Navy SEAL museum to get lifeboat from sniper attack
August 12th, 2009 by Cara Fitzpatrick
Photo provided by the U.S. Navy shows a team from the USS Boxer towing the lifeboat from the Maersk Alabama.
Three U.S. Navy SEAL snipers, legendary fighters whose missions are often clandestine, killed three Somali pirates about four months ago, saving the life of a sea captain and giving the world a rare glimpse at their military prowess.
Now, a museum dedicated to the SEALs will have a part of that historical day in April.
The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum near Fort Pierce is expected to receive at 10 a.m. Friday the lifeboat on which Capt. Richard Phillips was held hostage after Somali pirates seized his cargo ship, the MV Maersk Alabama, about 280 miles south of the Somali port city Eyl.
The public is invited to attend Friday when the lifeboat arrives at the museum.
For museum officials, the lifeboat is a rare find and an important moment in the modern history of the SEALs.
“It’s a piece of history that comes in on the heels of the actual event,” said retired Navy Capt. Michael Howard, the museum’s executive director and a former SEAL. “We can’t believe it really. We’re kind of pinching ourselves.”
Over the years the museum — the only one in the world dedicated to preserving the history of the SEALs and their predecessors —has built up quite a collection.
It has about 2,300 large objects — such as an Apollo training craft and Vietnam-era “Huey” helicopter on the grounds outside — as well as about 3,300 photographs and about 2,500 smaller items, such as documents and pins, according to Ruth McSween, the museum’s curator.
This latest acquisition came about after Howard called Maersk Lines Limited, the shipping line, and asked for artifacts from the sniper attack.
“It just all came together after that,” he said.
The lifeboat is shaped a bit like a pumpkin, Howard said. It’s about 20 feet long, 8 feet wide, 10 feet thick and bright orange. Still covered in bullet holes and broken glass, it will rest in front of the museum near other large equipment and vehicles.
Tags: Fort Pierce, Navy SEALs, St. Lucie County
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August 12th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
What can I say? Kneegrows are the same all over the world.
August 12th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I still cant figure out how 3 or 4 barefoot pirates with WW2 rifles that were surounded by a U.S. Battle Group of a Carrier, Destroyer, Subs, Frigates– Where was the heroism? or are we just that desparate to call anyone a hero? Our guys didnt do anything heroic that day by killing those people. With all that firepower surrounding them–it makes you wonder who were the brave ones that day. How much did it cost to have a battle group surround a life raft? Life raft VS Aircraft Carrier–were heros.
August 12th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Rob, if you don’t understand that taking out those criminals to save the life of an American, you should get on the first Greyhound bus to Canada. Our brave American military put their lives on the line on every day. THAT is my definition of a hero.
August 12th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Our Military is certainly brave, but thats their job. What distinguishes this particular group over the average? I certainly liked our odds during this confrontation. What was it 4,000 or so of our miltary on 5 boats vs 3 pirates. I am just questioning how we were the brave ones in this situation. Do you think our boys on the aircraft carrier feared for their lives from these 3 barefoot pirates?
August 12th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
I guess you have never been to the museum Rob. So on that note Go F yourself is in order.
August 12th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Rob, go to the museum and check it out. The education you’ll get will absolutely be worth your time. And re: the Navy Seals, those guys are heroes many times over for reasons 99.99% of the public will never know. In this one, the pirates were holding the captain hostage in very close quarters, in a vessel that was bobbing in the sea. And from whatever platforms the Seals shot from, be it chopper or boat, those were unsteady vessels as well. Their publicized rescue of the captain was a job amazingly done. Give them their due. Their performance, and that of all our servicemen and women, enable you to speak your opinion freely.
August 13th, 2009 at 1:15 am
Hey Rob hopefully you or someone you love will never be sorounded by 3 barefoot pirates whit guns to the head half way around the world needing the help of our military, think just a little!
August 13th, 2009 at 7:56 am
while the navy snipers may have not been in personal danger, they displayed an amazing level of skill being able to perfurm under such circumstances. not only in overcoming the difficulty of being on one moving vessel while trying to shoot something on another moving vessel from who knows how many yards, but imagine the pressure they were under knowing the lives of the hostages were in their hands. imagine knowing that if you make the shot, our people come home safe, but if you miss, then they will likely be killed.
even if they were in no physical danger they did an amazing job under very difficult circumstances. i, for one, am glad they are there defending our freedom. i bet the pirates are looking twice when they see a ship pass with an american flag flying overhead.
August 13th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Rob, you have no clue!! That Seal Team got on a C-130 transport in the middle of the night and flew to the location of the lifeboat, parachuted (probably a HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) in pitch black darkness into the open ocean, quietly climbed aboard the destroyer while it was moving, positioned themselves on the stern (most likely on or around the helicopter pad, and waited for hours in 100F temperatures not moving waiting for the order to shoot. They made simultaneously three head shots while both the destroyer and the lifeboat were bobbing in mild to moderate sea states. That my friend is what hero’s do. As to your comment about having an aircraft carrier there, you need to check your facts, it was an amphibious assault carrier that carried helicopters not F-18’s and there was no battle group there. You obviously do not know anything about Navy operations and have never spent anytime in the military. Having spent 29yrs in the Navy and working closely with the Seals in Iraq and Afghanistan I can tell you that you will never find a more professional, dedicated group of people anywhere. They are hero’s and they do their job everyday in the shadows to keep us all safe!
August 13th, 2009 at 9:25 am
One Shot One Kill, why would you want to send this embecile Rob, to Canada? What did Canada do to you?
August 13th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Rob-you get the idiot of the day award. What a moron!