First US Combat "Frogman" John Spence -- RIP

John Spence (right)
with Congressional Medal of Honor winner Jonathan West
(Image: bendbulletin.com)

Prior to World War II, the notion that divers would participate in combat missions seemed as fanciful as a Jules Verne story's plot device. A principal reason for the change during "The Big One" was the work of Navy enlisted man John Spence. After Pearl Harbor, the native Tennessean became part of a secret group trained in what at the time was the new and highly dangerous world of underwater warfare. According to Spence's recent obituary in the Los Angeles Times, he became our nation's first combat "frogman". The word was allegedly coined by someone who saw Spence emerge from the water in his complete diving equipment.

Spence had to keep his story quiet for years, partly to keep the frogmens' breathing device a closely held national secret. Once the government declassified the record of his military activities, Spence received public honors from a Navy SEAL organization that saluted him as a kind of godfather for their service. Part of their admiration was their appreciation for Spence's guts.

As Navy SEAL Museum executive director Rick Kaiser told the Times, Spence "fought for our country with nothing more than a Ka-Bar knife, a pack of explosives and a diving rig....In today's age of drone strikes and worldwide instant communications, it's hard to imagine going to war depending on nothing but your training, your cause and your teammates."

John Spence didn't have to imagine it. He just did it.