One of the things I am most proud of is that I am a
supporter of the Alamo Scouts Historical Foundation, here in Florida. Last
month, November 28th, marked the 76th anniversary of which the unit was formed.
The Alamo scouts were taught judo in their specialized training. The Scouts
also got specialized training in hand to hand combat in Judo. Judo in the
military in those days was much different than the sport of judo most a
familiar with nowadays. The Judo
instructor was, 1SG Stephen J. Mrozinski, pictured above training the First
class of Alamo Scouts. (Picture from private collection)
The following is from a 2018 article from the U.S. Army
Special Operations Command Historian Office.
FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- November 28, 2018 marks the 75th
anniversary of the establishment of one of the most daring U.S. Army Special
Operations units of World War II: the Alamo Scouts.
U.S. Army LTG Walter Krueger, commander of the U.S. Sixth
Army (also known as the 'Alamo Force'), established the Alamo Scouts in the
Southwest Pacific Area in late 1943. With an area of responsibility composed
more of water than land, Krueger realized he needed a small unit of skilled men
with specialized reconnaissance expertise to provide him with information
needed to defeat the Japanese. As a result, on November 28, 1943, he directed
that select soldiers be trained in the special skills of amphibious
reconnaissance, jungle warfare, and clandestine operations behind enemy
lines. They would become known as the Alamo Scouts.
An Alamo Scouts Training Center was established and an
innovative assessment and selection process was developed. An evolving program
of instruction incorporated both internal and external evaluations throughout
the course to ensure only the best soldiers were selected for Alamo Scouts
training. Combat veteran volunteers for the course were given intensive
training in weapons, communications, intelligence reporting, physical
conditioning, amphibious reconnaissance skills, and extended patrolling
techniques. Students also learned to infiltrate enemy territory employing a
variety of means, ranging from swimming and operating rubber boats to Patrol
Torpedo Boats, submarines, and Catalina flying boats. Students trained for six
weeks, unaware of their status until they graduated. Of the several hundred
students who attended the course, only 138 were selected as Alamo Scouts.
After graduating, Alamo Scouts were organized into ten teams
of five-to-ten men and assigned to tasks ranging from special reconnaissance to
direct action and prisoner/hostage rescue. Their patrol reports contained
valuable information that higher units used in the field, as part of the larger
military campaign.
By war's end, the Scouts conducted more than 100 missions
behind enemy lines, a remarkable feat. The Alamo Scouts were to provide
amphibious reconnaissance on Kyushu Island for the invasion of mainland Japan
when the dropping of two atomic bombs forced Japanese surrender. After a short
time as security for key officers during the occupation of Japan, the unit was
disbanded in Kyoto in November 1945.
Several members of the Alamo Scouts found their way into the
ranks of Army Special Forces later in their careers. Aspects of Alamo Scout
training, including their use of peer evaluations during training, were
incorporated into the Special Forces Qualification Course and continue
impacting Army Special Operations Forces to this day.(5) Moreover, the Alamo
Scouts clearly demonstrated they are "value-added" and how Special
Operations Forces can provide unique skills to conventional forces in major
theaters of operation.
-----
Author:
The Deputy U.S. Army Special Operations Command Historian,
Dr. Michael E. Krivdo, earned his PhD in Military and Diplomatic History from
Texas A&M University. He is a former Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
Officer with varied special operations research interests.
-----
Note: This modified article originally appeared in Veritas:
Journal of Special Operations History 14:2 (2018): 48. Veritas is a publication
of the United States Army Special Operations Command History Office, Fort
Bragg, NC.
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