Fraternal
Order of the UWSS Key West FL
Fraternal
Order of the UWSS Key West FLIf you graduated (all US Military Services and civilians) from UWSS, were a staff member,at the UWSS Key West FL, you qualify to be a member! Associate memberships (non voting) only be a members recommendation.
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The Fraternal Order of the Underwater Swimmers School Key West FL |
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Reunion May 05 2002 |
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The Largest SEALs Photo Album in the entire WWW |
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LINKS on TRIPOD
"It pays to be a Winner!"
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by:
Erasmo"Doc"Riojas,
HMC, U.S.
Navy
(Ret.), (GED) |
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NavSpecWarGru
ARCHIVES:
www.navyfrogmen.com/by R.D. Russell (SEAL) & Pam in Ft. Collins, CO. |
" Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge - and more. To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures.
Divided, there is little we can do - for we
dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder."
-PRES. JOHN F. KENNEDY,
The Capitol, Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 1961
(exerpted from his Inaugural Speech)
"Today's Google News:" US Navy SEALs click on USNavy SEALs
Leif Babin awarded
Silver Star
Medal
Stephen
"Otter" Otten SEAL volunteers to be jailed in
Santa Anna CA.
Michael
A. Monsoor, SEAL, KIA
; another good article on Mike
Monsoor
LT. Moki Martin
(SEAL) receives Award for Heroic Action in Vietnam
Special Warfare Solutions
CPO Lance
M. Vaccaro (SEAL) killed in parachute landing fall (scroll
to bottom of page)
Don Mann (SEAL) SEAL
Training Adventures
The
Mike McQuillis Family you
will find Mike in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
New
US Submarines Trade
Nukes for SEALs
Navy Vice Adm. William
H. McRaven, Commander, Joint Special Operations Command
FIFTHs (1950)
FROGS and UDT-SEAL
Obituary Records and Frogman
LINKs
Senior
Chief
Thomas J. Valentine,
37, SEAL,
Killed in Parachute accident
Michael
E. Koch and Nathan H. Hardy (SEALs) KIAs
HERE !
Luis
Ariel Suffront (EOD) KIA Iraq, was working with SEALs
http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php#
Senior Chief Thomas J. Valentine, 37, SEAL, Killed in Parachute accident
Alex
Ghane (SEAL)
Killed in Training
LCDR
LINDA BALL's Photo ALbum, The best looking diver in the U.S. Navy !
Muster Ft.
Pierce 2007, Photo ALbum by
Per Erik "Swede" Tornblom (SEAL)
Dante's Down the
Hatch
Jason D. Lewis
(SEAL) KIA Iraq
Sufolk Police
Raid
(SEAL)Elbert Tillman's Barn
filled with
Military-Grade Explosives
Pete "The Pirate"Carolan (SEAL) his PATRIOT
SEAL Art Studio
CPO Mark T. Carter
(SEAL) KIA in Iraq, Dec 2007; A Blog for
him here.
CPO (SEAL) Mark
T. Carter, 27, was killed in Action Iraq Dec 2007
Marcus Colburn (SEAL)
broke every bone in his body
Booksigning, Lone
Survivor, Photo album of Katie Northrup
Michael P. Murphy,
MOH awarded posthumously. See the VIDEO!
"SEAL
JAVA Webs" by "Nightscribe" Mr .Rich Young God
Bless him. Thank you very much for all
your tributes to the U.S. Navy
SEALs Links.
Swim Fins for Super
Human Speeds
Mike McGreevy Scholarship
fund
Joseph Di
Martino (SEAL) RIP, my friend; my teamate;
a
memorial
Legislation
Would Designate the Ft. Pierce Museum the Official National Museum of Navy SEALs
LEWIS
& MC RILL (SEALs) KIA by I.E.D. Also DAUGHERTY, cryptologic
tech.
.
Click on sign to go to the Album
Petty
Officer Nguyen Van Kiet
: Vietnam
War: “It was their country. They deserve respect.”When
Hollywood made a movie about the dramatic rescue of a downed American pilot
during the Vietnam War, it left one man out: the South Vietnamese navy officer
who was a key member of the rescue team.
note: the two links I had
were removed from the
internet, xin loi !
Mr. Steve Schwarzer ABS
Master bladesmith since 1983; Need a
GREAT Knife?
Steve Elson LCDR (SEAL) Ret.
Navy
SEALs on Submarines
Nick Rocha helps Teamates Families
Clark sets World Fitness
Record
David Goggins (SEAL) wins
desert race
The Sole Survivor
SEAL Murphy, 29, was killed. So was SEAL Petty Officer
Danny Dietz, 25 and Matt Axelson .
But at
least one of the four Seals survived.
Photos of Luttrell are
HERE!
The entire Photo Album
is
HERE ! A
war hero from Huntsville, TX rues a decision made in Afghanistan
click on photo to enlarge it.
Auto Assault 12 / AA12 / Combat Shotgun check out this video !
The ROAT
(John) DEAL, the Off Shore Diver
Veterans Stand Guard Before Dietz
Statue Unveiled . Photos are
HERE.
Chief Warrant Officer (W2) Ronald
L. Tusi , RIP, ex- HM1
UDT-12
SpecWarGru Recruiting
Video with clips from Movies BUD/S class
234
Jack Walston (SEAL) PT Training in
Houston TX
Archie Grayson R.I.P.
Dec 13 2006
HM3(FMF) Christopher
Anderson KIA Iraq son of USNavy SEAL
Rudy
Boesch at Houston
Boat Show Jan 15 2005
Tribute to Jim
Hazelwood(SEAL)
Some SEALs offered
up to $125,000 to stay
SO3
Frederick C. Warneke
U.S. Navy SEAL
SEAL
Admiral retires after 33 years of active duty
SEAL 160 Ride Video
and their Web PAGE photos of the
ride.
The Quiet Professionals, All
Hands Article
Joseph
C. Shwedler KIA Iraq
U.S. Navy Commander (Ret.) Larry
Geisinger 34 year Vet.
Bob
Bureker's EOD web site
USNavy SEAL training BUD/S
and the Latest article
on BUD/S
Navy SEAL
Tom Mixon in Austin TX
U. S. Navy SEAL
Conditioning
LT. Herbert
M. Ruth, Sr. 1930-1980
Navy SEALs, US Marines Use
Positive Human Traits for Success
TONS! of SEAL and Specwar photos
HERE !
Navy
SEALs.com nice small store.
Xmas
Party Gulfcoast SEAL 2006
VERISEAL Imposter News (
Wannabe's, all kinds)
45 year Anniversary of the U. S. Navy SEALs,
Joe Di Martino
HM3 (FMF) SEAL's Son KIA
Iraq: C. Anderson another Photo of Chris
HERE.
New NavSPECWAR Command
for BUD/S Training
Kyle A. Nolen, HN (FMF) KIA
Iraq hometown Ennis TX
US
Navy SEALs ; the book
U.S.Navy Leapfrogs parachute
team
Pearl Harbor SEALs
KIAs
Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marc Alan Lee FIRST
SEAL KIA in Iraq
Henry Staples
SEAL dies
http://www.andover.edu/news/kristensen.htm Navy
SEAL KIA
Richard Marcinko (SEAL)"Rogue
Warrior" founder SEAL Team SIX
Eric Crandall completes
BUD/S, Contratulations! The only easy day was yesterday ! HooYah!
Stepheno "Mato"
Matulewicz (SEAL) with BLACKHAWK
Charlaie Aeschliman
(SEAL) Basketball Coach
Moor's Marauders, Divers looking for
MIA's Gerry Flowers USMC member UWSS
Stanley Carver, Korean
Era Frogman, now an Artist
Two SEALs awarded Navy
Crosses posthumously for action in Afganistan; & Navy
Times article
AO2 (SEAL) Marc Alan
Lee, 28, died during a firefight Aug. 2 in Ramadi, Iraq, More
HERE!
Special
forces stretched thin by two wars
CDR Ryan K. Zinke (SEAL)
awarded Bronze Star
Blackwater article and
MORE on Blackwater Deaths
with photos
Jack "Blackjack"
Macione RIP
Navy using SEALs for
recruiting
Gen.Patton speaks
from his grave.
SEAL
Leapfrogs at Aloha Bowl
GulfCoast
SEALs photos of their Dec 2005 Christmas
party
SEAL stealth
boat in the making
BUD/S Class 234 BLOG
by www.socnetcentral.com
BUY
the three DVD set of BUD/S
Class234
Jose Taylor
(SEAL) Dies Oct 16 2005
Website for SEAL
articles & photos
Ronald Gasper (SEAL) shoots
his SEAL brother; Bradley Jondahl (SEAL)
MOH - Navy Cross (SEALs)recepients
SEALville Photos on
freeserver.com
Chuck Pfarrer (SEAL) He
wrote the movie script for NAVY SEALs
UDT- SEAL articles on
Netfirms.com
Scott
Helvenston (SEAL) Died Iraq
Don
Devereaux Mann - Counter-Terrorism, Personal
Protection and Inspirational Speaker
Fallen SEALs
remembered and honored in Coronada CA
Neil Roberts
SEAL KIA more on these
SEALs
Brian J. Ouellette SEAL
KIA
Billy Burbank,(SEAL)
Class 19 EC photo album
Capt. Norman
Olson (SEAL) Ret.
Mathew G. AXELSON (SEAL)
KIA
Capt. Aric Liberman
(SEAL)
SEALs KIAs in
Afganistan Jul 2005
Spencer Dry
(SEAL) KIA 'nam Secret Mission ;see also from: Naval
Proceedings article on Spencer Dry, the entire investiation of their
deaths. Also an article by one of his Team
Members
Memorial Day SEAL
photos 2005 Houston TX
50's Frogs
Reunion in San Antonio TX
GulfCoast SEALs at
Astroworld
S.C.U.D.
Operation by Jake Rhinebolt (SEAL)
Capt (SEAL) Bill
Early Dies
Donald L. McPaul
SEAL KIA Panama Canal
Mi
Vida Loca "Doc"
Riojas(SEAL)
40th Anniversary
ST-2 Pictures
(SEAL)
LCDR Rock
Blais (SEAL) dies in a parachute accident
Neil
Roberts (SEAL) KIA Afganistan
Issac
G. "Ike"Rodriguez
TM2(SEAL) KIA Panama a Memorial
Jim
Hazelwood LT (SEAL) HERE!
:Kittiwake Decom. & USS Lexington
HM1
BRAD K. TUCKER(SEAL) KIA Afganistan
CPO
Matthew J. Bourgeois (SEAL)KIA
Afganistan
Photos
(SEAL)Mi Buen Amigo
J.W.
Janos (SEAL) New SEAL Watch
and MN Miss.River Locks
Chuck
Newell's (SEAL) SCUBA
School, GI bill accepted!
Fred
Miller (SEAL) GunSmith "MidAmerica
Recreational INC."
Expose
SEAL Wannabes!
Ted
Kassa (SEAL) 1stClass DV
Chuck
Newell (SEAL) SCUBA School
John Roat (SEAL)Class
29
KOREA,Doc
Rio's HELL Weeks!
Son
of Laredo Poem by
C.A. Presley HMC Ret. (RIP) my FMF Korea war buddy
F.O.
UWSS Key West FL & the official site HERE!
Bagdad
IraqTunnels
Wannabes
USN SEALs
Rio
& LouLou Japan Vacation 2003
Site
Map The whole enchilada! not current. XinLoi!
Stephen
BASS (SEAL) earns Navy Cross Medal
FO UWSS Key
West Reuion COronad CA May 2004
RUDY BOESCH in SURVIVOR ALL
STARS - More HERE!
Gulfcoast SEALs photos at SEAL
Museum Ft. Pierce FL
Roy
and Sue Boehm's Party in Punta Gorda FL
Ft.
Pierce Museum Photos Muster
XVIII Nov 2003
SEAL Demonstration and the
Young Lions Partying at Ft. Pierce
Harbor CLearance
Unit ONE
Vietnam
Task Force 116
Moose Creek Enterprises: Steve
Robinson (SEAL) "No Guts, No Glory" his book
MST-2 'Nam
Navy SEAL Articles
Richard Black(SEAL)
Retires
Pete "Pirate" Carolan (SEAL)
Ken Gless RIP
Ryan B. Young (SEAL) KIA
contract
SPECWAR.net
LARRY
BAILY(SEAL)
Dave
Rogers (SEAL) "Just
Cause"
Carl Ty Zellers II
(SEAL)
CURTIS
ASHTON (SEAL) KIA
HASBEAN
SEALs
Doc
MARSHALL ST-1(SEAL)
CYBERSEALs web
site; a must visit for SEALs
JOHN
F. RABBITT (SEAL)RIP
SharkbuilderDow Byers RIP
ALL
MY GEOCITIES
GRAPHICS
Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko
(SEAL) & At Intelligence Summit
Forum
MEMORIAL
TO SEAL K.I.A.'s
"SWEDE"
TORNBLOM (SEAL)(My white brother)
JIM
LAMPMAN (SEAL)
John "Fly" Fallon
(SEAL) RIP
USS
John C.BREWTON KIA
Herbert
M. RUTH RIP
Tribute to Sam
Orr plus links to all his Articles
Jon Smart (SEAL) Rowing
Champ
GULFCOAST
SEALs
Christopher L.Zevallos
(SEAL)
Rudy
Boesch (SEAL) Survivor I
SEALville
FreeServer pages: Photos and stories on REAL U.S.Navy
SEALs
U.S. Navy SEAL Training
C.A.
"Rip"Presley
HMC (RET)
Vietnam
Retspect by VC Col.
UWSS, Key West FL, the Unofficial web
site and
the REAL
one is WWW.UWSS.ORG
Panama
CPO D.L.McFaul (SEAL) KIA
- Navy Cross
Photos
Reunion CA 8/16/02
Jake
Reinbolt and
other SEALs in 'nam :
RIVER PATROL FORCE (TF-116)
Roy
Boehm (SEAL) Photos
ST-2 Four KIA's
'Nam
Tribute to Scotty
Slaughter, Shark Killer Extraordinaire
Vietnam War
Myths
Texan, John "Cheeze" Branchizio
(SEAL) Killed
David M. Tapper
PH1(SEAL) KIA
Japan Vacation
3/2003
272 new Navy
SEAL slots
3/10/2004
The Hunt Heats Up The
man in charge of catching Osama
bin Laden 'can drive a knife through your ribs in a nanosecond.' Inside the
search.
Names of our IRAQI KIA's
IRAQ: Former U.S. Navy
SEALs working as Civilians Killed
Jon Edwards
class 28 East Coast.
Rudy Boesch (SEAL) at Houston
Boatshow photos
U.S.Navy SEAL Workout
SEAL Team FOUR in
Panama, 4 KIAs
John Conners (SEAL)KIA Panama Fiasco
The Big "Cock-Up"
Operation Just Cause
. 
More
HERE!
& More HERE
also. "Doc" Moreno was seriously WIA, Panama
Doc and LouLou 2004 Vacation to visit Jake
Rhinebolt and Larry Bailey
Larry Lyons, "On The Road
Ministry"
To Be a USNavy SEAL
book
SEALville
Photo Album Ft. Pierce FL Muster
Muster 2005,
Photo Album , Ft. Pierce Florida
$6.1 million center may keep
Navy SEALs closer to home
SEALs, SWCCs to
wear new ratings
President
Bush Discusses Global
War on Terror
Move
to Little Creek considered for SEAL center
Frogaphiles go
click on me see if you are a frogman go
click on me see if you are a frogman Frogaphiles go
click on me see if you are a frogman
Dale
Andrade - Navy Seals: The Vietnam Years (review) - Journal of ...|
Forty-three SEALs were killed in
action in Vietnam, but none were captured or went missing. Dockery
attempts to cover all this ground, managing to touch on ...
More
HERE on USNavy SEALs. good reading. muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_ |
Robert Kerry
SEAL (MOH) and the Bloody Legacy of Vietnam
Famous
USNavy SEALs and much more, is your name HERE?
Jesse's Dangerous
Game ; about his Propaganda for his election to Governor of
Minnesota
Does Coronado California Train
Killers?
Field Medical Service School in Camp
Lejeune N.C. (Montfort Point Universityfor FMF Docs)
Afganistan
Blackwater, some of Doc
Riojas Photos
Blackwater
Blackwater: Profitable Patriotism
Blackwater
Articles
Blackwater
web
site; Mr. Prince
Speaks; . . . . . . Mr.Prince on the Investigation
Mr. Prince fires back at Congress
! WAR
Toys for Sale !
Sep 2007: Attack on Blackwater is Attack on... Petraeus
Rock Blais
LCDR (SEAL) dies in parachute accident
Jose
Taylor
RIP
Roy
Boehm my 1st Class DV friend for life
Stuart
SorgStuart
Sorg
Bradley
Jon Dahl
LT
Justin USN SEAL
Carl
Higbie
more here on : VERISEAL
Jesse
Hardy says he got SCREWED!Jesse
Hardy says he got SCREWED!
“Burning
Up SEALs” - Misusing special-warfare assets. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1693407/posts
Erasmo "Doc" Riojas: The
Frog Puddle Photo Album Join in and add your photos here
Global Special Operations
101
A
Growth Spurt for the U.S. Navy SEALs says SEAL Admiral
Bureaucracy Hampers War
on Terror says SEAL Admiral
How the U.S. Navy SEALs
Work
2004 FO/UWSS
Photos
Tiger Woods visits SpecWarGruCoronado
CA
Global Special Operations,
SEAL info
Lt. Cmdr. Michael J. Walsh,
(SEAL)U.S. Navy (ret.)
Global Special
Operation
LCDR Steve Elson (SEAL) an
Interview
Jose Taylor LCDR (SEAL) and the Biet
Hai in Vietnam
U.S. Navy SEALs, How
Their Stuff Works
Mud-Bespattered
Sailors Stumble Through Hell
UDT,Enlisted
Pin.
in the early years of the
birth of the "BUD." Officers wore a Gold color
version in UDT. IF you wanna buy one go
HERE! the NAVYSEALS.com Store. tell them
Doc Rio sent you for you 00% discount.
The Vietnam Wall FAQ
and MANY answers
|
PAGES ON |
|
. LT Paul Noah Salerni, USN (Ret.) RIP |
| uwssreunionmay.htm |
This is my hobby. I know that I am crazy! I do this to keep from going insane ! Doc "El Locquito" Riojas
some people say; "I am wasting my money!" I would not do it if I could take it with me!
hey
click on me !
I am a Lover, a Fighter, an
All American USNavy UDT - SEAL Diver
Contents of "Mi Vida Loca" de Erasmo "Doc" Riojas
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En |
C U A U H T E M O C "Temo"
Rocha OLD LAREDO
Texas Photo Gallery
SPIRITUAL
PRESCRIPTION by Chaplain
Bill Simpson
Northeast Baptist
Hospital
Julia Vera ,
Laredo TX Hollywood Actress
Julia Vera,
Movie Star, native of Laredo TX
Erasmo Elias "Doc" Riojas, The origins of these
beautiful names
Jesus "Chuy" Segovia's Laredo TX Photo
Album
Border
Title Com MHS La Pithaya
links 1916 to 2006
Feliciano
"Pecha" Gutierrez , MHS Tiger
Hall of Fame, Photo Album
Norma
Adamo Photo Albums
Military Glossary
Army Troop Organization
Squad -- The smallest military unit, it usually consists of 10 to 11 soldiers.
Platoon -- A platoon is usually four squads. Platoons are usually led by
lieutenants, with sergeants serving as their second-in-command.
Company -- Companies consist of four platoons, a headquarters and some
logistical staff. They are normally commanded by captains.
Battalion -- A battalion is usually made up of four to five companies, including
a support company and a headquarters company.
Brigade -- A brigade is a collection of battalions, usually 2,000 to 3,000
troops. Brigades are most often commanded by a colonel.
Division -- There are at least three brigades in a division. They are usually
commanded by a major general.
Corps -- Made up of two to five divisions, corps are the largest tactical units
in the U.S. Army.
Marine Organization
The Marine Corps, a branch of the Navy, has some unit classifications that are
unique.
Marine Expeditionary Force -- An expeditionary force is made up of two or three
divisions of Marines. The force is usually deployed on helicopter carriers or
amphibious assault ships. Its equipment and weaponry includes tanks, artillery,
Harrier jump jets and attack helicopters.
Marine Expeditionary Unit -- Each marine division is known separately as a
Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit usually includes a battalion landing team,
helicopter squadron and support unit.
| Other Links |
|
Wakeup! U. S. A!
|
| U.S.
Navy SEALs
Win/Lose
Links
to Erasmo
"Doc" Riojas'
SEAL Teamates.
A large collection of SEAL photos & articles from Newspapers,
and from the men themselves also.
Send your contributions to webmaster:
el_ticitl@yahoo.com
|
|
This LINK for you "Old Salts" who graduated from the U.S.Army's Ft. Benning Parachute Training School. You may still remember the song. |
|
Supporting our Fallen Heroes - THE PATRIOT GUARD
|
| The WANNABE SLAYERS |
|
Tribute to Jim Hazelwood(SEAL) |
| Thomas D. Segel is a Texan, now of Harlingen TX, USMC (Ret) |
| In Memory of
"Boun- http://www.soft-vision.com/lrrp Col. Ted W. Guy, 4-18-29 to 4-23-99 - Never
Forgotten Col. Gordon "Swede" Larson Col. Lou Makowski http://www.soft-vision.com/hanoi/makowski US Army Ranger/Advisor to BDQ http://www.soft-vision.com/ranger The Frogs Puddle: http://docrioseal.soft-vision.com Wannabe's and Patriot Guard Riders: http://www.soft-vision.com/guard/ Restoring Honor Wannabe Slayers: http://want2be.info We must reserve the right not to tolerate
the intolerant tollerant. |
| THE
U.S. VETERAN DISPATCH Ted
Lane Sampley
|
| H
Have you ever been to Dong Tam on the MyTho River in Vietnam? click on LINK ! It was Bob "Eagle" Gallagher , I and others who got wounded in the wargames 'nam, we each got MedEvac helicopter rides into DONG TAM"s U.S.Army's MASH hospital. Dong Tam was a few miles from MyTho where we were living in the Hotel Carter Billet. I was not seriously wounded, so I wanted to go home. Lt. Pat Patterson (SEAL) visited me but he would not help me escape so the next day I stole some clothing from their Medical Officers cloths line, and I hitched hiked a ride to MyTho. I could not find shoes that fit me so I wore hospital slippers. DaiWee Pete Peterson(SEAL) said that he would keep me out of trouble and I responded, "what can they do, sendme to Vietnam?" Good old days when SEALs were the "Beer/Whiskey Generation." "Make Love and War!" |
KOREAN WAR (POLICE ACTION) Vets Ignored
Korean War vets missing from popular culture: America's prime transmitter
of cultural "values" has ignored the 1.8 million Americans who
served in the 1950-53 war even during the 50th anniversary years.(portrayal of
Korean War veterans in literature, film, television, media )
| From: VFW Magazine | Date: August 1, 2003 | Author: Van Ells, Mark D. The Korean War was a crucial moment in American history. When the United States sent troops to stop Communist North Korea's invasion of South Korea in June 1950, it signaled the nation's determination to check the spread of communism. It was the first war fought under the authority of the United Nations. American troops remain in Korea today. But sandwiched between the titanic scope of World War II and the vitriolic debate over Vietnam, the Korean War never really captured the public imagination. The year 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of the armistice ending the fighting in Korea. In that half century, the image of the Korean War veteran at the movies and on television remains vague, imprecise and influenced by the experiences of other wars. The Korean War is the "Forgotten War" in popular culture, too. Korean War films of the 1950s and early 1960s were much like the scores of WWII movies popular at the time, but modified to meet the realities of Korea. The typical "melting pot" platoon, for example, now included black Americans and those of Japanese ancestry, acknowledging the racial integration of the armed forces. New technologies also made appearances, such as helicopters in Battle Taxi (1955) and jet aircraft in films like Sabre Jet (1953), Jet Attack (1958) and most notably The Bridges of Toko-Ri (1954) based on the novel by James Michener. In reality, the Korean War differed from WWII in many respects. For one, it was not nearly as large. The war directly involved 1.8 million Americans, as opposed to the 16 million who served in WWII. Indeed, Korea was often referred to as a "police action" and not a war at all. Korea was a remote country unknown to most Americans. Although most Americans accepted the logic of Cold War containment, the primary adversary in their minds was the Soviet Union; Korea seemed to be merely a sideshow or prelude to a larger war. Its ambiguous conclusion--a cease-fire remarkably close to the prewar boundaries--also lacked the decisiveness of WWII. To Americans, the Korean War was an uncertain and unsatisfying affair. Hollywood Takes the Dark Side Hollywood dealt with the ambiguities of the war by sidestepping them or ignoring them altogether. Korean War films tended to avoid the war's "big picture" and focused instead on small groups of fighting men--often lost or isolated units--in films such as Fixed Bayonets (1951), Combat Squad (1953) and Hold Back the Night (1956). In Pork Chop Hill (1959), Gregory Peck stars as a junior officer fighting the military bureaucracy, as well as the Communists, in a seemingly meaningless battle late in the war. During the battle one young officer asks pointedly, "Is this hill worth it?" The men agree that it is, but only because they had fought so hard to take it, and not for any larger goals. Many Korean War films fall into the film-noir style that was popular after WWII. Film-noir is characterized by dark psychological dramas in which the motives and morals of the protagonists are unclear and troubling. These films often take place in exotic settings, and contain shadowy lighting and uncomfortable camera angles that elicit feelings of anxiety, loneliness and vulnerability. In the 1951 film The Steel Helmet, for example, Gene Evans stars as Sgt. Zach, a battle-hardened WWII "retread" who teams up with some inexperienced soldiers to establish an observation post in a Buddhist temple. But beneath Zach's tough-as-nails exterior is a softhearted man who befriends a Korean boy, removes his helmet before a gigantic statue of Buddha and orders that the temple not be damaged. In the midst of battle, Zach breaks down, flashing back to D-Day. Zach is bitterly critical of a green lieutenant. When the lieutenant is killed, Zach mournfully places his lucky steel helmet (it has stopped a bullet in a previous engagement) on his grave. The Korean War also took place at a time when fears of disloyalty and domestic subversion had reached hysterical proportions. The war fueled such fears. During the war, the Communists beat and tortured American POWs, and then pressured them to sign "confessions" denouncing the American cause. Only a small fraction of POWs "confessed," but news reports and political opportunists seemed to suggest that Korean War soldiers routinely collaborated with the Communists, perhaps contributing to the war's uncertain conclusion. The concern that Korean War veterans might have been "brainwashed" by the Communists was the subject of several films, most notably The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Frank Sinatra plays Capt. Marco, a Korean War officer who leads a patrol and is taken prisoner. The Communists brainwash Marco and his men, erasing any memory of their captivity. One of the men, Staff Sgt. Shaw (Lawrence Harvey), is programmed to carry out political assassinations back home. Marco unravels the plot after the true nature of his captivity comes back in his dreams. The Manchurian Candidate has been acclaimed as one of the best political thrillers ever made. However, Korean War veterans have charged that the film only reinforced the erroneous public notion that Korean War veterans were collaborators. Portrayals of the war's veterans as weak-minded and psychologically unbalanced came to symbolize the war for many Americans and anticipated public perceptions of Vietnam veterans. Influence of M*A*S*H The Vietnam War also has shaped popular images of the Korean War. The 1970 comedy classic M*A*S*H focused on the exploits of undisciplined Army surgeons near the front lines. Though set in Korea, the language and looks of the hospital staff are reminiscent of Vietnam. In fact, the film is an impressionistic journey into the behavior of men and women under the unusual circumstances of war. It reflected the growing public cynicism about military authority in the Vietnam years. The television program M*A*S*H, which aired from 1972 to 1983, was the most extensive look at the Korean War in American popular culture. The TV show did a better job of portraying the war than the film. For example, several episodes dealt with issues like McCarthyism and fears of subversion. However, most of the program's storylines could have come from the Vietnam War, or from any war--boredom punctuated by intense activity, the tragic tales of the wounded, the absurdities of bureaucracy, the gulf between soldiers and civilians. Anyone who has ever been associated with the military can appreciate the humor of M*A*S*H. But once again, the audience learns precious little about the Korean War. In the decades since Vietnam, the American entertainment industry has devoted considerable time and money to portrayals of war. As a nation, we have celebrated the 50th anniversary of WWII (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers) and reexamined our painful experience in Vietnam (most recently, We Were Soldiers) on both the big and small screens. Korea is once again missing in action. Since Vietnam, Hollywood has released no more than a dozen films related to the Korean War. In some films, like MacArthur (1977) and For the Boys (1991), Korea is just one of many conflicts depicted. Inchon (1981), a portrayal of the brilliant 1950 amphibious invasion, was a box office flop and labeled by one critic "quite possibly the worst movie ever made." With no clear public images of the Korean War, both Hollywood and the American public barely acknowledge it. The lack of public recognition for their sacrifices has rankled many Korean War veterans. "I know teachers who never knew there was a Korean War," complained one Missouri veteran. As the nation marks the Korean War's 50th anniversary, Hollywood continues to churn out movies about WWII and Vietnam. Perhaps one day the Korean War will be the subject of an insightful, widely circulated film that does justice to the significance of the conflict and to those who served in it. As one veteran from Florida noted, "It's nice to be remembered." MARK D. VAN ELLS, author of To Hear Only Thunder Again, is an assistant history professor at Queensborough Community College in Bayside, N.Y. COPYRIGHT 2003 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
"Doc" Riojas' HELL Weeks were in Korea ! Too many to count !
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Erasmo "Doc" Riojas taken in Saigon RVN on R&R : 'nam war games
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