March 28, 2023 - Navy SEAL Museum
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Lynnette and I checked out the Navy SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, Florida. It was much more than I expected; they did a great job with it.
Why is the Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce? .Although not formally founded until 1962, the modern-day U.S. Navy SEALs trace their roots to World War II. The United States Military recognized the need for the covert reconnaissance of landing beaches and coastal defenses. As a result, the joint Army, Marine Corps, and Navy Amphibious Scout and Raider School was established in 1942 at Fort Pierce, Florida. So this is where it all began.
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Outside the entrance to the museum is a no-kidding real obstacle course. This group was running it, I believe.
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That motto on the horizontal log "The only easy day was yesterday" pretty much sums it up regarding the SEALs work ethic.
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| SEAL stands for Sea Air and Land. This exhibit listed all the state of the art underwater equipment a SEAL carries. |
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This exhibit shows all the state of the art equipment a SEAL carries on land. And believe me, not only do they know how to use it, but they train with it constantly.
You don't want to be going up against a SEAL team. They have latest and best equipment, they are well trained and proficient, they are in exceptional shape, and most of all, they never give up.
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| A model of Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, only .8 miles from the Pakistan Military Academy. On 2 May 2011 the compound was raided by SEAL Team Six with support from CIA operatives on the ground. That was it for the evil mastermind behind 9/11 where 2,977 innocents died. |
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| A display of SEAL weapons. |
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On April 9, 2009, the Maersk Alabama hijacking began when four pirates in the Somali Basin seized the U.S. cargo ship Maersk Alabama at a distance of 240 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, Somalia. On Sunday, 12 April, United States Navy SEAL snipers of Red Squadron, Naval Special Warfare Development Group armed with semi-automatic rifles engaged and killed the three pirates on the lifeboat. Captain Phillips was rescued uninjured. (You may be more familiar with the 2013 film Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks.)
This is the actual Maersk Alabama lifeboat.
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This nifty Utility Terrain Vehicle allows four SEALs to get around any kind of terrain.
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| A special ops H-60 flying a night mission. |
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Carrying a special VIP passenger!
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| So, you think you have what it takes to be a SEAL? But can you do this? |
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I had a SEAL as an instructor for one of my classes at the Naval Academy. Someone asked me how he made it through the BUD/S training and Hell Week. I remember him saying, "I just didn't want to ring that bell."
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| Three SEALs have become astronauts. I did not know that. |
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UDT weapons during World War II.
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| German weapons during World War II. |
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UDT knives.
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| Funky-looking underwater vehicles for SEALs. |
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| A well-done memorial to all those SEALs and UDTs who have died in the line of duty. |
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A long, sleek Mark Five Special Operations Craft. It can carry five crew and 16 fully-equipped SEALs at 40+ knots.
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| An SOC-6 High Speed Assault Craft, manned by a crew of 3 and capable of carrying 12 fully-equipped SEALS at 40+ knots. This specific boat is a veteran of Desert Storm. |
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| A mini-sub called "The Button" which allows SEALs to be transported underwater. |
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One of the things I remember about a visit to the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee is that an organization could commission a barrell of Jack. Looks like some SEALs went and did that. Pretty cool.
I really enjoyed visiting the SEAL Museum; highly recommended.
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