Category: Uncategorized
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San Clemente Island & Ensign Lost in Space
In July of 1975, our BUD/S class was out at San Clemente Island, for 2nd Phase of Training which we called Land Warfare training. San Clemente Island is one of the Channel Islands off the west coast of California about 70 miles West of San Diego, which has been used by the Navy for training…
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After BUD/S: Getting married – then a dash across country
This is a tale of a young college kid who’d grown up sheltered in an upper middle class community, gone to an upper level university, then got commissioned in the Navy, but who had very little practical experience, or wisdom regarding living in the real world. My guardian Angels were looking after me. Getting Married…
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My struggles at UDT-21: near failure right out of the blocks.
After graduating from BUD/S in August of 1975, I drove across country (that’s ANOTHER story) and checked in to UDT 21 at Naval Amphibious Base (now Expeditionary Warfare Base) Little Creek, Virginia. I knew the base, as I had lived 2 miles away from it while in High School and frequently used the gym and…
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Hell Week! March 1975
In 1975 Hell Week was the fourth (?) of 32 weeks of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training required to become a Navy Frogman and SEAL. Hell Week was also the primary rite-of-passage to get into the following phases of BUD/S training, and was notorious for its challenge, and as the primary obstacle to get through,…
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How I met Mary Anne
I was living in a basement apartment on Atlantic Ave and 84th street near the ocean entrance to Ft Story. It was only a half block to the ocean, so on a weekend, I took a folding chair and or a towel put on my surfer beach shorts, grabbed a book and went down to…
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Serious bike accident Jan 10, 2025
At 72 years of age I had a serious bike accident which put me in the hospital for a week and in rehab for several months. I had just returned from a 3 day training camp with my bike club Padyak Racing Team (PRT) in Borrego Springs which included some hard rides and a lot…
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My Tour at ST6
I began Green Team training in September of 1989. Green team training was meant to be very intense, to test the mettle as well as the tactical skills and aptitude of those who would be going into tactical positions in what were then called the Assault Teams, but are now called the Tactical Squadrons of…
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My first combat mission
I was in ST6 Green Team but was slated to be the command Operations Officer so the CO (Rick Woolard) was not as interested in me developing my tactical skills as he was in getting me ready to be his Ops Officer. When he was directed to deploy into Panama for the invasion that was…
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Wrestling in my life
When I was in the 7th grade, attending Gunston Jr High School in Arlington Va in school year 1964-65, I was in a drama class, and had a bit part in the play – A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The drama teacher wanted me to sign up for another play and since I had had fun…
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How I found myself at ST6
When I returned from 2 years as the exchange officer with the German Kampfschwimmers, I found that a group had formed within SEAL Team Two – my former command – under Dick Marcinko, the former Commanding Officer of Seal Team Two. The group was forming a new command with a focus on cutting edge tactics…
Stories from Bob's Life 