Saturday Evening Post looks at Hell Week
The folks at Saturday Evening Post sent us a link to their article excerpted from the book “Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior” by Rorke Denver in which Denver recounts his experiences of SEAL Hell Week at Coronado;
Then came the shout, “Surf torture!”—and we headed back to the water again.
“Lock arms!” the instructor demanded as we linked ourselves in a long human chain of interlocked elbows. We clenched our hands together in front of us.
“Forward march!”
We marched together into the surf. It couldn’t have been more than 52 or 53 degrees in there. We walked farther out until the water was chest-high on most of us.
“Halt!” the instructor said.
Then “Take seats!”
That’s where the real torture began. We floated along in this armlocked line, bouncing in the rough surge of the Pacific, catching breaths when we could, as the constant waves smashed over our heads.
Boom, boom, boom. The waves kept breaking over us.
With all the strength we had, we were holding on to each other and trying to keep our heads up in the great wash cycle of the Pacific as our battered bodies were tossed helplessly around. Water was rushing over us, into our eyes, mouths, and noses. Sand and sea life were in the whirling mix. It was a hugely disorienting experience.
The Saturday Evening Post folks also sent us a link to their Pinterest photo gallery of past covers of their magazine which honor the troop.
Category: Real Soldiers
And most of those douchenozzles who claim to be SEALs wouldn’t last past the first morning of Hell Week.
I dunno about the rest of you, but if I were to wade into water that’s chest deep on me, and then sit down, I would drown.
A friend of mine who was a Combat controller, was first a SEAL. He went through both indoc’s. I asked him one time why after 11 years as a SEAL he came to CCT. He said he got tired of freezing his a$$ off all the time. I agree with #1, most wouldn’t last the first day.
I’m skeptical. Was the author, Rorke Denver, actually a SEAL?
Master Sergeant–the surge’ll pick you up long enough to catch your breath, if you’re lucky. And on Coronado, it can get pretty “interesting” where they train. I watched a class once doing surf entry/boat drills. Yeah, no thanks.
I learned to dive and for a while was pretty good at it. But the big difference was, for the first 4-5 years I did it all in Hawaii and Guam where I was stationed, and the water temps were over 80 degrees pretty much year round. Get to San Diego, and the water temps on the surface might be 70 on a calm day, but low- to mid-50’s just a little under the surface. That’s where you find out who likes to dive, and who LOVES to dive. Even with a 5 mm full wetsuit, it gets cold FAST.
Hey, that’s SEAL training, lying on a sunny beach with a smiling face as a soft surf washes over your body? Looks like fun. As a matter of fact, I did when I was a kid. Jones Beach, Field 4. Tat time.
Looking at the Post’s awesome gallery of previous covers with a military theme, every one of them left the viewer of just what a noble and just cause our involvement in WWI and WWII were.
With absolutely no disrespect to the post-depression, WWII veteran, I continue to believe that the members of the true “Greatest Generation” were those who answered the call during the Vietnam years. That was also David Bellavia’s view in the video posted of him last week from the American Legion conference.
The support for the WWI and II generation from the home front was exemplified by those magazine covers. The warrior who answered the call during Vietnam, usually did so with indifference at best and with scorn and disdain from his own generational peers at the worst.
There might be some Saturday Evening Post covers from Vietnam, but I’d bet against it. Certainly none making Vietnam look like a true crusade against the evils of Communism, like these depict against the Axis.
It’s obvious to all of us who read this blog, but it was the “national collective guilt” of how terribly those returning vets were treated, that allowed those of us returning from Iraq or Afghanistan to receive almost embarrassing applause when coming through the Atlanta Airport.
That was motivating
It’s great to see positive stories being published.
Makes me want to throat punch a poser.
These men are ten feet tall in my eyes, and I can’t imagine how they do what they do. Prayers out for all of them, wherever they are.
And when the duty day ended…they got to go to the chow hall and go to the barracks and sleep in a warm bed. Some who live off base (officers) went home and were fed by their wives/girlfriends and go massages. Then they got up early the next day for some more…
Damn Few was pretty good, although I was disappointed that Rorke Denver never made it to Denver to sign copies.
He frequently answers questions about being a SEAL commander and his role in Act of Valor on his Facebook page, very interesting.
Good man.
Good article. I read it last night after picking up the mail.