The Water is Never Cold: The Origins of U.S. Naval Combat Demolition Units, UDTs, and Seals Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had the honor of knowing one of the men in the book. I grew up with his sons and he treated me like I was one of his own. He never spoke of his service. He never watched a war movie when it came on the television; he either changed the channel or shut the set off. He was a quiet man.
These were real men. The description of the training and missions is full of detail that brings the story to life. It helped me understand some things about a man who I spent a lot of time around. It explained some of the stories my Dad told me about when they both worked in a logging camp in Oregon.
The stories of the men in this book will make you appreciate the freedom you have today and the sacrifices they made over 50 years ago. They risked a lot for us and we owe it to them to learn about their sacrifice.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Water is Never Cold: The Origins of U.S. Naval Combat Demolition Units, UDTs, and Seals

Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs) and Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs), both little-known predecessors of the Navy SEALs, played a crucial role in the Pacific and European theaters during World War II.As the vanguard for amphibious assaults, they were tasked with beach reconnaissance, depth sounding, and clearing obstacles, mines, and unexploded ordnance so the troops could land---often while exposed to enemy fire.Their work was as hazardous as it was essential.THE WATER IS NEVER COLD is based on painstaking archival research and interviews with veterans of the NCDUs and the UDTs, plus the people who influenced their development---the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders, among others.O'Dell details the historical precedents that influenced the teams, as well as their innovation and experimentation with tactics, methods, and equipment.The narrative follows the NCDUs and the UDTs from their grueling training regimen through several of their key combat missions during the war.If not for the skillful work of these brave men, the successful landings at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Normandy, and other critical battlefields might have been impossible.