WWII U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team members were

the first Commandos to be called "Operators".

 

This unique term was used because the original Navy Frogmen

went on "Operations" not  "Missions". Having evolved from the UDTs, SEALs also became known as Operators and prior to

9-11 were the only unit to use this title. After 9-11... the term was ripped off by just about everyone in the military not assigned to a basic infantry unit.

 

"Operator" according to the old school SEAL Glossary: 

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A true SEAL Operator can surreptitiously slip in and out of

enemy territory and your girlfriend's panties with equal ease.

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SEALs never call themselves SEALs...

 

They refer to each other as Frogmen, Frogs, and Team Guys. The term "Frogman" originates from the nickname given to the WWII Underwater Demolition Teams by the media. SEALs use it as a term of endearment and as a gesture of respect for their history and forefroggers.

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Hoo-Yah is the battle cry of the BUD/S trainee.

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Hoo-Yah has almost as many uses as the word F**K. It can be used to show motivation, excitement, courage, and just about any other emotion depending on the emphasis. The term Hoo-Yah was first coined by a UDT Training instructor in the early 1950's on a fluke. As the Tadpoles practiced night surf passage in their small rubber rafts he made them scream Hoo-yah to show courage in the face of great peril while negotiating the 10 foot breaking waves on a cold winter's night. 

 

Why Hoo-Yah? Because night surf passage in heavy surf is frightening and not a good time, so the trainees were made to yell Hoo-Yah... which of course is Yah-Hoo backwards. It is still screamed today by SEAL trainees, both individually and in unison as a gesture of extreme motivation in the worst of conditions and most challenging circumstances.

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UDT/SEAL Commandos do not wear underwear.

 

... In the field or at home. This is because in the early days of UDT training it became obvious that if you are going to operate in the water and on the beach that skivvies are detrimental. They retain saltt, grit, and debris causing severe chafing and poor hygiene. Because of this unique Team Guy tradition the term "Going Commando" was coined in the civilian world.

 

Frogmen don't wear them at home because they like a high sperm count and the easy access... but mainly because they just don't own any.

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Frogman DNA

 

What are the defining historical factors and personal characteristics that truly set the SEAL Teams apart from all the other U.S. Special Operations Forces...

 

In 1943 Draper Kauffman was tasked with creating the Underwater Demolition Teams and designing their training program. UDT's were considered so important that he was given a blank check and the authority to do whatever it took to immediately bring the UDT teams on line.

 

Instead of recruiting a team of only Navy instructors, he searched every branch of service and the private sector for men who were at the top of their respective fields. If you were the best; then Draper Kauffman recruited you and it was inconsequential if you were Army, Navy, Air Corp, Marine or civilian. Once the training cadre was completely assembled there were specialists and experts from every corner of the military and civilian world. Beings this was (the) pivotal moment in Spec-War evolution, it had an everlasting effect on the Teams and Team Guys.

 

See... Marines are 100% U.S. Marine Corps; Army Special Forces are 100% Army and so on. Every other SOF was born and raised by their "Parent" organization and therefore limited to certain developmental and operational boundaries.

 

The Teams on the other hand were born and raised by their "Fun Uncles" from all branches, with little to no influence from their "Parent" organization and their traditions. This gave UDTs a far greater scope of development and instilled a free thinking mindset. Because Frogmen were not restricted to the influence of a single guardian and were given free rein to succeed by any means possible, they developed  what would be considered a limitless and boundless perspective on everything. Frogmen think as much or more like a civilian professional than they do as a military operator.

 

No other existing military unit has a creation story of this nature and is the primary reason that their combat success record is second to none. Essentially... The UDT/SEAL Teams are a product of their own creation built by their own hand... an immaculate conception if you will. 

 

Over the years while operating on tiny budgets and very little attention from their Navy parent the Teams continued to look after themselves, create their own programs, and build their own reputation. Anyone who served in the Teams between 1943 and 1983 will tell you that the Teams were the "Redheaded Stepchildren" of the Navy; only now in the modern day does the Navy look at the Teams as their Fair-Haired Boy. Twice in their history Frogmen have been on the brink of extinction...

 

The Teams have gone from being the swim trunk wearing, knife weilding"Naked Warrior"to the best equipped, well-funded, and most highly effective special operations force on the planet. This a testament to not only their resourcefulness, but their natural ability to adapt, evolve, and survive at any cost.

 

This is the epitome of the Frogman's favorite saying... It pays to be a winner.

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The Last Frogmen

Frogmen in Vietnam were without a doubt the fullest and best realization of what the U.S. Navy UDT Operator was envisioned to be. From the enemy fortified beaches of the South Pacific in 1943, to the frigid mine infested waters of Korea in 1953, onto the jungles and river deltas of South East Asia in 1963, the Naked Warrior had evolved into hard-hitting high speed amphibious commandos capable of operating effectively in any combat environment.

Arguably the most versatile unit operating in South East Asia, the Underwater Demolition Teams openly engaged in every type of unconventional amphibious jungle warfare conceivable. As the SEAL Teams focused on very specific types of special operations, the UDTs rogered-up for any combat mission that contained three irresistible Frogman elements… Water, Danger, and High Explosives. While the newly formed SEAL Teams built a solid reputation as the Masters of Disruption, the UDTs maintained their legendary status as the Masters of Destruction.

Similar to today’s SEALs, UDTs often operated in “Detachments” instead of platoons, and were often whored out in small numbers to carryout extremely dangerous missions that no other military unit was qualified to do… or dared to do. In the enduring spirit of the Naked Warrior, these extremely resourceful and courageous men primarily relied on stealth and concealment while operating in very small numbers with little or no support utilizing minimal gear and carrying only light arms.

While operating in support of the Brown Water Navy, these double cap crimpin’ Frogmen conducted countless demo raids successfully destroying hundreds of enemy structures, underwater/low tide tunnel complexes, small arms bunkers, strategic bridges, ports, and patrol/transport vessels. UDTs routinely dodged deadly Viet Cong sniper fire while surveying hundreds of miles of enemy held coastline and would often enage the North Vietnamese Army while conducting Direct Action operations deep behind enemy lines.

As the undisputed explosives experts of the U.S. military, UDTs were in very high demand and often tasked with disarming various Viet Cong IEDs and booby traps creatively assembled from captured military ordinance. Bouncing Betty anti-personnel mines designed to castrate, vehicle smashing shape charges, and large unexploded aerial bombs wrapped in concertina wire were all disabled or blown in place by the steady-handed steely-eyed Frogmen.

 

True to their roots, these combat savvy operators performed many variations of the traditional UDT mission by clearing critical waterways of enemy laid obstacles while charting safe passage and riding Shotgun aboard many U.S. and allied naval vessels. UDT Operators also participated in a number of joint military operations and tasked with providing medical care to South Vietnamese villagers trapped within enemy controlled territory, and conducting waterborne search and recovery operations for American G.I.s killed in action along the many riverbanks of the Mekong Delta.

During the entire eight years of Underwater Demolition Team involvement in Vietnam, (1962-1970) only four UDT operators lost their lives to enemy action. This is a true testament to the UDT’s combat skill and operational prowess. Unfortunately Vietnam was to be the UDT’s final war and the beginning of the end for the famed Naked Warrior.

The legendary Underwater Demolition Teams slowly faded over the decade following Vietnam then passed away unceremoniously in 1983 ushering in the modern era of U.S. Naval Special Warfare. For exactly forty years the Underwater Demolition Teams were considered the unequivocal masters of aquatic warfare and will go down in the annals of American military history as one of the most unique and influential special operations units ever to serve this great nation.

UDT Frogmen have a glorious past and a combat record that is second to none. They have always epitomized the term “Commando” and will forever conjure up fantastic tales of hard men and high adventure in the hearts and minds of the American public.

 

         More To Come!
 

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