What is Meaningful Travel?
The origins of Navy SEALs actually began with specially organized maritime commando units during World War II, where legacy capabilities were adopted and remain embodied in today’s SEAL Teams.
LTD likes to “Make Meaningful and Healthy Travel Happen”, but what is meaningful travel? In this case, “Meaningful” is speaking with Harry Lockhead as we will chronicle some of his amazing life before, during and after WWII. In a series of interviews we spoke with him about being part of the “Greatest Generation” and how he and our country came together to save the world from the global aggression of WWII in both Europe and the Pacific. We had a rare chance to discuss that time, the recovery after WWII and our current state of affairs. These individuals are “perishable national treasures” and are becoming rarer everyday.
Harry enlisted on March 1st, 1943 in New York and went to Navy Boot Camp in Great Lakes, Michigan. He boarded the USS Glansar (AK 111) in Pleasanton, California and proceeded to the American Somoan Islands, then the Mariana Islands and then to the Marshall Islands. En route a concussion split the hull of the ship and a patch was placed until they could reach Pearl Harbor they hoped to have it permanently repaired. On arrival, all the docks were full with ships under repair so their ship was run aground to prevent it from sinking.
Their crew was then shipped to Seattle, Washington and assigned to put the USS Lenawee (APA 195) into commission and then sailed to San Diego, California where they picked up a company of Marines. They then sailed to Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands where one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific occurred. Harry was part of one of the groups that delivered the Marines landing on Tarawa. He wanted to do more after witnessing this carnage first hand and when the Navy asked for volunteers to become reconnaissance swimmers and Harry volunteered immediately. They went to Naval Combat Demolition Base in Maui, Hawaii and would become some of the first Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) and what is now the famed “Naked Warriors”.
"It’s not too often we get the opportunity to speak with veterans of WWII. They’re a special breed, and Harry Lockhead is no exception. Joining the Navy when his country was at war, Lockhead went into the service as a cook. After the battle at Tarawa, the loss of Marines was so great, that the Navy asked for volunteers to learn how to perform reconnaissance and underwater demolition for future beach landings. Harry volunteered, and became one of the Navy’s first Underwater Demolition swimmers, or “Naked Warriors” as they were known. With no instruction manual, Harry and his team of other volunteers had to learn how to clear beach landings in combat, literally by trial and error. Lockhead would eventually become one of the original UDT20 Frogmen, and predecessors of the Navy SEALS. It’s an amazing feat, considering the conditions and timeline these men operated under. Hear a firsthand account of what it was like training and operating as a “Naked Warrior” on this latest edition of HAZARD GROUND!"
Click the Photo below to listen at The Hazard Ground!
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Wow, this is such a touching story. Thank you for sharing Harry's story with all of us.
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