UDT on D-Day (continued)
The Naval Combat Demolition Units participated in the amphibious landings in the south of France, Operations Anvil and Dragoon, in August 1944 again distinguishing themselves for their bravery and effectiveness in their role.
A frogman clearing underwater obstacles (U.S. Navy History and Heritage Command).
Here I am, six blogs away from the first, yes, Blog #1, written by me on June 20th, just a couple of months ago. I should stay off the internet, but the other day I was glued to it because somehow I injured my right sacral iliac joint and could not do much of anything else. My mailbox shot back at me something that had to do with those brave amphibious swimmers who cleared the way for the military who landed on the beaches at Normandy on D-Day and also the South of France. “Click here” it said. Well, who doesn’t? Some do, some don’t. Because of the subject matter, I did. And, because I did, I’m now updating my first Blog from this past June. And it’s all about our beloved John Pandolfe, one of the eleven men in my book, The WWII Chain Letter Gang.
The very first of the 45 letters in dad’s (Louis Put Attardi) boxes was from John. He wrote it right at the Thames River on D-Day. They were ready to attack, he said, and everyone was extremely anxious that morning. It took me a long time to figure out what part he was playing in the attack. I mean, what was he doing in this awful war. So, quickly, — I mean, in short form — I’ll tell you now what my research uncovered. For more details, however, please read my book.
John was trained at Fort Pierce, Fla., to be an Underwater Demolition Team member, assigned to the attack boats. (He wrote about his time there.) And do I know what he did? Today, a UDT member is a Navy Seal. He was clearing the way for all landing parties of any underwater obstacles – mainly explosives, but also of “hedgehogs” – iron contraptions (they looked like the toys we played with as kids, we called them Jacks), fences with bombs on them too, and other defensive mechanisms laid down by the Germans to interfere with the Allies’ landing and movement on the France coastlines. But to use the word “brave” isn’t sufficient. John was risking his life. He was trained to do this, and so he was there. On that day. On D-Day, and days before. John was part of Operation Overlord. Did he say so? Not in your life! His letter was censored as were all the letters I “deciphered” for you in my book, The WWII Chain Letter Gang.
These very exceptional UDT men on that day were actually volunteers for these assignments, these extremely tough ones. Many of them made that ultimate sacrifice. One of the articles I read asked the questions: “But who are these men?” “What is their heritage?”
Let me answer these questions for you. These specialty Navy Seals can trace their origins back to being formed in August 1942 of WWII. They were our Amphibious Scouts and Raiders, members of our reconnaissance and commando operations in Europe and the South Pacific. The Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs), assault demolitioneers, formed in June 1943, were trained almost exclusively for beach obstacle-clearance operations at Normandy and Southern France. These units were trained at Fort Pierce – again, between June 1943 and April 1944 — and mainly sent for the Normandy invasion. So, that’s how we know it’s John Pandolfe! He told us himself in his letter that he was there and on that date. And that’s the heritage of the UDT. But eight of them were then sent to the Pacific, and John also wrote that’s where he was headed, and, sure enough, he boarded the USS Diphda and ended up on the Pacific Seas. He wrote to us next from there.
By April 1944, a total of 34 NCDUs had collected in England in preparation for Operation Overlord. History tells us D-Day remains to be the single bloodiest day in the history of Naval Special Warfare, and John made it through his duty there and returned to Florida. How do we know this? He told us – or, I should say, he wrote to his buddies who were desperate to hear from him via their chain-mail letter system.
Just alone speaking about the early form of the Navy SEALS from WWII, and on into today’s unfortunate conflicts and wars, we are finding still very exceptional men who are volunteering for the same type of tough assignment, and many are continuing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Do we have to ask, again, who are they? What is their heritage? Come on now, what difference does it make? They are human. They are alive. They are our sons, our brothers, our friends. They are our neighbors. Even strangers. And they want it all to stop. They want Freedom. Peace.