Dan Olson Vietnam Photos 

    All Photos by Dan Olson, SEAL Team TWO

  Waiting for ex-fil on An-Toi island beach

ARVN leaving for their op

Rich Peters, Steve "Doc" Elson Dan Olson Bill Bibby

                          An Toi island beach waiting for the junk

   Pat Martin  ;  Lt. Bill Gardner, below Tom Blais

 Jim Burrison and Greg Frisch looking for B-40 rocket cache

Slick lands to let the other squat insert

Two Slicks over the Rung Sat Special Zone. Mekong River below.

Local village with drying rice

Ron Rogers and Dave Southerland  on Mo's flight deck

Steve Dunthorn Jim Burrison Steve Elson Ron Rogers on Mo's flight deck

VN in a sampan

Herb Ruth

From: "Ron Montgomery" 
To:  "Rio Doc Riojas", Norm Olson
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 
Subject: Do you remember Warrant Officer Ruth? 


Hello Gentlemen,     Do you remember Warrant Officer Ruth?  I remember him but he was not at SEAL Two very long after I arrived.  I keep in touch with his son, Kerry Ruth.  Kerry lives in Utah.  He said he had photos of Jack Lynch back in the 70's when his dad and mom took Kerry and others down to Florida for a real estate deal .  He thinks it was "Palm Coast."  Have you ever heard of it?  I am going to ask him if he has a way to scan and transmit the photos.   If he does I will send them to you Doc, the FO and the Foundation 

Monty

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To Monty & Rio,    

 A little background on Herb Ruth. He reported to UDT ELEVEN while I was CO (63-66). He had been pushing boots at NTC, San Diego and went through training as a Chief, which is remarkable unto itself. We deployed to Vietnam together, and when he returned, he was transferred to SEAL Team ONE, where he continued to serve admirably. During one of his tours, he was awarded the Silver Star.  

   When he was commissioned, I believe he was first promoted to WO and then to LDO, retiring as either a LT or LCDR in New Orleans, where he served as the Operations Officer, Coastal River Division 22. When he was first commissioned, he was transferred to SEAL Team TWO, where I ran into him again in the early 70s. He was a superb operator, a perfect gentleman and one who truly epitomized the term, "Silent Professional." 

   He was a devote Mormon and didn't drink, but he always participated in Team events, and he never had any problem with what the rest of the guys were doing. He just kept smiling. He retired on/about 1975 and moved back to Utah and became a State Trooper.    

  A few years later, he died of a heart attack. When I put the UDT-SEAL Museum together in Ft. Pierce (84-85), I was contacted by his wife, Rowena, who informed me of his passing, and over the years we kept in close contact. I also kept in contact with his son, Kerry, but a few years back, he seemed to go off the deep end and our communications ended.     In May of last year, he informed me that Rowena had a sever stroke and was hospitalized.

Norm

 From: "Ron Montgomery" ron.montgomery @ triplecanopy.com  SEAL , retired

Subject:   ROGER  MOSCONE (SEAL) W.O. USN Ret

Good day all, I haven't seen, written nor spoken to some of you in some years and some will not even remember me. That is okay because this is an email so you will remember Roger. You may have heard this distressing news. I don't enjoy these bad news things but Roger Moscone was a large influence on many of us when we were young men. He ran the detachment in PR back when we at  (SEAL Two) had no funds.  

He ran much of the PR Det on the funds made on the bar we ran (The Library). We set up shop in the old CPO club on the point. We had a dance floor, saltwater fountain, two bars, a full kitchen and some of the most colorful characters SEAL Two every produced. We didn't have any berthing as the building was not designed for it. I think we stayed at Bundy barracks during the beginning of my stay. Every morning we would wake up to Charlie Bump on the radio attempting to call the team back at the creek "a Singapore, a Singapore radio check over".

 I am not sure we ever made comms. Slater Blackesten (sp) talked the Seabees into remodeling the dance floor into a berthing area for a K-Bar and some of those extraordinarily uncomfortable tan UDT swim trunks. We (young guys) did a lot of stupid crap but Roger never got to the point of boiling over about it. I suppose he have seen a lot of foolish stunts. Roger didn't even get all that upset when Dan Sharpe and I put anchor chain oil on the roof thinking it was tar to patch the roof. 

We weren't sailors, we didn't know what anchor chain lubricant was. It looked like tar to us. A few weeks later we started noticing little spots of oil on the floor and couldn't figure out who was tracking it in. Soon an entire panel of sheetrock fell to the floor beside the pool table we had acquired from the "JINX" bar. It had about three inches of oil on it. Roger didn't even get mad when we would sink the boat (every month). He would be standing on the dock when we would swim up towing the boat. We could not understand how he always knew when we screwed up. As we swam up we would be standing on the end of the pier with his huge arms folded and a frown showing under his two pound mustache.

 We would be spouting excuses "We went through the wave and it swamped". About all he would say was fix it. Next morning it would be up and running. I am sure he knew the little 12 foot whaler was way, way over powered. Les Heard and Cookie Watkins would put together a family style dinner now and then in our huge commercial kitchen. Roger would sit at the head of the table like the father of a bunch of rowdy kids. Many team members came and went during that period but there were a few that were there for extended stays.

 When I went down to PR, Rudy told me to take a toothbrush and some civies and I would probably be there two weeks. I was there nine months. Roger was a good man to work for and although Dan, Les, Cookie and I were just new guys I am sure we all left there thinking of Roger as a friend, mentor, and role model.

 Some of you older team members may have known him in a different light. That is normal but to us young guys he was as a man that ran a SEAL training detachment and accomplished much on charisma and little funding. I wish him well. 

Monty 

--------------------------------------
From: SUSIE RAUCH

 SUSIERAUCH @ aol.com

Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:29 AM 

Subject: ROGER MOSCONE 

THIS IS THE HARDEST LETTER I HAVE WRITTEN TO YOU GUYS. MY LONGTIME FRIEND, AND BROTHER IN LAW ROGER MOSCONE IS NOT DOING WELL. MY SISTER IN LAW SANDI HAD TO PUT ROGER BACK IN THE HOSPITAL. ROGER HAS BEEN ILL FOR QUITE SOMETIME, AT FIRST HE WANTED FEW PEOPLE TO KNOW BUT NOW SAYS IT IS OK IF I TELL PEOPLE. ROGER HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH HIS BLOOD A FEW YEARS, HIS BONE MARROW WAS NOT MAKING RED BLOOD CELLS.

 HE HAS HAD TO LIVE WITH GETTING BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS FOR A LONG TIME. RECENTLY HE HAS HAD A TUMOR IN THE LUNGS AND HAS HAD CHEMO, NOW HE HAS TUMORS ON THE BRAIN AND HAS HAD RADIATION. I VISITED WITH ROGER THE OTHER DAY FOR QUITE A LONG TIME. HE STILL HAS HIS GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR.

 WE TALKED ABOUT OLD TIMES, LIKE BACK IN THE 60'S AND 
70'S. WE HAD A GREAT VISIT AND I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT TIME. SAND GOT TO HAVE SOME TIME TO DO COMMISSARY SHOPPING. SHE HAS TAKEN SUCH GOOD CARE OF ROGER, NEVER WANTING TO LEAVE HIM, I PRACTICALLY HAD TO PUSH HER OUT THE DOOR. ROGER CAME TO OUR HOUSE TO PICK UP HIS CAR REGISTRATION ONE YEAR. 

THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING AND LEON'S SISTER SANDI WAS THERE, THEY MET AND I THOUGHT ROGER WOULD NEVER GO HOME, THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO. IT HAS BEEN GREAT FOR BOTH OF THEM. I AM GLAD ROGER WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE REUNION LAST YEAR. I THINK SANDI HAD TO DRAG HIM OUT AT CLOSING TIME HE WAS HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME, BUT HE PAID FOR IT THE NEXT DAY AND I'M SURE HE FELT IT WAS WORTH IT! ROGER IS AT THE VA HOSPITAL AND THEY SAY THEY THINK HE HAS SOME SORT OF INFECTION. 

WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT FELT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW. I DON'T WANT TO SAY HE WILL NOT BE BACK HOME . HE HAS A LOT OF WILL POWER AND HE IS A TOUGH SEAL. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT SANDI, please email me for her telephone number. 

FOR CARDS THE ADDRESS IS 757 EMORY ST. PMB #546 IMPERIAL BEACH, CA. 91932.

 SANDI WILL PROBABLY BE AT THE HOSPITAL MOST OF THE TIME, BUT IF YOU CAN'T REACH HER JUST LEAVE A MESSAGE, I AM SURE SHE WILL RELAY THE MESSAGE TO ROGER, AND GOD WILLING HE WILL BE BACK HOME!

 PLEASE KEEP ROGER IN YOUR PRAYERS. ANY FURTHER NEWS I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED, AND IF YOU ALREADY KNEW THIS, INFORMED TWICE IS BETTER THAT NOT AT ALL. 

SUSIE 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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ROGER Joseph MOSCONE (Class 20, Coronado)

by Franklin Anderson (Class 18, Coronado)

Roger Moscone was born in Quincy, Mass on 16 April l931, and joined the Navy in l947 at the age of l7. One of his first assignments was on the Battleship Mississippi.   He was a Boatswain Mate and learned everything within his grasp.  He also learned that he was cut out for bigger and better things and applied for Underwater Demolition Team Training (UDTRA) in l958 and was part of Class 20. 

Upon Graduation from UDTRA, He was assigned to UDT-12.   He served in many varied capacities in UDT-12, mostly as the team cartographer.  On January 18, l965 he volunteered and reported for duty with SEAL Team ONE.   Roger was later selected to be a part of Detachment GOLF for deployment to the RSSZ in Vietnam.   This Detachment was on a trial basis and they were told, "if they did not perform Seal's would no longer be required by COMNAVFORV".   Under the guidance of LT. Maynard Weyers the Detachment immediately conducted extensive operations and were highly successful.   They also realized that they needed some fortified means of transportation.   It was Roger that oversaw the refurbishing of an LCM into the "Mighty Moe".   The Mighty Moe was used for transportation, insertions and extractions of the Squads.   These operations were highly successful, but on the l9th. Of August l966, one squad under the command of LT Tom Truxall with Billy Machen as Point man encountered an ambush.   Billy Machen at the risk of his own life triggered the ambush saving the rest of the squad.  The squad conducted a fierce firefight to recover Billy's body-Starting a tradition that no SEAL is left behind.   Roger carried Billy back thru the Jungle to the LCM that was coxswained by PO Rauch.   For this action Roger received the Bronze star.

Roger was quickly becoming a legend among the sailors at Nha Be.  One sailor, Jim Dickson said, "when I first met him he was wearing a black T shirt and his biceps were larger than my thigh.   The men said that they needed somebody that big to keep the SEAL'S shaped up" Jim volunteered for duty on the Might Moe and was seriously wounded when it was hit with Mortars and heavy bombardment.   When Jim regained consciousness the first thing he recalled was Roger standing over him working on him-He credits Roger with saving his life. Roger was a mother hen for the men, always providing encouragement and doing most of the cooking of the SEARATS, his favorite ingredient was MEXI-PEP Hot Sauce.   His favorite saying during times of stress were "How Sweet it is".

Detachment Golf paved the way for many SEALS to come, and provided the infrastructure for future SEAL Operations.     Roger and the group returned to the Strand and Roger was assigned as the CMAA of SEAL Team ONE.   He was instrumental indoctrinating the new men reporting on board.   He did not mince words and told them that they should keep their ears and eyes open and their mouths shut and if they were to survive in the Teams.   Roger was highly instrumental in helping with the instruction and training and was always a source of accurate information and guidance to the men in the Teams.  Roger made numerous deployments to Vietnam.

In l970 Roger was advanced to CWO-1.   Upon making CWO-1 he had to transfer out of the Team and accepted a billet at UnderwaterSwimSchool, and later served with SEAL Team TWO, and retired in l973 as a CWO-2.  Roger was a very talented man and was successful in any endeavor he under took.  He sold real estate, refurbished houses and later was an Able Bodied Seaman for Exxon. 

Roger is survived by his much loved wife Sandra Rauch Moscone, his step-daughter Brandi, 3 daughters and a son from his first marriage, Michele, Christina, Teresa and son David, and four grandchildren Rachael, Ryan, Halley and Gianna.

Roger will be missed at the Reunions, as he was a fixture and a volunteer.  However, we are sure that there is a BIG REUNION up above and those Pearly Gates are wide open with a party of his Teammates, as Roger did like to Party.

The memorial service for Roger will be held at 1:00 p.m. on  23 March 2007 at the Naval Amphibious Base Chapel in Coronado, CA.  A celebration of Roger's Life will be held immediately following the service at the Fleet Reserve located at 667 Silver Strand Boulevard, Imperial Beach, CA.  Friends and teammates are encouraged to attend.  Those wishing to honor Roger at the memorial service or the Fleet Reserve, please contact Susie Rauch (susierauch@aol.com).

Donations in Roger's name may be made to the Naval Special Warfare Foundation (Scholarship Fund), P.O. Box 5965, Virginia Beach, VA23471 or the San Diego Hospice, 4311 3^rd Avenue, San Diego, CA92103.  Please note that the donation is made in honor of Roger Moscone.

Condolences may be sent to Mrs. Sandra Moscone 757 Emory Street, PMB 546 Imperial Beach, CA 91932

JOHN Paul McGRAW, Sr. (S&R 6)

A respected educator, mentor and coach to many, a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather died September, 9th, he was 86 years old.  He was a resident of the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson, Louisiana.

He was born on July 14, 1920 in Baton Rouge.  A graduate of Baton Rouge High School John obtained his B.A. Degree from SLI, and Master's Degree from LSU.  He began his educational career teaching primarily History.  He also coached sports in St. Mary Parish and Iberia Parish.  He was promoted to Principal of New Iberia High School, and then served as Assistant Superintendent of Iberia Parish in 1968.  He retired in 1978.

He was a veteran of World War II, serving as a Navy Lieutenant.  Before the designation of modern day special forces known as the Navy Seals, John was one of the original, never before attempted small corps of skilled fighting men, called the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team - The Frogmen of WW II.  John was honored with a Silver Star for gallantry in the invasion of Okinawa in March 1945, and multiple other declarations for bravery and service.  He served in UDT 17

The family will receive visitors at the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson Louisiana from 10am till 11am with funeral services at 11am, conducted by Rev. Mark Crosby.  Interment will be at the Garden of Peace, Evergreen Memorial Park in Denham Springs, Louisiana at 2pm. He is survived by three children:  daughter- Joanne Guillory, Plano, Texas; son-John Paul McGraw, Jr., Denham Springs, and son-Sidney F. McGraw, Houston, Texas; a brother, O.M. (Buddy) Pourciau, Baton Rouge; a sister L. Carol (Doll) Pourciau Hopper, New Orleans; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 30 years, Flora McGraw; his parents Sidney Joseph and Lillian McGraw; and brothers, Sidney Joseph McGraw and Frank A. McGraw; and a sister Florence (Sis) McGraw Evans.

Memorial donations may be sent to The First Methodist Church of Baton
Rouge, 930 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, 70802 or to the American Diabetes
Association, PO Box 1131, Fairfax, Va.22038

                         I do not have a photo of him:   Doc Riojas

       Teammate 'Leaping Larry' LePage R.I.P.

     
                           
                                           Master Diver MCPO Joe Bates

From: John Roberts doubleknitkid [at] yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008
To: Teamates & Friends
Subject: CPO Larry LePage 

Teammates and Friends, 

Our old friend and Teammate 'Leaping Larry' LePage passed away a little over two months ago. I had the pleasure of knowing him for many years, from our time in the Teams on the Silver Strand in the late '60's up until recently in Louisiana. 

For the last dozen years or so I was his unofficial 'Duty Driver' there on the Westbank. Though Larry could be a bit of a pain in the ass at times, as many of you know, he was a good guy at heart, and I recall our many escapades and adventures with much affection. During his final illness I was out of the country, and another good friend of many years, both of mine and Larry's, stepped in to render all the assistance he possibly could to a dying Shipmate. 

Joe Bates was with Larry nearly every day from the time he learned of his illness right up to the time he passed away, and at the request of Larry's daughters, took possession of Larry's remains after cremation. 

I had the honor of taking possession of Larry's ashes from this fine friend, CPO and Master Diver Joe Bates, and I brought them with me to San Diego to return to his family. Friends of Larry's signed the attached letter I have just sent to CPO Bates in appreciation of his noble service to a Shipmate. 

I also include photos of when I took possession from Joe, and of where his ashes rested at Rat Miller's in Texas until the two of us brought Larry the rest of the way home, home to the Silver Strand where he spent the best years of his life. 

I was able to talk to many of Larry's friends while in San Diego, friends from his Class #19, from Team 11 and SEAL Team 1. 

Without exception they all remembered Larry fondly and every one had some sort of story to tell and every Man Jack of them considered Larry to have been a good operator. His awards received in the heat of combat in Viet Nam also attest to this. No SEAL could ask for a better epitaph. 

Larry had many friends in the New Orleans area as well, friends from the days after his retirement from the Navy when he was a Diving Supervisor for Taylor Diving & Salvage, and in the years after that when he was a Diving Consultant and Welding Inspector. Three of the best of these who did many favors for Larry, especially after his stroke, were Mike Large, Rocky Mandible and Butch Jones. SEAL Roy Grey also was a part of this group prior to his death. 

Farewell Larry, you were an ornery old SOB but we loved you and you were a damn fine Teammate as well. 

Rest in Peace, 
John Roberts

Doc Riojas, A friend sent this to me today.    FYI. 

Captain Larry Bailey  (SEAL) USN Retired

From: Karl & Karla Crowder
To: Bailey, Larry Bailey
Sent: Friday, October 10, 2008
Subject: "The Silver Fox, "moose" Boitnott, US Navy SEAL 
Larry, 

Last week I was up in Virginia visiting one of my High School class mates and he was showing me around New Castle (a little north of Roanoke) where he has built a Chalet in the mountains. He took me over to Jackie Boitnott's place who was moving out of the mountains since her husband died last year and she couldn't keep up the place alone. 

We were talking and I found out that he had been a Navy SEAL during the 60's. I felt that you may have known him, so my friend Tommy Palmer gave me a copy of the local newspaper article about his death. Attached is the article as best I can scan it in from the copy I was given. 

I have been to Virginia several times since I last saw you. We have a house in Wytheville (my mother and father's old home place) that we have been renting for years since my mothers death back in 1996. The tenant will be moving out Nov. 1, 

So I will have to go back up then. Karla and I will be going to Jacksonville, FL in a couple of weeks to go to her High School Class' 50th reunion. That should be a ball since her class seems to be a party group. We will keep you in our plans for sometime in the future. In the meantime have a good day! 

Karl Crowder                                        

The New York Times WASHINGTON
By Mark Mazzetti and Eric SchmittCarter DoughertyAndrew Pollack
March 10, 2009

http://tech.mit.edu/V129/N11/shorts1.html

The commander of a secretive branch of America’s Special Operations forces in February ordered a halt to most commando missions in Afghanistan, reflecting a growing concern that civilian deaths caused by U.S. firepower are jeopardizing broader goals there.

The halt, which lasted about two weeks, came after a series of nighttime raids by Special Operations troops in recent months killed women and children, and after months of mounting outrage in Afghanistan about civilians killed in air and ground strikes. The order covered all commando missions except those against the highest-ranking leaders of the Taliban and al-Qaida, military officials said.

U.S. commanders in Afghanistan rely on the commando units to carry out some of the most delicate operations against militant leaders, and the missions of the Army’s Delta Force and classified Navy Seals units are never publicly acknowledged. But the units sometimes carry out dozens of operations each week, so any decision to halt their missions is a sign of just how worried military officials are that the fallout from civilian casualties is putting in peril the overall U.S. mission in Afghanistan, including an effort to drain the Taliban of popular support.