Circa mountain rucks, OG-107 fatigues, and M14s.
Archive for the ‘History’ Category
The SF “A” Team
Monday, June 1st, 2015Zero Point And Kopis Mobile Pay Homage To Draper Kauffman – Part 3
Thursday, May 14th, 2015Draper Kauffman Tribute
In a 3-part series to honor the Father of US Navy EOD and US Navy UDT/SEAL, Zero Point and Kopis Mobile will pay tribute to Admiral Draper Lawrence Kauffman by presenting a few key bullets from his remarkable career, unveiling a few custom designs attributed to his exploits, as well as working up donations to contribute to SOWF and EODWF. Don’t miss it – and visit their booth to find out more at SOFIC – Booth #1818.
Part 3 of 3: Zero Point and Kopis Mobile are shooting Silver Bullets @ SOFIC!
Stop by booth #1818 for your chance to win a pure silver bullet.
You can win a 1 ounce silver bullet from the hourly drawings with a special prize given at the last drawing each day. You don’t have to pay to participate in the drawings, but all donations are greatly appreciated and will go to both the SOWF & EODWF in honor of America’s first “Twin Pin”… Admiral Kauffman.
For the drawings, there are different donation levels and each level earns you a unique gift or more.
$1 – “Pea-Shooter” Level = A Sticker of your choosing AND one chance at hourly drawings
$5 – “Slingshot” Level = A Morale patch or Koozie of your choosing AND one chance at hourly drawings
$10 – “Gunfighter” Level = A ball cap and any one of the previous items AND two chances at hourly drawings
$20 – “Grenadier” Level = A Pin Up Girl T-Shirt and any one of the previous items AND three chances at hourly drawings
$50 – “The Bomb” Level = One each of the above and a 9mm (1oz) Silver Bullet AND unlimited chances at hourly drawings
End of Day Drawings
Also, take your chances to win a 1 oz Silver Bullet at the “Fire In The Hole” game within the booth.
$5 donation gets you (1) One toss and a Morale Patch or a Koozie or a “Fire In The Hole” Challenge Coin. If you fire it in the hole you get a 1 oz Silver Bullet.
$10 donation gets you (3) Three tosses and any two of the above. If you fire one in the hole you get a 1 oz Silver Bullet for each one you make in the hole. Making all (3) Three in a row earns you a 5 oz Silver Bullet or equal.
The term “Silver-Bullet” defined:
1. (noun) A quick solution to a difficult problem.
Come meet the B.O.M.B. SQUAD at booth #1818
Zero Point And Kopis Mobile Pay Homage To Draper Kauffman – Part 2
Wednesday, May 13th, 2015Draper Kauffman Tribute
In a 3-part series to honor the Father of US Navy EOD and US Navy UDT/SEAL, Zero Point and Kopis will pay tribute to Admiral Draper Lawrence Kauffman by presenting a few key bullets from his remarkable career, unveiling a few custom designs attributed to his exploits, as well as working up donations to contribute to SOWF and EODWF. Don’t miss it – and visit their booth to find out more at SOFIC – Booth #1818
Part 2 of 3: Meet Suzabelle
Suzabelle is the name Draper Kauffman gave the 500lb Japanese bomb he defused following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. No one (U.S. that is) had ever seen this type of ordnance before prior to Kauffman defusing and dismantling the bomb for intelligence. He was awarded his 1st Navy Cross for the operation.
Suzabelle, the Pin-Up Girl, was commissioned in honor of Kauffman’s remarkable exploits.
Zero Point & Kopis Mobile will have Suzabelle prominently displayed within their booth at SOFIC, #1818.
Zero Point And Kopis Mobile Pay Homage To Draper Kauffman – Part 1
Tuesday, May 12th, 2015Draper Kauffman Tribute
In a 3-part series to honor the Father of US Navy EOD and US Navy UDT/SEAL, Zero Point and Kopis Mobile will pay tribute to Admiral Draper Lawrence Kauffman by presenting a few key bullets from his remarkable career, unveiling a few custom designs attributed to his exploits, as well as working up donations to contribute to SOWF and EODWF. Don’t miss it – and visit their booth to find out more at SOFIC – Booth #1818.
Part 1 of 3: Draper Kauffman Aug.4, 1911 – Aug.18, 1979 – America’s first Twin Pin (EOD/SEAL)
Draper Kauffman is well-known as US Navy’s Founding Frogman forming the Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDU), early predecessor to Navy’s Special Warfare’s UDT/SEAL. However, less known but equally important is he is also credited as a Founding Father of US Navy EOD. This is a small tribute to a Naval Officer, Leader, Visionary, Patriot, and a true American Hero.
• Graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933. Denied commission as a “regular” officer due to poor eyesight.
• Following his denied commission, Kauffman joined the United States Steamship Lines in an effort to assist in what he felt would be the inevitable war against Germany.
• 10 May 1940: volunteered as an ambulance driver for the French Army in a region of Alsace-Lorraine, just 10 miles from France’s “impenetrable” Maginot Line.
• 22 June 1940: captured by the Germans with his ambulance co-drivers and became a WWII POW. Repatriated several months later.
• Holder of the France’s Croix de Guerre.
• Late 1940, became a member of England’s Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. Volunteered for the Royal Navy Unexploded Bomb Department shortly afterwards.
• December 1941, one of the first to defuse a Japanese UXO. Awarded his first Navy Cross.
• 1942 Jan 04: LT Kauffman returns to Washington D.C. and established the US Navy Bomb Disposal School; 1942 Jan 23 First U.S. Navy Bomb Disposal class convened at Washington Navy Yard.
• 1944, Kauffman drew from the ranks of the US Navy Bomb Disposal School to begin what would be the predecessor of UDT/SEAL, Naval Combat Demolition Unit.
• Later in 1944 and ’45, Kauffman would conduct several combat demolition operations in the Pacific Theater, earning his second Navy Cross for actions specific to Saipan.
• Just prior to the surrender of the Japanese in Tokyo Bay, Kauffman led a team to ensure the bay was safe from possible kamikaze boat attacks during the surrender ceremony.
• 13 October 1945: the UDT veil of secrecy was lifted when a Saturday Evening Post article entitled “They Hit the Beach in Swim Trunks” was published.
• In 1946, 13 years after graduating Naval Academy, Kauffman finally became a Regular Naval Officer.
• 1946, Kauffman participated in some of the first Bikini Atoll nuclear tests.
• August 1946, organized and commanded the U.S. Navy Radiological Safety School.
• 1947, Finally became a Line Officer in the Regular Navy.
• 1948, Kauffman took command of his first Destroyer, the USS Gearing.
• 1960, Promoted to Admiral.
• 1970, Last tour of duty was as Commandant of the Ninth Naval District, Great Lakes Naval Training Center.
Multiple Sources: America’s First Frogman – Elizabeth Kauffman Bush, Wikipedia, Retired Naval Colleagues
Cathy’s Tip of the Week
Sunday, May 10th, 2015From the April 22,1968 edition of “Tropic Lightning News”.
40th Anniversary of the End of the Viet Nam War
Thursday, April 30th, 2015Saigon, the capitol of the Republic of Viet Nam, fell 40 years ago today on 30 April, 1975 to invading North Viet Namese troops after decades of fighting. Seen below is an image of the evacuation of Saigon. There are so many iconic images from that war but this one shows us the end of the struggle.
Viet Nam was very much a part of our national psyche as I grew up in the 60s, 70s and 80s and affected me in may ways. When I enlisted in 1985 my drill sergeant was a Viet Nam veteran as were most of the senior NCOs and Officers I worked for over the next decade. Much of what I learned about soldiering came from them and their hard earned lessons of fighting a very capable enemy. I owe them all much.
I’d like to take today to reflect on them, their service and the generation that raised me, including my father. I’d also like to raise a toast to those who fell during that conflict in defense of our ideals.
Thank you all for your dedication. I personally gained a lot from it and it was not in vain.
ANZAC Day 2015 – 100th Anniversary
Saturday, April 25th, 2015Each year, April 25th is observed as ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand to commemorate the first military action at Gallipoli of the Australia New Zealand Army Corps.
It’s a century on now and we all owe a moment of gratitude for our coalition partners who’ve stuck by us on the side of right. They’ve been with us through thick and thin and that says a lot for three countries separated by a common language but who all share common values amd a commitment to them.
Having served with units from both Australia and New Zealand during my military service, they often come to mind, and each ANZAC Day in particular.
Cheers, Mates.
Remember The Men We Lost During Operation Eagle Claw
Friday, April 24th, 2015Today marks the anniversary of Operation Eagle Claw. In the early morning hours of 25 April, 1980 President Carter announced to a stunned world that the United States had undertaken an ambitious raid into Iran to liberate 52 American hostages held illegally at our Embassy in Tehran. Unfortunately, Operation Eagle Claw was unsuccessful and we lost eight American servicemen in a horrible aircraft ground collision. Join me in remembering their sacrifice.
Their sacrifice was not in vain. The hostages were eventually returned and the accident was the watershed event that created, over the next several decades, the world’s preeminent Special Operations capability; USSOCOM and its components. We wouldn’t be where are today with the determination of that fledgling task force. Join me in remembering those that paved the way.
