Reminiscences of Capt. Francis R. Kaine, USNR (Ret.)

Few of the Naval Institute’s oral history volumes are as specialized as this one. Kaine essentially made a career of service in the Navy’s underwater demolition teams (UDTs) and training its sea-air-land (SEAL) teams. After commissioning through the V-7 program in 1942 he took bomb disposal training, then was in the first group trained by Draper Kauffman for underwater demolition. He and his team were assigned to the Seventh Amphibious Force for more than a dozen operations in the Pacific in World War II. After return to civilian life, he was recalled to active duty during the Korean War and subsequently served in several UDTs in the Atlantic, including command of two teams in the 1950s. After service on the staff of Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery, Commandant of the 10th Naval District in Puerto Rico, he was involved from 1964 until his retirement in 1970 in the training of UDTs and SEALs. His last duty was as Commander Naval Special Warfare Group Pacific.