EODMU NINE

10/28/2024

07/19/2023

Great men, we remember. Especially our own MU9 Alum EODC Pat Wade. Great EOD Technician and even better friend. Please post photos of Pat below. Thank you.

05/22/2021

EOD Assistant & Ret. SWCC Chief Petty Officer Scott Keough.....you are in our hearts bro, RIP big fella, God Bless your family during these challenging times. 🙏

01/01/2021

Happy New Year to all!

08/15/2020

Born on this day in 1911 in San Diego, CA, Draper Kauffman, recognized as the "Father of Underwater Demolition." Draper graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933, but failed to receive a commission due to his poor eyesight.

Determined to serve his country, Kauffman enrolled in the American Volunteer Ambulance Corps. in March 1940 and served in France until the collapse of the French Army. He was subsequently captured by the Germans, but was soon released because of his American citizenship.

In September 1940, he joined the United Kingdom's Royal Naval Reserve. During that time, he gained valuable experience in the detonation and dismantling of unexploded ordnance. After securing a U.S. Naval Reserve Commission in 1941, he was sent to Pearl Harbor to dispose of unexploded ordnance–bombs that failed to detonate after being dropped by Japanese war planes. He returned to Washington D.C. and was directed to establish the first U.S. Navy Bomb Disposal School.

Soon after, Kauffman was given an urgent directive to begin assembling and training Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDU) to clear obstacles for amphibious landings. Ordered to Fort Pierce, Florida, he originated the precursor of today's Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) training.

In this image, LT Commander Draper L. Kauffman, USNR, receives a Gold Star in lieu of his second Navy Cross from his father, Rear Admiral. James L. Kauffman, USN, Commander, Cruisers and Destroyers, Pacific Fleet. When asked why he was laughing, LT Commander Kauffman replied, "Because, as Dad pinned it on, he said, 'Thank the Lord you found a clean shirt!'"

06/21/2020

06/21/2020

Some more photos from our excursion on the American River with LCDR Rol Lippert and his wife. A great time with every one outside of work.

06/21/2020

A couple more photos when doing jump ops out at Hamilton Field. It's obviously Marc Carmichael in all three of the photos. CWO4 Mick Doak is doing Marc's JMPI, but I can't remember the guy sitting next to Marc in the aircraft.

05/25/2020

We remember

EODCS Scott Cooper Dayton, November 2016
EODC Jason Christopher Finan, October 2016
EOD1 Sean P. Carson, August 2012
LT Christopher E. Mosko, April 2012
EOD2 Taylor J. Gallant, January 2012
EOD1 Chad R. Regelin , January 2012
EODCS Kraig M.K. Vickers, August 2011
EODC Nicholas H. Null, August 2011
EOD2 Tony Randolph, July 2009
EOD2 Tyler J. Trahan, April 2009
EOD1 Luis A. Souffront, February 2008
EOD1 Kevin R. Bewley, November 2007
EODC Patrick L. Wade, July 2007
EOD1 Jeffrey L. Chaney, July 2007
EODC Gregory J. Billiter, April 2007
EOD1 Joseph A. McSween, April 2007
EOD2 Curtis R. Hall, April 2007
ET2 David S. Roddy, September 2006
EODC Paul J. Darga, August 2006
EN2 Edward Austin Koth, July 2006
AO2 (EOD) Nicholas Wilson, February 2006
GMC (EOD) Joseph T. Hendricks, July 1995
LCDR Don A. Hone, April 1994
WTC (DV/PJ) Paul A. Rico March, 1989
PR1 (DV) Frank E. Morrison, February 1984
HT1 Stephen Leroy Morris, October 1983
ENCS Robert Rudolph Schamberger, October 1983
LT Donald P. Junemann, September 1976
CWO4 Charles D. Alderman, May 1976
EM1 Ralphe E. Loux Jr., May 1976
CWO2 Donald V. Roberts, June 1972
LTJG Bruce S. McFadyen, January 1969
TM1 (DV) Richard R. Melady, January 1969
PR1 (DV) Jerry L. Winingham, February 1968
LCDR Robert E. Condon, January 1968
LT Steven C. Plotz , October 1966
ENS Calvin E. Keich, August 1965
BMC (DV) Manuel Gallegos, April 1964
ENS Billy M. McCray, August 1963
ENS James H. Phillips, May 1961
WO Maurice T. Cleary, November 1952
ENS Robert M. Jager, April 1946
AOM3C Monroe A. Hudson, January 1946
ENS Charles William Grice, Sr., May 1945
ENS John S. Parker II, May 1945
LTJG Gardner Trieble Hutchins, May 1945
LTJG Marvin Winfred Johnson, April 1945
LT Lawrence Leopold Lionel Heideman, March 1945
LTJG George Plummer McNear III, January 1945
LTJG John Thomas S. Och, October 1944
LTJG Delbert W. Lewis, October 1944
ACOM William C. Meadville, October 1944
LTJG John H. Fezler, October 1944
LTJG Charles F. Letson, September 1944
GMSN Robert Paul Burr, July 1944
LTJG Alvin E. Vetter, June 1944
GM1C Thomas B. Keene, June 1944
ENS George E. Arthur, April 1944
ENS Harris R. Hester, November 1943
CGM John H. Baldridge, July 1943
LT Thomas J. E. Crotty, July 1942
ENS John M. Howard, June 1942

We Remember

05/25/2020

Good article from former LT IShmay

For one veteran who’s also a Times journalist, there are too many fallen friends, and unending wars mean there will most likely be more.

05/23/2020

I'm sure alot of you will remember this place.
Department of Defense Housing Facility (DODHF) Novato
(Rafael Village Family Housing Annex)

Base Property and Historical Use: The Department of Defense Housing Facility (DoDHF) at Novato is located in the southeastern part of the City of Novato in Marin County, California, about 20 miles north of the City of San Francisco. The property covers an area of about 553 acres on two sites that are separated by U.S. Highway 101. The Air Force utilized the property from the early 1940s until 1974. After Hamilton Air Force Base was decommissioned, the Navy took ownership of housing and community services to form DoDHF Novato and the Army took over the runway and associated structures to form Hamilton Army Airfield. The 311-acre Main Site is located on the east side of U.S. Highway 101 and contained military family housing, a Commissary, a Navy Exchange, an Officers Club, community service areas, a bowling alley, and recreational fields.

The 107-acre Rafael Village military family housing site is located on the west side of U.S. Highway 101, about one mile northwest of the Main Site. The 136-acre Spanish Housing area lies adjacent to the Main Site and was formerly part of the Main Site.

Closure Date, Planned Reuses, Parcels Transferred: The Navy Public Works Center, San Francisco Bay, which included DoDHF Novato, was closed under the authority of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990. The housing facilities were closed under the 1993 Round of Closure (BRAC III) on September 30, 1996. The Hamilton Reuse Planning Authority (HRPA) developed a reuse plan for DoDHF Novato in October 1995. This plan addressed reuse of both DoDHF Novato and the adjacent Army Airfield. The Hamilton Army Airfield Reuse Plan proposed adaptive reuse of most of the existing housing and other buildings and retention of the existing land uses.

Remaining Disposal Work: On September 22, 2011, the Navy assigned Parcel 1A to the Department of Education (DoEd) for ultimate conveyance to the Novato Unified School District for educational use purposes. Parcel 1A is the last remaining parcel at DoDHF Novato. With the assignment of Parcel 1A to DoEd, the Navy has completed all of its property disposal actions at DoDHF Novato.