I was in Class 57, which started with 150 men. By the end, only twenty-five graduated. At the six-month mark, only five of us earned the Trident
In 1970, I was attending Long Beach VA Hospital, working on an alcohol and drug counseling program. After graduation my roommate needed a ride to San Diego. We arrived at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, home of the Naval Special Warfare Command and Navy SEAL training. Since I was already there, I figured I might as well check it out. Bill, a SEAL instructor, showed me around. He told me that only 250 men a year become SEALs. The training is universally recognized as the toughest military training in the world and lasts a grueling six months. Bill asked, “Am I ready to start?” “Yes,” I said. I was in Class 57, which started with 150 men. By the end, only twenty-five graduated. At the six-month mark, only five of us earned the Trident. Earning the Trident is a huge honor, it means you’ve survived
Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and other advanced phases. In SEAL culture, it’s sometimes referred to as being “pinned” with the Trident. Only a small percentage of candidates ever earn it. My swim buddy Robert was dropped just three days before graduation. I was assigned to SEAL Team 2, Echo Platoon, and served a six-month tour in Vietnam on the Mekong Delta aboard an old flat bottomed naval vessel called the Landing Ship Tank (LST) used to transport significant quantities of vehicles, cargo, and troops directly onto shore without docks or piers.
