base in Hawaii—have a Naked Warrior statue.
beach obstacles during WWII
These are some of the obstacles Frogmen used for training here at Fort Pierce between 1943 and 1945.
Four types of obstacles were found on Normandy beaches on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Obstacles that confronted the UDTs during WWII.
changes over the years
This sculpture shows how the Naval Special Warfare changed during the second half of the 20th century.
A Vietnam era Frogman is on the right, a contemporary SEAL warrior is on the left, and a modern canine warrior is in the middle.
The initial sculptures are part of a private collection assigned to a SEAL Team in Virginia Beach. The Museum was allowed access to the molds for this installation so we could enjoy them as part of the Memorial Garden.
The war in Vietnam was a jungle war with fighting in the deltas, the rice paddies, and the rivers. Navy SEALs quickly adapted to the enemy’s practices: small groups, light weapons, and special equipment to hunt down and capture required intelligence. The North Vietnamese called then “The Men with Green Faces.”
Like their handlers, the Combat Assault Dogs are highly trained, highly skilled, and highly motivated special ops experts so they can perform extraordinary military missions by Sea, Air, and Land.
The modern-dayNavy SEAL was forged in fire by earlier SEALs and embodies the history, heritage, and fighting spirit of the original WWII Frogmen.
boats used in Vietnam
One of the boats used during the Vietnam war was this PBR, Patrol Boat Riverine.
This small rigid-hulled patrol boat is one of 250 used in Vietnam from March 1966 to the end of 1971. Their job was to stop and search river traffic in the Mekong Delta, Saigon River, and other areas. PBRs were often involved in firefights with enemy soldiers on land and water and were also used to insert and extract SEAL teams.
The sign on the right reminds us not to climb on artifacts and that we should smile because we’re under surveillance!
Interesting side story
Barney enjoys watching a British show called Grand Tour (used to be called Top Gear) with 3 men driving vehicles in unusual situations. Recently they were in Vietnam racing 3 different boats in the Saigon River: a speed boat like what was in Miami Vice, a 1930s pleasure boat, and a U.S. PBR. So glad I watched this episode since we’re looking at a PBR in this post!
Another boat used during this war that we don’t have a picture of was a Fast Patrol Craft that was an all-aluminum, 50-foot-long, riverine boat commonly referred to as the Swift Boat by the U.S. Navy’s Brown Water Navy. These small armed and/or armored river craft were used to maintain control of rivers and inland waterways.
torpedo launcher
During the early 1970s, this 2-man SDV was designed primarily for hydro-graphic reconnaissance and weapons delivery.
Its electric motor with power coming from rechargeable batteries propelled it in the water. It had manual steering and diving controls. Computerized navigation and docking systems were used to guide the craft and rendezvous with the parent submarine. This model could carry and launch torpedoes at a distant target, and it could move at several knots when submerged. The weight of the SDV is around 5000 pounds.
Here it is.
SEAL delivery vehicles
This model replaced an earlier one in the early 1980s and is still in service. As a “wet submersible,” the boat fills with water and submerges. SEALs breathe from individually worn underground breathing apparatus or by an air subsystem onboard the vehicle. It has sophisticated electronics, ballast, communications, navigation, and obstacle avoidance systems and is driven by DC electric motor powered by silver zinc batteries. It is flown like an airplane underwater with the SEALs inside relying solely on the vehicle’s instruments for navigation.
While the number of personnel carried, and its operating depths, speed, and distances are classified, the SDV can be deployed from and recovered by a surface ship, submarine, side of a pier, or ramp. Its designed to transport combat swimmers to and from the target areas for maritime reconnaissance or for direct action operations.
Here it is.
The SDV was used during Operation Desert Storm (1991) when SEALs had to clear waterways of underwater mines. It was also used at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003) when SEALs successfully secured Iraq’s offshore gas and oil terminals, averting the catastrophic ecological and financial devastation like what happened during Dessert Storm when Saddam Hussein ordered the flooding of the Persian Gulf with oil and sabotaging the wellheads in Kuwait.
a look inside
moving SEALs faster
Now that SEAL teams are often larger and need to be moved quickly, this medium range Special Operations Craft (SOF) was put into service in 1996 to support Navy SEALs. It was used in the Global War on Terror (2001-2012) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003)
The SOF can carry 5 crew and 16 fully equipped SEALs at speeds 40+ knots when outfitted for SEAL operators. Its distance is 500+ nautical miles and can be refueled at sea if necessary.
Here it is.
The craft can carry 4 Combat Rubber Raiding Crafts in the rear of the boat with 6 outboard motors and fuel. The SOF is outfitted with 4 gun mounts that can be outfitted with a combination of weapons systems.
Operators ride on seats designed for maximum comfort and mitigating shock in high seas or heavy maneuvering. The family on the left are in the cockpit. The seats are really comfortable!
moving SEALs on rivers
Special Operations Crafts (SOC) are used for moving Special Operations troops, especially SEALs, on rivers.
It can easily be transported by US Air Force cargo aircraft and medium-lift helicopters to move men quickly in river situations. It has a crew of 5 and can carry up to 8 passengers. The hull can accommodate some ballistic armor for protection and has mounts for 5 weapons—in addition to the weapons carried by the crew and passengers.
Here it is.
This SOC served on Iraq’s Tigris River from June 2007 to February 2008 on over 192 missions during 1050 hours while underway. It logged more than 3400 nautical miles in enemy waters.
Apollo space capsules
Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) were used in the 1960s during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space missions using these model capsules to prepare for the actual splashdowns.
As it hit the water, the Frogmen connected a flotation collar around this Apollo capsule to prevent it from sinking. Then they opened the hatch and made sure the astronauts moved safely to the hovering helicopter. UDTs played this important role in Mercury (1961-1963), Gemini (1965-1966), and Apollo (1968-1972) space missions.
obstacle course
As we looked across the lawn, we could see this obstacle course for the type of physical training done by the SEALs.
obstacle course
How would you do on this course?
uneven bars on the left, balance logs in the middle, and low weaver on the right
logs on the left, wall to climb in the middle, and wires to climb under on the right
low and medium walls to get over on the left, handstand bars in the middle, and vaults on the right
front and back of climbing wall
handstand bars on the left, and Barney resting after completing the course that is dedicated to Rush and Katherine Limbaugh by the museum.
lunch on the water
After spending hours at the museum, we went to Harbor Cove restaurant at a nearby marina.
We love sitting outside so we can enjoy the weather and the view.
Our view while eating lunch.
tasty lunches: fish tacos for Barney and grilled portobello mushroom sandwich for me. Yum!
What a wonderful day! So glad we got to revisit this museum not only for ourselves, but also so we could share it with you.
