Fort Pierce’s main claim to fame is that this is where the Navy SEALs originated, so we had to visit the seal museum at some point in our stay.   The precursor to the seals were the underwater demolition team (UDT), formed during the second world war with the primary role being to remove the obstacles blocking troop landings (playing a significant part in the Normandy landings for example).  The UDT’s role expanded over the years and in 1962 Kennedy commissioned the first Navy “unconventional warfare” unit to operate on SEa Air and Land – SEAL Team One.    

 

The real reason for our visit, having just seen the movie “Captain Phillips”, was to see the life raft from the Maersk Alabama.  It brings home the amazing marksmanship of the three SEAL snipers.

 

Potential recruit posing for a photo

 

Only problem is you have to be able to carry your buddy and a gun at the same time

 

Whereas Andrea is struggling just to hold up her AK47

 

The Alabama liferaft still has holes where the bullets penetrated

 

The liferaft is just a big floating steel box

 

A bird on the beach

 

Some more birds on the beach – one good tern and a couple of others