SEAL clubbers
Stars & Stripes/Associated Press writes about some of our friends today – the guys who expose phoney SEALs.
A retired Navy SEAL from Virginia who devotes much of his time to outing the phonies said he’s receiving 40 to 50 inquiries a day from people suspicious of claims by friends, neighbors or colleagues who say they’re SEALs. Their doubts are usually confirmed with just a few checks.
The Naval Special Warfare Command also receives a steady stream of inquiries about possible SEALs, the vast majority of which are debunked, said Lt. Cate Wallace, spokeswoman for the command in California.
And Larry Bailey, a retired SEAL from Chocowinity, N.C., estimates he and friends who are former SEALs have exposed 35,000 phonies through the years.
“There were about 500 SEALs that operated in Vietnam, and I’ve met all 20,000 of them,” Waterman joked.
In fact, I just contacted Larry Bailey the other day when one of you sent me a link to a guy who claimed to be a SEAL. Captain Bailey confirmed the guy was legit saving us some embarrassment. That’s happened several times over the years.
Category: Phony soldiers
One way to “out” a phony Ranger is to ask his class number. No real Ranger ever forgets that. Do SEALS also have a Class number that would help in verifying them?
I have one in mind, who happens to have the last name of “Seals”. Personally, I think he was a “Sewerpipe Sailor”, but he has made mention of being a SEAL, as I remember. He talks much of Key West, but of the time that was when the subs were stationed there.
Speaking of SEALs anyone see this site?
FO–yes, they do. While much less common, phony submariners and nukes pop up from time to time. It’s also easy to trip them up as well. Some things you NEVER forget. Hell, I left the Navy over a decade ago and I can still remember every switch manipulation, log entry, and notification required during a reactor startup.
FO – yes. A buddy who is a SEAL said to ask them their BUDs class number and the name of their swim buddy. You can’t be a SEAL and not go through BUDs (with the exception of a VERY few corpsmen who went on missions in Vietnam and were made SEALs retroactively).
#3: Sparky — +1
I’ve only met a few people claiming to have been nukes, generally they were nuke waste. I find it interesting that someone would claim to be a nuke if they weren’t, considering most non-nukes thought of us as weird! Every nuke I know remembers their A school and/or power school class number and the special oddities of their particular Prototype.
And FWIW, I’ve been out for 7 yrs and I can still recite casualty procedure actions. Even had a dream a few weeks ago I was doing S/G blowdowns–go figure! You’re right…some things you never forget.
Orlando–9708, S8G Ballston Spa 🙂
Squidthoughts #5:
Off topic: I actually went through A Nuke school. For warheads, but I reckon I’m one of a few who have actually hugged a nuclear warhead?
Don’t remember the course number, etc. It was in San Diego, I think? [grin]
Ponsdorf —
Further off topic: That is quite cool! I’d say you are indeed one of a few who can say that. I got an extreme case of the giggles once when I was standing on top of a reactor during an inspection, and nearly broke out in a bad show tune (in my head). “Look at me ma! I’m staaanding….on top…of the cooooore!”
Squidthoughts # 7:
Even after 40+ years I am hesitant to go into the details I DO remember, but… if we wanted to do a test shot of the missile we had take the warhead off and replace it with a telemetry head. My hugging was practical rather than kinda ghey. [grin] I heard stories about you bubbleheads so I figured I’d better add that.
Hmmmmmm…Sparky make rock hot. How the hell I ended up in the electric shop when I was RC-Div, oh well.
We are a m x (?d / ?t) to be reckoned with!
NPS 8801-5, NPTU S5G Idaho Falls
Zero–nukes don’t go through weapons training per se, that’s more for the WT’s (surface rating–might be outdated) and FTB’s/MT’s on the boomers. We just do a more rigorous version of MM, EM, or ET “A” schools at NFAS (first in Great Mistakes, then Orlando, now Charleston.)
NHSparky #9:
If we can get even further off topic: I was a MT/FTM. 1144 MOS. Went to school with a bubblehead or two. The MOS actually went through at least two mods while I was in (64-69). Surface MTs became FTMs, then my MOS became redundant (no-test missiles), I wound up in guns sorta. Fired shore bomb as gun captain for GQ. The rest, as they say, is history…