Keith Douglass
Counterfire
To those untiring, determined,
and uncompromising
397,000 U.S. Navy men and
women on active duty, who stay
the course and defend
our nation with pride
and honor.
FOREWORD
Some of you have written to me with regrets about the loss of some of the old hands in the Third Platoon of SEAL Team Seven. It happens in combat more often than we would like, but we have to be realistic. In this line of work, men get wounded and killed. There are also replacements needed due to training accidents and the unusual and tough wear and tear on all of our Navy SEALs. That’s why there are always new SEALs coming up through BUD/S training program. If you’ve ever wished that you could be a SEAL, and are in the Navy or want to join the Navy, now might be a good time to talk to the Navy people about the program.
It isn’t an outfit that you can automatically join. You must apply, then pass a series of tests, including tough physical and psychological testing. That’s how the SEALs get the best and toughest men in the Navy. Just a thought.
So, how is it going with you? How did you like this SEAL adventure? Let me know. Hey, I can take your criticism and even weather a pat on the back. If it’s okay with you, I might use a quote from your letter in a special page in one of the books that show what you think of the series. Write to me at: Keith Douglass, SEAL Team Seven, 8431 Beaver Lake Dr., San Diego, CA 92119.
You have a good day now.
Keith Douglass
SEAL TEAM SEVEN
Rear Admiral (L) Richard Kenner, Commander of all SEALs.
Commander Dean Masciareli. 47, 5'11", 220 pounds. Annapolis graduate. Commanding officer of Navy Special Warfare Group One’s SEAL Team Seven.
Master Chief Petty Officer Gordon MacKenzie. 47, 5'10", 180 pounds. Administrator and head enlisted man of all SEAL Teams at Coronado.
Lieutenant Commander Blake Murdock. Platoon Leader, Third Platoon, 32, 6'2", 210 pounds. Annapolis graduate. Six years in SEALs. Father important congressman from Virginia. Murdock recently promoted. Apartment in Coronado. Has a car and a motorcycle, loves to fish. Weapon: Alliant Bull Pup duo 5.56mm & 20mm explosive round. Alternate: H & K MP-5SD submachine gun.
Timothy F. Sadler, Senior Chief Petty Officer. Top EM in Third Platoon. Third in command, 32, 6'2", 220 pounds. Married to Sylvia, no children. Has been in the Navy for fifteen years, a SEAL for last eight. Expert fisherman. Plays trumpet in any Dixieland combo he can find. Weapon: Alliant Bull Pup duo 5.56mm and 20mm explosive round. Good with the men.
David “Jaybird” Sterling. Machinist Mate First Class, Lead Petty Officer. 24, 5'10", 170 pounds. Quick mind, fine tactician. Single. Drinks too much sometimes. Crack shot with all arms. Grew up in Oregon. Helps plan attack operations. Weapon: H & K MP-5SD submachine gun.
Luke “Mountain” Howard. Gunner’s Mate Second Class, 28, 6'4", 250 pounds. Black man. Football at Oregon State. Tryout with Oakland Raiders six years ago. In Navy six years. SEAL for four. Single. Rides a motorcycle. A skiing and wind surfing nut. Squad sniper. Weapon H & K PSG1 7.62 NATO sniper rifle.
Bill Bradford. Quartermaster First Class. 24, 6'2", 215 pounds. An artist in his spare time. Paints oils. He sells his marine paintings. Single. Quiet. Reads a lot. Has two years of college. Platoon radio operator. Carries a SATCOM on most missions. Weapon: Alliant Bull Pup duo 5.56mm & 20mm explosive round.
Joe “Ricochet” Lampedusa. Operations Specialist Second Class. 21, 5'11", 175 pounds. Good tracker, quick thinker. Had a year of college. Loves motorcycles. Wants a Hog. Pot smoker on the sly. Picks up plain girls. Platoon scout. Weapon: H & K MP-5SD submachine gun, alternate Bull Pup duo 5.56mm & 20mm explosive round.
Kenneth Ching. Quartermaster First Class. 25, 6' even, 180 pounds. Full-blooded Chinese. Platoon translator. Speaks Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Bicycling nut. Paid $1,200 for off-road bike. Is trying for Officer Candidate School. Weapon: Colt M-4A1 rifle with grenade launcher.
Vincent “Vinnie” Van Dyke. Electrician’s Mate Second Class. 24, 6'2", 220 pounds. Enlisted out of high school. Played varsity basketball. Wants to be a commercial fisherman after his current hitch. Good with his hands. Squad machine gunner. Weapon: H & K 21-E 7.62 NATO round machine gun.
Lieutenant Ed DeWitt. Leader Bravo Squad. Second in command of the platoon. 30, 6'1", 175 pounds. From Seattle. Wiry. Married to Milly. No kids. Annapolis graduate. A career man. Plays a good game of chess on traveling board. Weapon: Alliant Bull Pup duo 5.56mm & 20mm explosive round. Alternate: H & K G-11 submachine gun.
George “Petard” Canzoneri, Torpedoman’s Mate First Class. 27, 5'11", 190 pounds. Married to Navy wife, Phyllis. No kids. Nine years in Navy. Expert on explosives. Nicknamed “Petard” for almost hoisting himself one time. Top pick in platoon for explosive work. Weapon: Alliant Bull Pup duo 5.56mm & 20mm explosive round.
Miguel Fernandez. Gunner’s Mate First Class. 26, 6'1", 180 pounds. Wife, Maria; daughter, Linda, 7, in Coronado. Spends his off time with them. Highly family oriented. He has family in San Diego. Speaks Spanish and Portuguese. Squad sniper. Weapon: H & K PSG1 7.62 NATO sniper rifle.
Colt “Guns” Franklin. Yeoman Second Class. 24, 5'10", 175 pounds. A former gymnast. Powerful arms and shoulders. Expert mountain climber. Has a motorcycle, and does hang gliding. Speaks Farsi and Arabic. Weapon: H & K MP-5SD submachine gun.
Tracy Donegan, Signalman Second Class, 24, 6' even, 185 pounds. Former Navy boxer, tough, single, expert tracker and expert on camouflage and ground warfare. Expert marksman. Platoon driver, mechanic. Frantic Chargers football fan. Speaks Italian and Swahili. Weapon: H & K G-11 with caseless rounds.
Jack Mahanani. Hospital Corpsman First Class. 25, 6'4", 240 pounds. Platoon Medic. Tahitian/Hawaiian. Expert swimmer. Bench-presses four hundred pounds. Divorced. Top surfer. Wants the .50 sniper rifle. Weapon: Alliant Bull Pup duo 5.56mm & 20mm explosive round. Alternate: H & K MP-5SD submachine gun.
Frank Victor, Gunner’s Mate Second Class, 23, 6' even, 185 pounds. Two years in SEALs. Radio, computer expert. Can program, repair, and build computers. Shoots small-bore rifle competitively. Married. Wife, Phyllis, a computer programmer/specialist. No children. Lives in Coronado. Weapon: Alliant Bull Pup duo & 20mm explosive round.
Paul “Jeff” Jefferson. Engineman Second Class. Black man. 23, 6'1", 200 pounds. Expert in small arms. Can tear apart most weapons and reassemble, repair, and innovate them. A chess player to match Ed DeWitt. Weapon: Alliant Bull Pup duo 5.56mm & 20mm explosive round.
1
Ground fire ripped through the night sky, leaving glowing red tracer patterns, as the big VTOL Osprey came in fast, turned its engines into the vertical position, and lowered gracefully to the ground where two red flares burned. Two rounds hit the bird near where Lieutenant Commander Blake Murdock crouched. He swept back the door and the moment the wheels touched the soft black Sierra Leone soil, he jumped to the ground with Quartermaster First Class Ken Ching and Electrician’s Mate Second Class Vincent Van Dyke right behind him.
1
Third Platoon assigned exclusively to the Central Intelligence Agency to perform any needed tasks on a covert basis anywhere in the world. All are top secret assignments. Goes around Navy chain of command. Direct orders from the CIA.