"A Critical Situation"

Class 28: Look for the tall guy on the right.

Nick Nickelson, WC Class-28, UDT-12, shared this excerpt from his book UTD/SEAL Stories of the 1960s. Sections about Pete are highlighted in blue, but the whole passage sets the stage for the "situation." To fully understand, read Nickelson's account:

We were into our third week at San Clemente Island and making preparations for a night problem that we anxiously anticipated. This may have been the only problem, while at Clemente, or during training for that matter, that the trainees of Class-28 actually looked forward to. For this particular night problem, each boat crew would be given a map, a compass, and a set of map coordinates. This night was intended to prove or disprove our navigational capabilities. Each boat crew would follow the prescribed coordinates to the other side of the Island and locate an item, previously sealed inside a tin can and buried by the instructors. These items had been buried in separate and varied locations, so each boat crew would be given a different set of map coordinates before being sent on its way. 

For this exercise we would be on our own, working within our individual boat crews, without Instructors breathing down our necks. While we relished the fact that we would be operating without Instructors, the most important aspect of this night problem was the fact that it did not involve water; therefore we would be in warm clothes and dry. There were very few times during BUDS when we were not wet and cold so we planned to make the most of this unusual opportunity.

It was roughly twenty hundred hours or eight at night when we started.  We were told that the round trip, if we ran and jogged, and we were expected to run and jog, would take no more than four to five hours. Therefore we should have no problem locating our target and returning to our base camp by no later than zero one hundred hours or one in the morning. Whenever the Instructors used the word “should” you knew they actually meant, “would” and that punishment awaited those boat crews who didn’t adhere to this deadline.

At this point of training, all of the men assigned to the boat crew, to which I was assigned, had been together since shortly after “Hell Week”. We therefore knew each other well and had a good understanding of each other’s strengths and capabilities. I purposely didn’t say strengths and weaknesses because those men who reached this point of training did not possess weaknesses or at least weaknesses worth mentioning.

Our boat crew consisted of five men, two of which were officers. This was unusual because a normal boat crew would be comprised of one officer and six enlisted men. However, due to attrition, the standard Class-28 boat crew consisted of one officer and four enlisted men. The officer serves as the boat coxswain and it is his job to sit in the aft section of the Inflatable Boat Small (IBS) and steer the boat. The remaining four men are stationed two on each side of the IBS and it is their job to paddle. As I mentioned earlier, due to heavy attrition, Class-28 had nine boat crews and ten officers. Therefore, our boat crew wound up with two officers and they were both solid operators as well as excellent officers.

Larry (Butchie) Miller, Pete Riddle, Mike Paul, and Tony Zemos

Mike Paul was our boat coxswain and a real character. He is also a man I have included in numerous other stories so I won’t elaborate. Peter Riddle (Pete) was the second officer assigned to our boat crew. Pete was the tallest member of our class, standing at least six foot six inches. He was also a person who possessed that rare ability of being funny without attempting to do so or even knowing that he was being funny. It would be Mr. Riddle and some of his impromptu comments that kept our boat crew laughing when times were really difficult.  Tony Zimos, Larry Miller and yours truly made up the balance of the boat crew and in time we became a well-oiled machine and excelled in all matters related to operating as a boat crew during BUDS training.

San Clemente Island, where we conducted our final three weeks of training, is the southernmost of the eight Channel Islands, situated in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Southern California. It is roughly twenty miles long, five miles wide, and is comprised of some very steep mountains and difficult terrain. I always thought San Clemente was the sister Island of Santa Catalina because they are relatively near each other. However, unlike Catalina which is visible from all Los Angeles coastal cities, San Clemente is much further from the coast and not readily visible. In addition, unlike Santa Catalina, the Island of San Clemente is owned by the United States Government and has served as a Naval training site and target range since 1934.

Now, back to our night problem. It was due to the steep gradient and difficult terrain of San Clemente Island that we would be afforded four to five hours to complete a problem that only required that we traverse a five-mile stretch to the appointed target, then a five mile return trip to our base camp. As the crow flies this would not have proven to be a difficult task but because we aren’t crows, we would be required to traverse a number of the steep hills that make up San Clemente Island, then do the same on the return leg of this particular night problem.

Roughly half way through the first leg of our trip, Pete’s humor came into play. Though he didn’t know it at the time he was about to put forth one of his all time greats. We were crossing a field and in the darkness it was difficult to see the ground under our feet let alone where we were placing each foot as we jogged along to our designated target. As we were charging forward I heard a low groan from Mr. Riddle and he then came to an abrupt halt. Pete looked like a man who had just stepped on a land mine. He stood there frozen not willing to take a step in any direction for fear it might detonate. He then said, “Nickelson, you have to help me, something has attached itself to my leg and won’t let go.” By this time he had pulled out his K-bar knife and was making futile gestures toward his ankle trying to dislodge whatever evil creature had taken hold of his leg just above the top of his boot. As I walked back it happened, Mr. Riddle then said, “Nickelson, this is a critical situation, be very careful that it doesn’t attack you.” 

By now the other three members of our boat crew had returned to where Pete and I were standing but they were warned to hold their ground and come no closer. As I approached he just stood there and repeated, “Nickelson, what we have here is a critical situation.” I must admit I was very cautious as I moved forward with my K-bar knife drawn and ready, prepared to kill this varmint that had attached itself to Pete’s leg and was most assuredly sucking his blood. Then, as I reached down and pulled-up his pant’s leg what I found attached to Mr. Riddle’s sock was a very large bur, or prickly seed capsule from one of San Clemente’s native plants, not the creature we had anticipated finding. We were all relieved that it was not the blood-sucking critter that we had expected to find and as I removed it, Mr. Riddle heaved a huge sigh of relief. I started to laugh and it was all I could do to regain my feet as I thought about Mr. Riddle’s repeated statement; “Nickelson, this is a critical situation.” The other members of our boat crew thought it was equally funny and after a few minutes even Pete started to laugh. This was simply an example of Mr. Riddle being able to lighten-up a difficult situation without intending to or even knowing that he had done so.

As for the operation at hand, we would go on to find the item, buried by the Instructors, and return to our base camp within the allotted time given to complete this particular night problem. As for Mr. Riddle, he would continue to say things that would lighten up almost any difficult situation and for that I would always hold him in fond esteem.   

Soon after the conclusion of this particular night problem, training for Class-28 would come to an end and we would receive the new assignments we had worked so hard to attain. We would be awarded our individual places in the Teams. Then, like every man who had gone before us, we would find ourselves embroiled in life threatening and truly critical situations. Whenever this would happen, if given the time and under certain conditions, I would think back on that night at San Clemente and the comment made by Mr. Riddle; “Nickelson, this is a critical situation” and somehow the thought of that night and those few words would help relieve the tension of the current situation and make it seem just a little less overwhelming.