I just saw this interview, haven't read the book yet. :thumbsup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvEqeLg7Dso

 

He was on the Opie and Anthony show this week. He was pretty damn cool.

 

Not at all sure what's going on with Jesse Ventura. I knew right after the funeral that he got "popped", and I knew why. I didn't know the name of the guy that "decked" him. Ventura has been "riding a wave" of I'M A SEAL for years. But, I'm thinking he was never in any combat himself. He bragged about it when he was a pro wrestler, it was part of his campaign for governor of MN, and he's not afraid to say, at any time, that he's authorized to wear the pin. And, because of that, Ventura seems to think he's "UNTOUCHABLE". But, unless you're a complete idiot, no unit in the service "deserves" to lose anyone. It happens. And, with the comments he was making, he was completely out of line. What he did deserve was for the guys to line up and take turns with him.

 

Ventura is a liar, he was never a true Navy SEAL. The unit he was in, UDT, was later merged into the SEAL's, 8 years AFTER Ventura left the Navy. This does not make you a true SEAL, you were a Frogman. He has also admitted in 2002 that the UDT team was more of a Reserve team and he saw no combat. In fact, he's not even listed as a former SEAL.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGa8n44gNvo

 

The sniper who decked him said that the SEAL's consider UDT as SEAL's. The UDT were the SEAL's prior to the name change.

 

The UDT was completely separate from the SEAL's which have been around since WW2. Until 1983 they were not the same so anyone who left the UDT prior to the merging is not looked at as a SEAL and should not call themselves a former SEAL. That is the reason why Ventura is not listed as a former SEAL.

 

Back when I was in the Navy, Seals were being billed as "ADVANCED UDT". We didn't hear the term "Combat Specialist". There were a number of guys that had been UDT that went into the "Advanced" at Coronado and became Seals. And, UDT was around since WWII, but the Seals were started under President Kennedy in the very early '60s.

I have seen a couple of websites that stated that Ventura was authorized to wear the Seal pin. They said it was because he did train with the Seals. I don't know what the circumstances were, but I do know a couple of other guys that also trained with the Seals and are not authorized to wear the pin. But, they were also UDT.

I'm finding it a bit odd that in the last few years, we're hearing more about the Seals. The guy that started "SEAL TEAM SIX" had been on TV a couple of times, talking about TEAM SIX and what it takes to get into it. Then, again, maybe it isn't so odd. I've also heard that the Navy is having problems recruiting guys to try for Seal training.

I have to wonder just what Ventura is on, to make the comments he was making at a wake. With the life he's had, and the positions he's held, he should have known when comments were completely out of place.

 

He doesn't need to be going around telling people he was a SEAL when he actually wasn't. Just because you may have trained beside them doesn't make you one. Just because the UDT are now a part of the SEALs doesn't suddenly make you a SEAL. Even then, he was a Reserve UDT at that.

 

I thought the punch was a great story and even greater selling point for the book!
I'd buy the Chief's book just to thank him for that punch.

Maybe Twilight should punch some people to help with book sales.