The Creature

CDR Bill Reed (ret), UDT-12, ST-1, CO SBU-13 as well as senior trainee, and the only officer in BUD/S Class 63, recalls how “The Creature” came to Naval Special Warfare Training Center in Coronado in 1971.

The “real” story of “The Creature”:

The “Creature” (from the Black Lagoon) was the class gift brain-child of our class 63 honor-man Chuck McAdams who first spied the monster adorning leather belts and other south-of-the-border souvenirs on one of his forays to Tijuana (no longer authorized, I’m sure) during training. His class gift suggestion later came to me which I immediately approved with gusto. However, several immediate concerns arose–1) procurement, 2) movement north and 3) concealment until graduation.

Resolutions:

1) Several of us including Mac traveled to Tijuana one evening to haggle with the Mexican owner (or rep) who said he couldn’t let it go being the only one of its kind. I believe it was 50 dollars American that changed his mind, and we were soon making our way across the border “creature portaging” amid very curious stares. Interestingly, about two weeks later we went down there and, sure enough, there was another “Creature” in one and onlys’ place.

2) Not everyone in training had “wheels” in those days–mostly only officers. So, my convertible VW bug provided transportation down to Tijuana and back. Back was very interesting since I had to drop the top on the VW so we could position the “Creature” in the back seat with its arms dangling over the rear engine compartment–up the Strand we went–again amid some very curious stares from passing motorists.

3) As I recall we were about three weeks out from graduation, so my guys managed to purloin several bedsheets from the barracks by the sea and I talked the BOQ staff into keeping it in a BOQ storage room until graduation. In the meantime, I painted the K-bar sheath and fashioned the trident (now long gone) in my BOQ room. The slogan on the trident (hard to make out in photos) reads “So…Ya Wanna Be A Frogman”