USNavy SEALs Hasbeans Page TEN
Ty and another Phoney Getter
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UDT-SEAL Museum Requesting History on Cold War Operations&ie:&
Operation Urgent Fury
From: Ruth McSween& Sent:& Wednesday, June 22, 2016 To:&&&& Bill Bruhmuller -; Dante Stephensen -; Doc Riojas -;
Gerhard Klann -; Hector Delgado -; Kag Cagnoni -; Randy Rhodes -; Rick Woolard -; Ron Yeaw -; Tom Hawkins - Cc: Rick K
Ken Corona Subject: Cold War Operations&
Gentlemen,&
You're receiving this email because the museum needs your help. As you know we're working on the new "Cold War" gallery.
One of the most difficult tasks is complying the text for each display - it is important that we get the history correct.
Because you were a part of these ops or have knowledge of them we hope that you will help us not only get it right, but
add interesting little known facts to the story.&
Attached are the topics we plan to focus on. Most of the attached information is from articles, books and the internet.
If you can add anything that could make them more about UDT/SEAL involvement and less generic we'd be grateful. It can be
in bullet format or a novel. Any and all info is appreciated. Editing as well as comments are also welcome.
Additionally,
if there is someone you know personally that may have direct knowledge about any of our topics, please let us know.
Thank you.&
Ruth McSween Curator Navy SEAL Museum&
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Rick Woolard& To:&&& me, Ron, Ruth, Bill, Dante, Gerhard, Hector,
Kag, Randy, Tom, Rick,
I Didn't watch the documentary in Doc's link - it lost me when the narrator got the pronunciation of Grenada wrong.
The people who live there there say Grenayda, not Grenahda.&
But some of the guys I know who were on the operation are Duke Leonard, Dennis
Chalker, Rich Hansen, Bill Davis
(Gov Schoon rescue), Luke Cass and Kim Erskine (Radio Tower), and Bob Gormly and Dennis Johnson (overall).&
They can steer you to others who were there.&
Rick Woolard&
Bradley M Glass& R.I.P.&
Class 37, E.C.
Jerry V Ron Yeaw, Al Ebner, Bob Henry, Jim McMahon
Middle Row: Gordy Boyce, Ty Zellers, Roberto Ramos, Bob Delaine, Jim Ewin
Front row: Chuck Bledsoe, Jerry Watters, Curtis Ashton, Bob Bryant
the passing of Ronald &Ronnie& Howell Cates, 64, of Live Oak,
Florida on 19 July 2015.
Ronnie graduated with Class 101 on 30 March 1979 in Coronado, California and
served with UDT-21 and is a Plank Owner in SEAL Team SIX. He loved to go
canoeing, exploring, and diving in the cave springs of northFlorida and spending
time with his family. Originally Ron nie was from Forest Park and graduated from
Forest Park High School in 1969. He continued his education and earned a Masters
Degree from Troy State University.
&&&& .45 pistol
a really good one !
Joe Camp Tribute in
the making
Re: Request for Assistance -
Joe Camp Tribute From: Gregory Austin Walker&
Skip and I are working on a tribute article for &The Blast& regarding
Joe Camp.&
We have a great deal of information to include Joe's military record and FOIAs
from the Camp Family, Skip and me. Also, we're in touch with the Camp Family and
they provided the great photos and family archives. Greg Higgens, Joe's nephew,
was in touch with you while doing his own search in 2003 - and you responded -
letting him know Joe had passed while working as a &plumber& in NIC.&
Which is true.&
I have copy of that email and others Greg heard back from to include Rudy B and
&Hoot& Andrews.&
I have a few questions for you regarding Joe / Bobby Osborne (Bobby's business
card was found in Joe's wallet after his disappearance / death - Bob N took
possession of the wallet on July 27, 78 - when he and Osborne went to Managua
looking for answers. Bob arranged a meeting with then President Somoza and his
son, then Major Somoza.&
Bobby Osborne apparently - although he did not disclose this to Bob - had been
down in Managua on June 2, 1978, and met with Joe (we have the US embassy cable
traffic to STATE) and was going to take a leave and work for Joe teaching
selected Guardia National EOD skills. Joe disappeared but Osborne stayed at the
El Camino Hotel, same as where Joe was living, for about a week before going
back to the Naval Surface Weapons base at Ft. Lauderdale where he was assigned
at the time.&
He was highly pissed about Joe's going missing, had his own theory, and Bob flew
down and met with him and then bought him a ticket and took him to Managua on
July 27th - Bob was intimate with what Joe was doing in NIC, as is Skip, and
this part of the story we tell in the tribute to Joe as a Navy SEAL.&
If okay I'll send you the questions - if you can help that would be great -
we're seeking to bring closure for the Camp Family through this effort and do do
right by Joe.&
from: Greg Walker&
Subj: Joe Camp Photos
1st photo of Joe in the Bahamas 1965 is (Left to Right) Lt Dorant (Mustang
officer), Doc McCarthy (Corpsman), and Joe.&
2nd photo of Joe in the Bahamas is (Left to Right) Joe adjusting face mask and
Durwood White going over the side.&
3rd Photo is Joe after winning the 1975 NAB Decathlon. His nearest competitor
was ten years his junior!&
4th Photo is Joe completing the swimming event at the decathlon.&
5th Photo is Joe and Brenda at their wedding in 1962.&
Photos of oe at the decathlon are from Bob Nissley's collection.&
Those others are from the Camp Family Archives.&
We are using these and others for the story - Please use your throw weight with
Jim Madison and others to see &The Blast& publish it as a Tribute - it
will be in-depth, documented, exclusive narrative and Skip/Bob's/my way of
living our shared ethos to never leave a fallen comrade behind regardless of
Service or SpecOps unit.&
Your warrior brother,&
5 Attachments Preview attachment Camp Bahamas 1965.jpg [Image] Preview
attachment joe in the bahamas 2b.jpg [Image] Preview attachment JOE 2.jpg
[Image] Preview attachment JOE 1.jpg [Image] Preview attachment joes marriage to
brenda2.jpg [Image]&
Moran?, Fred Mc Carthy, Joe Camp
Skip Crane &Joseph Camp Goes Missing in
Nicaragua in 1978&
As we discussed the other day I'll be completing the review draft for you and the others Cc'd by early evening (Sunday).&
I'll then email to ALCON for review/suggestions/corrections.&
Please take your time with it as we want best input from "eyes on" for best final product.&
I am expecting some additional details / documentation over the next 10 days or so which can be melted into the main body of content.
For example, the NCIS FOIA I'm expecting
has not arrived in the time frame given - I believe they are going over it with fine tooth comb as Joe's surviving family submitted for same information (we double tapped them).
I'm sure FOIA folks want to ensure they send same-same to both requesting parties.&
Also, Ray (Molina) was in contact with me last night.
He hopes to be in direct contact with his source today with additional information on Joe's body actually being discovered by the Guardia, as we discussed when I visited last.&
In specific last night he text "Solaun, is doubtful he will respond to any of this issues." - This a continuation of former AMB Solaun's initial discussions with me on this and other things then going quiet when I asked him about the possibility of the Guardia finding/reporting and attempting to return Joe's remains to US Embassy in late June 78.&
As noted - no response is a response...with caveat as you recommend.&
As Jim asked I'll work up the photos we have - which are very good (about 15 for Jim and Kara to work with) and caption them.&
Doc Riojas was good enough to post some selected photos of Joe on his website last week.
As you know he had none of Joe - now the site has a nice presentation of him - which may encourage other teammates to get in touch with more observations/information - and the Camp family is once again surprised and pleased.&
Doc's effort may lead us to Joe's adult son, Marc.
He's been out of contact with the Camp family for ten years now - has sad/angry feelings about his dad as Joe died when he was just 12 - this effort may just help Marc look at Joe in more compassionate light today and reunite with the Camps.&
Anyhow - it's a love Sunday morning here - will have this out tonight and await you-all's input / guidance / direction.&
Respectfully,&
Hey Greg - Thanks for update.
Even though it's been almost four decades of distorted accounts associated with Joe's death, this well sourced and documented article serves to set the record straight and allow his family and the special operations community to view Joe's death, as well as Mike, Chuck and Bobby's,
as part of a just and noble cause.&
On the other hand, President Carter's policy towards Nicaragua and mistakes in handling President Somoza's demarche, resulted in unintended consequences and another rousing good story that is also a cautionary tale.&
This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from
Lt-Rt:&& ?,& Bill Goines,& ?,& Joe
Camp,& ?&&
Brenda and Joe Camp getting Married
For the historical record - Mike Echanis / SEAL Team Two
From: Greg Walker&
to: me, scrane, seapoacher Doc Riojas
As you know many folks over the years have speculated or questioned or denied
that Mike Echanis formally instructed for ST TWO.&
Although, as Bob has pointed out several times, Mike's July 77 demonstration at
Little Creek during the reunion pretty much knocked everyone's socks off.&
For the historical record (as you are pretty much the guru of UDT SEAL history),
I've attached one of the best photos of Mike taken during the 77 demo, and the
official memorandum for record signed by LCDR Bruce Van Heertum naming Mike as
ST TWO's senior civilian instructor in H2H and Special Tactics/Weapons.&
Marcinko brought Mike to teach at A.P. Hill when he commanded ST TWO. When he
turned the Command over Van H redid the original memo as you see it.&
That memo is in the official documents attachment in the Zip folder along with
Mike's other official documentation from Ft Bragg/JFK.&
It was Mike who recruited Joe in August 77 for NIC - with Joe retiring in Nov 77
then heading down several months later.&
Mike, Chuck Sanders (SF) and Bobby Lee Nguyen were KIA on September 8, 1978, in
an aviation crash in southern NIC about 90 days after Joe disappeared / died in
From FOIA STATE/NCIS and Jimmy Carter Library documents it appears Joe was
killed on June 10, 1978. We have a FOIA coming to me in another week which may
add further support to that date.&
For your review -
FREDERICK E. TRANI,
JR.&&&&& R.I.P.
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His Silver Star Citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with friendly
foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against Communist insurgent forces on
the hostile island of Cu Lao Dung, Ba Xuyen Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 26
July 1967. While leading a small combat patrol, Lieutenant Trani, serving with
SEAL Team Detachment Alpha, encountered and subsequently was surrounded by a
numerically superior enemy force. Unable to maneuver out of the enemy
encirclement, Lieutenant Trani attempted to contact supporting helicopters by
radio, but before he could effectively communicate his unit's position, he
experienced radio failure. Undaunted by the lack of communications with
supporting arms, he maneuvered his small unit into a tight defensive position.
Though pinned down by constant enemy automatic weapons and rifle fire in a
position that afforded only minimal protection for himself and his squad, and
despite growing uncertainty of the arrival of assistance, Lieutenant Trani
courageously moved among his men and succeeded in keeping morale high. Faced
with a limited supply of ammunition and the imminent threat of a coordinated
enemy attack that might easily overrun his small unit, he methodically employed
every conceivable means to attract the attention of armed helicopters which he
could hear operating in the distance. Four unnerving hours passed before the
armed helicopters arrived to assist his beleaguered unit. Able to employ only
primitive methods, he succeeded in marking his position for the helicopters and
directed their fire onto part of the Viet Cong forces surrounding him. He
directed another helicopter to a safe location to land for extraction of his
unit. He then organized his men and maneuvered them under continuing enemy fire
to the extraction craft without casualties or loss of a prisoner who later
yielded valuable intelligence information. Through his exemplary and
professional leadership, unwavering courage under fire and inspiring conduct
throughout a desperate situation, Lieutenant Trani upheld the highest traditions
of the United States Naval Service.
Mr Trani was KIA in Sept 68. His posthumous Legion of Merit says he was working with the LDNN at the time:&
As the Senior Advisor to the Vietnamese Navy SEALS, Lieutenant Trani provided advice and assistance to the SEALS in all matters pertaining to their training, utilization and administration. He participated in numerous combat operations and was often subjected to direct enemy fire. Through Lieutenant Trani's keen insight and outstanding professionalism, the Vietnamese Navy SEALS were reorganized, equipped and trained to conduct unconventional warfare type missions throughout the Republic of Vietnam. Their motivation and performance during many difficult and dangerous assignments is directly attributable to Lieutenant Trani's efforts.&
If I'm right, this was his second tour... which means his first tour was the one with Fred Miller, 4th Platoon, out of My Tho.
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&Oatis 揈ugene}