Four days
ago a helicopter was lost and with it 30 American warriors including 17 Navy
Seals. This evening I met six
American warriors who are sure to be Seals very soon.
They are:
Eain
Wilbert
Conor
Adams
Joseph
Ferraro
Chis
Foldesy
Spencer
Greico
Michael
Heslop
This is
how I met them.
We live in
Lake Bluff which is just south of the one and only basic training facility of
the United States Navy. Two hours
ago I got a text from Robin that said 835.
That’s the train that leaves Chicago at 2035 (so I don’t know why they
call it the “835” but I can make the translation) and arrives in Lake Bluff an
hour later.
Spot (our
dog) and I were waiting in the car when six energetic young men walked from town
(one block away) to the train station platform.
For historic reasons the trains run on the left set of tracks (as cars do in
England) and they were on the wrong platform for boarding outbound trains.
When Robin’s train stopped they considered going under the train but then
ran around the rear of it. For some
reason, the conductor still wouldn’t let them board.
Robin came
to the car, greeted me and then Spot and then we started to leave.
She stopped me and called out to them.
Soon she had established that they were sailors and needed to return to the
base. They had come to Lake Bluff to have
dinner at the Noodle Bar, a sidewalk cafe. After some thought I invited
Spot into the trunk.
I was
overruled by everyone. Spot would
sit on Robin’s lap in the front seat and three of the guys would sit hip-to-hip
in the back seat. And one would lie
across their laps. And two would
ride in the trunk. And that’s how
the nine of us traveled in a small car the two miles north on Sheridan Road.
This was
good for Spot for two reasons: (1)
He has never ridden in the front before and he knew that it was special, and (2)
he got a lot of attention from the guys who missed their own dogs.
But the
gate is still a mile from their quarters.
They were ready to walk that last mile (they were ready to walk form Lake
Bluff) because they assumed that we could not get onto the base.
But I had base stickers on the car and a military ID in my pocket, so I
fastened my seatbelt (going past the checkpoint is the only time I use it) and
rolled up to the guard.
The loud,
happy conversation Robin and four of the guys (the two in the trunk had their
own conversation) had been having became quiet.
The guard approached the ID I was holding out for him and I said “Howdy.”
“Good
evening, sir.”
He
examined the stickers near the windshield wipers.
He studied the ID in the weak light to confirm the expiration date and
other data. He returned it to me.
“Have a
good evening, sir.”
I thanked
him and promptly moved us forward.
The conversation returned with greater enthusiasm and volume.
The guys seem very pleased that we could take them all the way to their
ship – that’s what the Navy calls a barracks at boot camp.
We all got out.
It was a
cool evening by midsummer standards.
I hadn’t brought a leash for Spot but he did not want to wander off.
Robin was all smiles as usual but I think she was especially happy that
we could help. It was 2200 and the
six guys were leaving for Coronado, California at 0230.
They had
been selected for BUD/S, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training.
They will do 5 weeks of Indoctrination and Pre-Training, then 8 weeks of
grueling Basic Conditioning. Two of
every three who start the program quit by this point.
That means 12 other poor schlubs will have to go home because my six are
going all the way.
Then they
do 8 weeks of Diving and 9 weeks of Land Warfare.
That ends BUD but they still have the /S to add so they next do 3 weeks
of Basic Parachute Training. And
then it gets hard. They must
complete the psychologically challenging 8 weeks of SEAL Qualification Training
before they are awarded the Navy SEAL Trident insignia in a graduation ceremony.
And then,
I am quite sure,
my six guys will prove their worth in the field and be assigned to Seal Team
Six.
Six for
Six. Eain, Conor, Joseph, Chis,
Spencer and Michael:
back to
ALL MISSIONS