National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum

National Navy SEAL Museum
Location within Florida
Established 1985
Location 3300 North A1A
North Hutchinson Island
Fort Pierce, Florida
Coordinates 27°29′43″N 80°18′01″W / 27.495249°N 80.300307°W / 27.495249; -80.300307
Type Military History[1]
Director Rick Kaiser, USN SEAL (Ret)[1]
Curator Ruth McSween[1]
Website www.navysealmuseum.com

The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, also known as the Navy SEAL Museum, is located in St. Lucie County, just outside Fort Pierce, Florida. It houses exhibits to inform and educate on the role of Navy Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) and Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) teams.[1] The museum also preserves the history of the SEALs (the original Navy frogmen first trained outside of Fort Pierce).

The idea of the museum originated in the home of Albert Stankie, where he and other former UDT Frogmen gathered personal artifacts and experiences from their service in World War II. They worked to procure the defunct Ft. Pierce Treasure Museum building and site. This evolved into a dedicated facility, which opened in 1985, and was recognized as a National Museum by an act of Congress signed into law February 7, 2008.[2]

UDT-SEAL Memorial

UDT-SEAL Memorial

The focal point of the Museum is the UDT-SEAL Memorial, the only memorial in the world dedicated exclusively to the United States Navy SEALs and their predecessors.[3] The Memorial consists of a 500-pound, 9-foot-tall, bronze sculpture of a modern Navy SEAL. The names of all Underwater Demolition Team members—the "Frogmen" of World War II and modern Navy SEALs—who have died in the service of the country are carved into black, granite panels on the walls surrounding the sculpture and its reflecting pool.[4]

Other notable exhibits

The museum collection includes a number of rare artifacts dating from the founding of the SEALs, from the days of Scouts & Raiders, through the Underwater Demolition Teams, to recent present-day activities of US Navy SEALs:[5]

Annual UDT-SEAL muster ceremony

Each Veteran's Day weekend, the Museum holds a three-day tribute to UDT and SEAL veterans, that includes demonstrations and exhibitions.[6]

Other Navy museums

See: U.S. Navy Museum#Other Navy museums

Notes

External links

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