[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 77 (Monday, May 16, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE ``FROGMEN'' OF THE U.S. NAVAL COMBAT DEMOLITION 
                         UNITS IN WORLD WAR II

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 16, 2016

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of meeting on March 30 
with William ``Bill,'' Dawson of Waldorf; Maryland, in the Fifth 
Congressional District. Bill is the last living member of the first 
class of Naval Special Warfare Operators to train for duty with the 
U.S. Naval Combat Demolition Units that were the precursor to today's 
Navy SEAL teams. He is ninety-one years old and a retired Washington, 
D.C. firefighter who remains deeply proud of his service to our nation 
and to his community. I was honored to receive from him a copy of his 
book Before They Were SEALS They Were Frogs, which recounts the story 
of the Naval Combat Demolition Units during the Second World War and 
his own service in the Pacific.
  First created in 1943 and led by Lt. Draper L. Kauffman, the first 
Naval Combat Demolition Units were tasked with the reconnaissance of 
amphibious landing sites and the demolition of enemy obstacles that 
would hinder the advance of invading Allied forces. After their 
specialized training at Fort Pierce in Florida, including the series of 
grueling tests that is now considered to have been the first-ever 
``Hell Week,'' the first Navy ``Frogmen'' deployed to the European and 
Pacific theaters of operation in support of combat operations.
  Navy Frogmen were instrumental in clearing obstacles on Omaha Beach 
and Utah Beach during the Normandy invasion on D-Day in 1944, and many 
were killed or wounded performing their dangerous missions. In the 
Pacific, Frogmen demonstrated similar gallantry during the operations 
to liberate the Philippines, Guam, Borneo, and many other places that 
had been occupied by Japanese forces and that were instrumental in the 
advance toward victory. Frogmen were training for cold-water operations 
in preparation for an anticipated invasion of the Japanese home islands 
when the war ended.
  The Underwater Demolition Teams that succeeded the initial Naval 
Combat Demolition Units saw action in Korea and Vietnam, and it was in 
the early 1960's that the Navy decided to transition them into the Navy 
SEAL teams we know today, in a reflection of their broadening role 
beyond the water's edge. Americans are grateful for the extraordinary 
service and sacrifices of our Navy SEALs, among the most skilled, 
experienced, and courageous to serve in defense of our nation. I'm 
proud to represent many Navy personnel and veterans in Maryland's Fifth 
District, which is home to Pax River Naval Air Station, the Naval 
Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division, and Webster Field. I join 
in thanking Bill Dawson and all of those who were our nation's first 
Navy Frogmen for their gallant service in defense of freedom and for 
their crucial role in the history of U.S. Naval Special Operations.

                          ____________________