Found Retired Vietnam SEAL yesterday

[Dan Arnes]

Yesterday, as the wife and I were on the road to go shopping, I noticed a car with Utah License Plate "SEAL 1" ahead of me, and as I pulled up farther, a SEAL Team 1 decal on his rear window.

I fumbled around in my wallet for a Seawolf Card, couldn't find one, wife found one in her purse. I pulled up alongside him driving down the road (his eyes as big as silver dollars!) and told the wife to roll down the window and hand him the card. He rolled his driver's window down and took the card! People behind us were starting to fall back to watch the accident unfolding!!

Went our separate ways and when we returned home from shopping, had a message on the phone from him. Said he had been on his way to a meeting when I pulled up along side him.

Called and talked to him, said he was with SEAL Team 1 (Correction), X-Ray Platoon '69-71 & '72-74 after we left. He was VERY appreciative of the Seawolf Dets. Turns out he lives not far south of me and works with Utah National Guard 19th Special Forces here in Bluffdale. (Let him know the Helo mounted on the pole at their front gate was one of ours.)

Nice guy, also works with VA here helping Vets with claims.

Dan

[LTWALTHER2]

Dan;
Ted Walther here(NSW DBG 1989-2001), I don't want to rain on the parade, but there was no ST2 XRAY, only ST1, I see earlier in the post you say SEAL 1, so it must be a typo. ST 2 had numbered Platoons in Vietnam.
XRAY was the ST1 PLT that got compromised. I knew Lou DiCroce, he was LPO of ST1 XRAY PLT 1970. He sang in our choir at the base Chapel at NAB Little Creek/JEBFSLC, for several years. After the service was over, Lou would always let my kids stand in line in front of him, he insisted! Everytime he saw us, he would call them over to stand in front of him in line, for after service/fellowship sandwiches-lunch. To my kids, he was a big loveable Teddy Bear of a guy. he passed to Vahalla on18 Feb 2019 (aged 75). I knew his history, but never approached/asked him about it. He was a TRUE Warrior, with multiple deployments to VN, and yet one of the sweetest men I have ever had the honor to meet. I miss him, but I am glad I got to know him through Church.
R/
TED WALTHER
NR SBU 24/NR SBU 20/ SBR 2/SBU 26/ SBU 20

[Dan Arnes]

Sorry for the confusion Ted.
In the course of talking with him, he had mentioned to me that there was another Vietnam era SEAL here in Utah from ST 2. The SEAL I was speaking with was ST 1 XRay Platoon, but I mistakenly wrote ST 2 in my post.

Dan