The Original Frogmen of D-Day | History Traveler Episode 353

Рет қаралды 37,088

16 күн бұрын

We're at Utah Beach with retired Navy SEAL Leif Babin of Echelon Front to explore a bit of the history behind the Naval Combat Demolition Units who were among the first on the beach on June 6th and who were the forerunners of the modern day SEALs.
Check out more from Leif Babin on the Echelon Front KZfaq page and also from Jenna Lee Babin on SmartHER News.
More from the D-Day Experience at dday-experience.com/en/
This episode was produced in partnership with The Gettysburg Museum of History. See how you can support history education & artifact preservation by visiting their website & store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory...
Support the effort to expand history education on PATREON: / historyunderground
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- History & Soda at The Soda Museum in St. Charles, Missouri | History Traveler Episode 350: • History & Soda at The ...
- WWII Bunkers of...Missouri??? | History Traveler Episode 349 | • WWII Bunkers of...Miss...
- Bellefontaine Cemetery: Learning History From the Dead | History Traveler Episode 347: • Bellefontaine Cemetery...
- Little Bighorn: Custer's Last Stand w/ Jocko & Leif | History Traveler 344: • Little Bighorn: Custer...

Пікірлер: 121

@jonbroadsword7572 15 күн бұрын

At my church we had one of the sweetest, funniest men I've ever known and only at his funeral did I find out that he had been a UDT "Frogman" on D-Day. God Bless him and all our WWII vets.

@Brycenwhorton 15 күн бұрын

Bunch of those guys didn't talk about the war often! One of my childhood heroes was in the Army during the war. He only told very few about his time including me when I was younger... Haven't seen him years

@jimcoop5663 12 күн бұрын

Amen 🙏

@dawndickson2156 15 күн бұрын

There were so many elements pre landing and post landing that just do not get the recognition they deserve. What the frogmen faced is hard to comprehend yet they took charge and faced all odds. Amazing work JD. Thank you.

@stevekunde123 15 күн бұрын

Thank you for taking us along on this trip. We appreciate everything you do.

@FinsburyPhil 15 күн бұрын

The story of the frogmen who did covert beach surveys in the months leading up to D-Day is also a fascinating story.

@suzyqualcast6269 14 күн бұрын

Was proud, pleased and somewhat surprised to be handed a folder full of their original sketches to examine when I visited the Imperial War Museum, Lambeth pre a trip over to the DDay coastline back in 82.

@slowtwist 15 күн бұрын

Thanks for the video. I had two D-Day veterans and a frogman that served in the Pacific in my hometown. I went to school with they're sons and daughters. One was captured at the Battle of the Bulge, the other wounded. The POW weighted 80 pounds when his camp was liberated. The Frogman was a good athlete and boxed in the Navy. When he came home he played pro baseball for a year before going into the concrete business with his father. He and his sons established one of largest concrete companies in my state. I leave a penny on they're stones every year.

@manazo16 15 күн бұрын

Your episodes take me back to when i was a teenager obsessed with watching The History Channel for documentaries about the World Wars. Now, with your channel, I'm a 39 year old watching as if i'm back to being 15 years old back home. Thanks for making these! I'll be a patreon supporter now :)

@TheHistoryUnderground 14 күн бұрын

Wow! Thanks. I appreciate that.

@terryl7874 15 күн бұрын

The military personnel on the beach of France was so incredibly brave. As a military individual who has received incoming fire, that beach landing must have been incredible. God bless our military then and now!

@danferrell674 15 күн бұрын

My wife's grandfather was a Seal and came home with 2 purple hearts. We have a display on our mantle with all his medals. I'm not sure if he was involved with D Day but I know he got shot in the water while planting explosives. I met him a few times and I know he was bad ass.

@rdotson0 15 күн бұрын

There were no SEALS during WWII. There were UDT teams. Thank you for his service!!

@WakeUp2Urself 15 күн бұрын

Love your work brother, soon to hit 1mil 💯❤️

@rkhood452 15 күн бұрын

The obstacles used on the beach remind me of "caltraps" used as far back in Roman times and still in use today. I had no idea what they were until I was teaching a Bible Study in 2018 and had to look it up. Made for a great class with thought provoking points. Thank you for sharing.

@70stunes71 15 күн бұрын

Naval Combat Demolition Units, were the first, later became the UDTs, then finally SEAL teams. UDT members would do a tour in 'Nam, come back to the USA, go through cadre training, and finally be assigned to a SEAL team on the east or west coast..Served with both. Great men. 🙏👍🏻💯🇱🇷💪

@RollingToU 15 күн бұрын

Great episode! I loved it. My uncle was one such Frogman who was sent in to demolish impediments on the Normandy beaches. He also did things like swim in and put bombs on ships during the war. You should have seen his arthritis from being in the cold water so much. He could barely walk and his hands/fingers couldn't really move at all. Interesting note: When he passed away years ago, it was the 4th time he died. He died 3 times during the war and was revived (obviously) - died once in training in Florida and once in Europe. I kept looking at some of those pics to see if one of the frogmen in the pic is him.

@l_W7 14 күн бұрын

What was his name of you dont mind me asking?

@leonjoeltheodorthorpe6661 11 күн бұрын

Came from germany on the 29th and left the 11th of june by train staied with my tiny tent on a camp side and walked around there as far as my feet took me. It was such a spezial time ..... i will never forget..... great great Videos

@chrisl211 15 күн бұрын

I was in Utah Beach last week at 6:30am for the celebrations, so many people on the beach even at this early hour of the day.

@dankorolyk5917 14 күн бұрын

Fantastic work JD,really brings home the work that those men did, and I doubt that many people even knew about their jobs on June 6th.

@joehowarth8093 14 күн бұрын

Again, another great video. Had the opportunity to listen to and meet Leif while his was touring and speaking about his book! What an honor!!

@Bam_Like_Dat 15 күн бұрын

Great subject, JD! An aspect of the invasion that most people don't think about. First class as usual, JD! ☝

@TheHistoryUnderground 15 күн бұрын

👍🏻

@stephenpegum9776 15 күн бұрын

Important as the main fighting units on D-Day were, it's also very important to remember some of the supporting units such as the ones you describe in this video JD. Top stuff as always.

@Tustyshellback2010 15 күн бұрын

you know what I find amazing is that as the battle for Normandy is occurring, halfway around the world the invasion of Saipan is about take place with just as many ships as operation overlord.

@Lee69111 15 күн бұрын

I live in Torquay, UK.....a lot of the troops left from this location

@orwellboy1958 15 күн бұрын

Hi neighbour, Bournemouth resident here.

@NickyB0718 15 күн бұрын

The UDT’s also got a big start after the invasion of Tarawa, a lot of the Higgins boats got hung up in the reefs and men had to wade ashore, so the navy was tasked with developing a group of guys that would scout the beach, blow up obstacles, and chart the beaches better, give a better idea of low tide and high tide timeframes, they became pivotal in all amphibious landings. Very neat stuff.

@sscinamon 15 күн бұрын

Learn something new every time I watch your videos. Thank you

@Ronaldl2350 15 күн бұрын

There is a great museum in Fort Pierce FL. Dedicated to the frogmen of WW2 UDT, current Navy Seals Etc. it's not far from where I live and is very good. Great video JD.

@David-tm8sl 15 күн бұрын

Thanks for a great video. My dad and two uncles were in the Air Force and participated in the European theater. Your episodes are always well done and informative!

@jeffe9842 15 күн бұрын

This was a very interesting episode because it educated me about something I didn't know about, the frogmen that stormed the beach with the first wave in order to clear obstacles. Thanks for doing this video, JD.

@AdamLDavies 9 күн бұрын

This video is incredible to watch. D-Day would have been horrifying for everyone involved, but to be one of the first to land on the beaches, while getting shot at and while carrying explosives...I can't even begin to imagine how terrifying that would have been. Great video!

@DP90263 14 күн бұрын

I’m always interested in hearing any of the Echelon Front guys talk about any battlefield, thanks JD!

@rey_sylverstar4457 13 күн бұрын

Great video! 2 years ago I met a man at the memorial whos grandfather was a frogman. They got in at night in a leather frogman suit to cut the chains of seamines using acid vials. the strong current made the mines bounce onto other mines, creating pathways trough the water for the LCTs.

@1psychofan 15 күн бұрын

Very cool episode! I have so much respect 🫡 for these brave men! Just wow! I appreciated what you said about the rubber boats! I’d wondered that myself-very glad you included that!

@georgeclark7208 15 күн бұрын

I had a neighbor in the late '80's named Stan who said on D-Day he was on a team that was blowing up obstacles from underwater. He choked up talking about one of the guys who got caught up in the debris and drowned.

@aarontrueblood4340 15 күн бұрын

Any chance of future episodes being on Italy, Sicily, and Northern Africa? I feel that is a large part of the war that is left out of a lot of the history books

@CarsonFlorkowski 15 күн бұрын

Thank you so much for your content!

@andrewwebb-trezzi2422 15 күн бұрын

Never forget what so many young men sacrificed. There is an interview on KZfaq with one of these men named Ernie Corvese, of the 13 men in his boat he was the only survivor. It’s hard to even comprehend what these men saw and did. Of the 175 NCDU men that landed on Omaha, 32 were killed and sixty wounded. That’s a 52% loss rate. Ernie Corvese heard those famous words uttered by George Taylor and he made it off the beach, thank god.

@seadoggozo-fishingguitarsa1837 13 күн бұрын

Great to listen to your seal friend talking about Bangalores. Still in use today, invented by a British army engineer in 1912..in Bangalore obviously 😊.

@scottbrinkmeyer8523 15 күн бұрын

Not sure if you're still in Normandy at this point, but have you considered doing a video on the SeaBees that built the floating port after the invasion? Operation Mulberry, I think it was called.

@antoniomoreira5921 15 күн бұрын

Thank you a lot man. Not sure it's the right niche especially considering such focus but I wanted to recommend Schwerpunkt's recent series about Overlord: it's just an introduction but with a strategic cut that always deserves. I'd love to see more channels interacting on such topics and seeing how different creator's competence is put to the test in here. Anyway, keep up with the amazing work! Antonio

@cyndiebill6631 15 күн бұрын

Very cool and interesting. Another story that’s very seldom told but so very important to the landing on 6/6/44. Thanks for the great video👍

@j1st633 14 күн бұрын

A must see. If u go to Paris, take a tour. A long bus ride but well worth it.

@jeffreybohne1465 14 күн бұрын

My grandfather LT Laurence H. Bohne was a Naval Combat Demolition Team leaders that landed at a Tere Green sector of Utah Beach he was severely wounded while clearing the obstacles due to Artillery rounds raining down probably from Brecort Manor.

@donalddodson7365 15 күн бұрын

Wonderful highlight of potentially overlooked actions on D-Day. Thank you, both. I remember coming under a different enemy's fire in Vietnam. Our training kicked in and we pushed through. "Let's do it!"

@TheHistoryUnderground 15 күн бұрын

Oh wow. Thank you!

@Chris-Nico 15 күн бұрын

Outstanding work JD! I’ve been to this memorial. But your details are helpful along with Leif! UDT teams are badass with balls of steel, along with Army combat engineers. In the Army we used to joke how the engineers were very good at blowing crap up and then rebuild it all. In the movie, The Longest Day, they show the use of Bangalore torpedos… yep very useful. Thanks for another fantastic video! 🇺🇸💪

@duanelawrence78 15 күн бұрын

Great video Thanks for sharing J.D. God bless!!✌️🇺🇲

@orionbirch2705 15 күн бұрын

The Frogmen (1951) is a great movie and with Dana Andrews who is also great in the 1942-1945 wartime movies.

@orionbirch2705 15 күн бұрын

Richard Widmark is also from that same era and is one of the best ever.

@donhurst8459 15 күн бұрын

JD have you ever given thought to writing a book?

@elflakeador09 15 күн бұрын

Or ten

@floydcampbell1501 15 күн бұрын

My father was with the 29th on dog Green . He wouldn't talk about it, just said that it was a hard day.

@orionbirch2705 15 күн бұрын

Very good presentation in this video, I had perspectives I had never seen before. For example, the title scene with the view on the beach out to sea was great; I could see it was very churned up opaque water with decent waves and it looked really cold - in other words maybe only a cold swamp would be a worse place for me to run around in with a bunch of cotton gear.

@MarkLee-ye2ii 14 күн бұрын

Great video. My Dad went in with the 22nd Regiment 4th Division. I have his Bigot map as pictured at the beginning of your video. One difference of his map was it didn't say Copy of 3000. His map has hand written 70-72. Also I have aerial photos of this map cut to fit in his pocket.

@LeonardCooperman 15 күн бұрын

This is so awesome thank you thank you

@NickyB0718 15 күн бұрын

Outstanding information! I love to hear about where the UDT’s were involved, they were the predecessor to the SEAL teams when the mission for the UDT started to change and lead to more of a special warfare mission they created the SEALs around 1962 under JFK,he knew what the future might look like and we needed a group that specialized in Guerrilla warfare, the SF (Green Beret’s)groups were formed around the same time as well.

@AdamLDavies 9 күн бұрын

Thanks!

@Wreckdiver59 15 күн бұрын

Another piece of the amazing detailed planning that helped make Operation Overlord a success 👍 I remember the Bangalore torpedoes from something I watched recently. I can't remember if it was Saving Private Ryan or The Pacific.

@suzyqualcast6269 14 күн бұрын

SPR.

@sandysue202 15 күн бұрын

Awesome video.

@studiohost 9 күн бұрын

Nice work . Thanks

@robertkrusin9856 15 күн бұрын

Great video JD !! Did you run into any of the guys from BRCC ?

@timbarnett3898 13 күн бұрын

That job could have been my dad in UDT under water demolition team. But he fought through Pacific island campaign.

@Gregbenoit2 15 күн бұрын

My Grandfather was a Navy Seabee on D-Day.

@Macmannn 8 күн бұрын

Have you ever gone to Juno Beach center? Great museum and They have uncovered tunnels and tobruks there that you can go inside

@donnamarsh3474 15 күн бұрын

Excellent, as always.

@Bradcatcher 15 күн бұрын

My grandpa was a frogman he was in the Korean War

@pauldouglas3084 15 күн бұрын

Really enjoyed the video mate gust reading book masters of the air can't wait for the next one

@Canerican. 15 күн бұрын

OMG that must have been so dangerous!

@user-cg6kw6su6d 14 күн бұрын

JD - just curious if the barbed wire on the beaches as seen at 8:38-43 is a remnant from D-Day era? Another great vid . Thanks.

@warwarneverchanges4937 15 күн бұрын

Thinking about the task I dont thik Iwe heard a tougher mission. Just the fact that these guys task had to stop to do their task on the beach where the rest were just trying to pass as quickly as possible, In that situation I doubt anyone noticed the red smoke, and if they made it that far the decition to detonate or not. wow

@Legendary_UA 15 күн бұрын

That looked like a tank track

@jimreilly917 15 күн бұрын

JD…have you thought of doing a DDAY segment about the Maquis…the French Resistance? As horrific as Allied casualties were on DDAY, if not for the sabotage the Maquis wreaked upon German supply and communications and routes to the beaches, Allied invasion casualties would have been orders of magnitude higher…and the landings may have failed. As it was, Bradley came very close to recalling his remaining forces from Omaha. I wonder if any first sources on Maquis operations even exist, because of need for utter secrecy.

@suzyqualcast6269 14 күн бұрын

What beats me is where all these Normandy museums keep sourcing all the original materials - today !!

@TheHistoryUnderground 14 күн бұрын

Pretty wild.

@btlnh2001 15 күн бұрын

That bro chews Copenhagen! 😊

@redruml5872 14 күн бұрын

4th infantry only lost 12 men kia on Utah..... the entire division of 21k men only 12 kia 190 wounded. Omaha got hammered.

@ameyring 15 күн бұрын

By frogmen, did they swim underwater to the beach to stay hidden and also look for underwater mines?

@BuckeyeBackyardBBQ 15 күн бұрын

Would suck to step on that metal in the sand when the tied it up today.

@1psychofan 15 күн бұрын

Does Utah beach have a law about keeping relics? If you wanted a piece of whatever that was can you take it?

@MoreheadFire 13 күн бұрын

So what was the debris on the beach?

@haydenbrantley 15 күн бұрын

Are any of those NCDU sailors still alive today?

@alexmclean760 15 күн бұрын

Petty officer first class JD sorry grew up in the community with my dad working with Team 2 outta little Creek

@cb-ms1xt 14 күн бұрын

jocko is your sponsor? u made it in youtuber

@kenbyers8036 12 күн бұрын

A comment for the algorithm 😉

@outlaw_203 10 күн бұрын

Could you share what you think that artifact on the beach was in the comments?

@TheHistoryUnderground 9 күн бұрын

I’m thinking part of a landing craft.

@ivanlowjones 15 күн бұрын

Don Shipley approved?

@TheHistoryUnderground 15 күн бұрын

Not sure who that is.

@ivanlowjones 15 күн бұрын

@@TheHistoryUnderground He's a retired Navy Seal who exposes guys who publicly lie about having been SEALS/UDT. He's the ultimate Stolen Valor investigator. His KZfaq channel is well known.

@32dras 15 күн бұрын

When you think a little about it, Hitler messed up with not invading (and conquering) British isles. Over Atlantic invasion would imposible, at least troug that part of France, maybe from Africa trough southern France(what later happened, and it's not talked s lot, you talked in your videos) and trough Italy, what also happend, and maybe trough Greece and Balkans. Oh JD, you have so many stories to tell, campaign trough Italy was just scratched, hope you will have resources to do it one day.

@mr.wolfgaming2620 15 күн бұрын

Would be nice to see you do a series on the original SF as in the SAS in WW2 (Egypt and in Europe) I believe

@EGSBiographies-om1wb 12 күн бұрын

112th

@swgeek4310 15 күн бұрын

OG Suicide Squad

@scottw4336 15 күн бұрын

Surprised they didn't just sink to the bottom of the channel......considering the size of there 🎱🎱.....🇺🇲🤙😎🤙🇺🇲

@EGSBiographies-om1wb 12 күн бұрын

The Cynical Historians grandpap Patton was a frogman during WWII.

@AbombLOC 13 күн бұрын

SEAL or not, would not cross a Leif..

@sherrycastaneda5971 15 күн бұрын

Quit using "cool" as a description. There is nothing cool about whapped there.

@jasonloane3735 15 күн бұрын

What rubbish, the British SBS reccyd every beach months before d day taking soil samples so they knew if vehicles could be landed and mapped every beach defences right up until D Day, Americans didn't pay any part of that. Get history right!!

@hjusn 15 күн бұрын

Screw your arrogance. They were there. It doesn’t take away from the British participation. You are free to do your own Brit video.

@tomcarl8021 15 күн бұрын

You were taking soil samples while we were sampling your women.

@jimreilly917 15 күн бұрын

They did. But this video was about clearing sea and beach access on ONE sector of the beachhead, specifically DURING the invasion. Not a competition. Every man who hit Normandy was a hero….as were the special ops…ALL of them…who did the work you mentioned. As were every member of the Maquis, the French Resistance, who on the eve of DDAY blew anything they could to smithereens if it could be used by the Nazis to reinforce the beach. Those caught, unlike soldiers who were treated according to the Geneva Convention, were most often tortured for information on other Maquis.🍻🇺🇸🦅🇬🇧🇫🇷🇨🇦🇵🇱 This is why I hate it when history nitwits refer to the French as surrender monkeys.

@jasonloane3735 15 күн бұрын

@@hjusn my arrogance, your ignorance the SBS did the work .

@jasonloane3735 15 күн бұрын

@@tomcarl8021 typical brain dead comment