The NEC number 5326 vs 5321 was very much a reality. Ventura never said he served AT a SEAL Team. He says in his autobio something like, “After I finished SEAL Training, I was assigned to UDT-12.” But BUD/S Training means Basic Underwater Demolition Slash SEAL Training. If you don’t go to a SEAL team, and complete 6 months proby time, then another intensive round of SEAL training in-house, and complete a deployment, then you don’t get the gold trident and are not a SEAL. Especially true during the VN war, when 34 guys from ST1 were killed vs 1 UDT-12. For a while there was a “just UDT” half trident, without the Eagle. Just for just UDT. But only for a while, then UDT and SEAL both wore gold tridents, but only SEAL Team members were SEALs. UDT were frogmen and teammates, but not SEALs until 1983 when all UDTs werr recommissioned as newly converted SEAL Teams. I was in Beirut when UDT-21 became SEAL Team 4. Mal Ad Osteo.
Was that recommissioning from UDT to SEAL retrograde back to Jesse’s time in service or those active duty at the time only ?
bad to the bone....I have seen that written a few times....:o)