Year of the Navy SEAL

Since 1962, the special operations sailors known as SEALs have risked their lives at sea, in the air, and on land to protect the United States. This year, the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation and the Special Warfare Command communities have come together to tell the SEAL story, and honor the legacy of Navy SEALS, frogmen, and their families.

"The Year of the Navy SEAL" initiative at the United States Navy Memorial Foundation will run from April 2007 to April 2008. Civilians and military personnel alike will enjoy the array of activities hosted at the U.S. Navy Memorial, including the following:

• A three-dimensional, multimedia exhibit Sea, Air, Land: The Navy's Special Operations Sailors
• Lectures, symposia, films, book signings, demonstrations, award ceremonies, retirements, promotions, reenlistments, and concerts
• Online displays
• Daily, short-film screenings of "BUD/S 224" and "Naval Special Warfare: Defending Freedom in the 21st Century" (*Times subject to change, call (202) 737-2300 for daily updates)
• Sony Playstation game "SOCOM Navy SEAL" kiosks

Take a look at what some of our recent events have included:

Special Warfare Film Festival "SEALs in Hollywood"—June 9, 16, 23, 30

Every Saturday in June featured screenings of special warfare-related movies, from feature films to documentaries, inside the spacious Burke Theater.

June 9 – The Discovery Channel’s “Navy SEAL Training” Learn advanced SEAL training tactics and get to know the men of Class 234 as you follow them to their extreme physical and emotional limits.

June 16 – The History Channel's “Complete History of the Navy SEALs” This film tells the story of the men and missions that laid the groundwork for the SEALS. Find out about the NCDU (Naval Combat Demolition Units), how they paved the way for the invasion of Normandy, clearing a 30-mile wide path for the invasion force that followed. But they paid a high price for their success—over half the NCDU forces were killed in action. Another special force, the UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) helped clear the way to the Pacific islands. In Guam, UDT teams worked around-the-clock and left a calling card on the beach—a hand-painted sign saying: "Welcome Marines from UDT 4." Filled with combat footage and the recollections of former team members, this program is a fascinating chronicle of the origins of one of the most fabled fighting forces in the world.

June 23 – “The Frogmen” Richard Widmark headlines in this fast-paced World War II adventure film from director Lloyd Bacon. Widmark plays Lt. Cmdr. John Lawrence, a stringent naval officer who must prove his mettle to earn his underwater demolition team's respect after stepping into the shoes of their beloved former leader. The movie scored an Oscar nod for Best Cinematography.

June 30 – “Tears of the Sun” A 2003 war film starring Bruce Willis as the commander of the SEAL team sent into the middle of a fictional Nigerian civil war to rescue a U.S. citizen played by Monica Bellucci.

The Warriors You Never See: An Evening with the Navy's Special Operations Sailors—May 24

Real stories were heard from the "quiet professionals" who tirelessly execute some of the most dangerous missions in the war on terrorism. Attendees met special warfare personnel who have recently returned from hot spots around the world as they relayed their personal stories.

Light appetizers and dessert were served

United States Navy Memorial
Arleigh & Roberta Burke Theater
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

Just above the Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter metro stop on the green and yellow lines.

The Year of the Navy SEAL is sponsored by:







Marine Systems
Undersea Systems
Sperry Marine