When evading into Freedom Village at Warner Springs you had to keep the inmates at that jail or prison (whatever it is) from spotting you or they would rat you out.
I was in SERE training at warner spings mid late June 68, There was a drought at the time so no fires. The trip to Warner Spring was on a hot stuffy bus and took several hours to get to from Coronado, I remember on one of the days on land navigation the five other guys besides myself ran in a water silo on a pecock farm
it was nice to get fresh water and dunk ourselves in the water tank however this didn't make the farmer happy as he shot at us several times with a shotgun.
On the last day I remember trying to cross a field to Freedom Village where if you made it they would give you a sandwhich and water then they would ruff you up.
I got captured and was taken by truck to the compound. I carved a knife but got caught. They took it out on the guy behind me for not reporting to the foe that I had a concelled wepon interrogaton wasn't any fun. I served with Comrivflotone
I did a search for SERE and ended up here. Embarrassingly, I cannot verify where I did my 2 weeks of SERE but it was November 1968. The orders say North Island, CA but it definitely was not warm and included a bus trip north which went on for hours so I'm guessing it was around NAS Whidbey. There was a bit of snow and nights were cold.
Most things I remember are about the same as other stories but one thing in particular I will never forget. The morning of the last day we were brought out to the compound and kicked around a bit more. The Commandant was on a platform and said, “I understand that in your country it is customary to play your National Anthem and salute your flag. Now you will hear our National Anthem and salute OUR flag”.
Then over their PA system came the most beautiful female voice I have ever heard saying, “American fighting men, your National Anthem”. The US flag was raised and the Anthem was played. Then 18 of us who not all that long ago thought we were bad a**es just stood, saluted with tears as Our flag was raised.
I remember Warner Springs like it was yesterday! We had a small group so they had more time to mess with us through the compound phase. I was never captured but had to turn myself in when the sirens sounded. I’m not sure the date but I believe it was 1968.Hardest thing I ever went through but never regretted the training. The thing I remember the most was we were allowed to make weapons out of wood. I made a knife and hid it in my jacket sleeve thinking it might come in handy. We arrived at camp and they put hoods over or heads and marched us around in circles to makes us feel like we walked a long way. The aggressors made us take off all are clothes off down to or skivvies and of course it was freezing. We then proceeded to go into a make shift hut so they could check our clothes for weapons. When the guy ahead of me had a gun they found on him. Well I kept hearing them hit him over and over and I was trying to get that damn knife out of my jacket when it was my turn to go in the hole. I was so freaking scared he would find it but I think he let me slide as he stops as he felt my sleeve and never said a word. We ended up locked in a fairly large grey box and I thought this is the feared black box we were told about from returning shipmates! I found out later I was so wrong. I can laugh about it now but it seem very real before it was all over and we were freed.
i went to sere tranining at winby island washing i will never forget it tha t week was hell we had an officer who was a helo pilot you can guss what happen to him i caught phonomia out of that
I went through SERE at Warner Springs in Nov 67. The first night evasion test I got caught 3 time, the guy had me howling at the moon and then found out my last name was Kreyer, now he had fun with me. The next day we had the day evasion course. I never got caught but got to with in 100 yards of freedom village. The problem ended and we all had to into the prison camp. Stripped naked and washed down in November, Wow! I could go on and on but when we finished the camp commander told us that they made a mistake a few months earlier and let 5 Seals go through at once. The Seals were in the camp for about 2 hours and took the camp over, they were interogating the guard, killed the german sheperd dogs and eat them. At that time they would only let one Seal at a time go though.
Comments
When evading into Freedom Village at Warner Springs you had to keep the inmates at that jail or prison (whatever it is) from spotting you or they would rat you out.
I was in SERE training at warner spings mid late June 68, There was a drought at the time so no fires. The trip to Warner Spring was on a hot stuffy bus and took several hours to get to from Coronado, I remember on one of the days on land navigation the five other guys besides myself ran in a water silo on a pecock farm
it was nice to get fresh water and dunk ourselves in the water tank however this didn't make the farmer happy as he shot at us several times with a shotgun.
On the last day I remember trying to cross a field to Freedom Village where if you made it they would give you a sandwhich and water then they would ruff you up.
I got captured and was taken by truck to the compound. I carved a knife but got caught. They took it out on the guy behind me for not reporting to the foe that I had a concelled wepon interrogaton wasn't any fun. I served with Comrivflotone
Staff detachment Dong Tam Vietnam
r
Warner Springs California, just north of San Diego. High desert hot days cold nights. I was in VW-1 at NAS Agana, Guam.
i went thru sere training in warner springs in 1972, great fun ate alot of bugs, never thought i would pass but i did go bugs
I did a search for SERE and ended up here. Embarrassingly, I cannot verify where I did my 2 weeks of SERE but it was November 1968. The orders say North Island, CA but it definitely was not warm and included a bus trip north which went on for hours so I'm guessing it was around NAS Whidbey. There was a bit of snow and nights were cold.
Most things I remember are about the same as other stories but one thing in particular I will never forget. The morning of the last day we were brought out to the compound and kicked around a bit more. The Commandant was on a platform and said, “I understand that in your country it is customary to play your National Anthem and salute your flag. Now you will hear our National Anthem and salute OUR flag”.
Then over their PA system came the most beautiful female voice I have ever heard saying, “American fighting men, your National Anthem”. The US flag was raised and the Anthem was played. Then 18 of us who not all that long ago thought we were bad a**es just stood, saluted with tears as Our flag was raised.
I remember Warner Springs like it was yesterday! We had a small group so they had more time to mess with us through the compound phase. I was never captured but had to turn myself in when the sirens sounded. I’m not sure the date but I believe it was 1968.Hardest thing I ever went through but never regretted the training. The thing I remember the most was we were allowed to make weapons out of wood. I made a knife and hid it in my jacket sleeve thinking it might come in handy. We arrived at camp and they put hoods over or heads and marched us around in circles to makes us feel like we walked a long way. The aggressors made us take off all are clothes off down to or skivvies and of course it was freezing. We then proceeded to go into a make shift hut so they could check our clothes for weapons. When the guy ahead of me had a gun they found on him. Well I kept hearing them hit him over and over and I was trying to get that damn knife out of my jacket when it was my turn to go in the hole. I was so freaking scared he would find it but I think he let me slide as he stops as he felt my sleeve and never said a word. We ended up locked in a fairly large grey box and I thought this is the feared black box we were told about from returning shipmates! I found out later I was so wrong. I can laugh about it now but it seem very real before it was all over and we were freed.
i went to sere tranining at winby island washing i will never forget it tha t week was hell we had an officer who was a helo pilot you can guss what happen to him i caught phonomia out of that
SERE School Warner Springs 1968
VP-47 Crew 6 & 7 Radio 1968-1970