Although I was not privileged to have met RADM Draper L. Kauffman, there’s no doubt that his Purpose in life was to become one of the Navy’s finest, and that his vision would change my life forever.

Born into a Navy family in 1911 and on track for life as a U.S. Naval officer, upon graduation from Naval Academy in 1933, Draper was denied a commission in the regular Navy due to his poor eyesight. A nearly insurmountable obstacle to Draper’s future, and an embarrassment to his family. Yet this obstacle became the Door through which Providence would guide the young adventurer to his life’s treasure, protecting the free world through the 20th century, and beyond.

With Purpose still calling after being released by the U.S. Navy, Draper hired on to a Steamship company that carried him to Europe, and a first hand glimpse of the global threat posed by Nazi Germany. In February of 1940, Draper joined the American Volunteer Ambulance Corps in France, but on June 6th, was captured and held prisoner by Hitler’s Army.

After months as a prisoner of war, Draper was released and made his way back to England where he was awarded a sub-lieutenant commission in the British Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. During the height of the Blitz on London (1940–1941), Draper proved his talents in bomb disposal techniques, and was assigned as a bomb and mine disposal officer, with a promotion to full Lieutenant.

While on leave from the Royal Navy and back in the States, Draper was sought out by the U.S. Navy for his bomb disposal experience. Considering the state of the world stage, the U.S. was now more than happy to overlook Draper’s eye-sight, and offered him a Reserve commission just a month before the Japanese at-tack on Pearl Harbor. Before he could complete his in-processing, Kauffman was called up for emergency bomb disposal services in Hawaii. In a letter penned to his father, he wrote, “If I could be of more use saving property and lives than de-stroying them, I might feel better about it in the end.”

At Pearl, Kauffman recovered an undetonated 500-pound bomb and got to work, personally dismantling the deadly artifact while whispering his every move into a lapel microphone to an enlisted man staged a safe distance away. If he suc-ceeded, they’d have a record of each step taken for future efforts that were sure to come. If he failed, they would know what step not to take! Obviously the young Mr. Kauffman successfully dismantled the 500-pounder, which he named Suzabelle, and shipped the pieces back to the bomb disposal school as a training 2 aid. His heroic actions earning him his first Navy Cross, and saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives within the allied forces.

In January 1942, Kauffman was tasked with organizing a U.S. Naval Bomb Disposal School at the Washington Navy Yard, and shortly after this, recommended and es-tablished the first U.S. Navy Demolition Team, later titled the Underwater Demoli-tion Teams (UDT), the predecessor of today’s elite Navy SEALs. His first band of UDT warriors consisted of a few Naval officers and a group of Construction Bat-talion (Seabee) sailors, learning the techniques of beach survey, bomb disposal and obstacle demolition off the Florida coast.

The first class was a week long, which Kauffman participated in and was said to have narrowly survived. The training was later termed “Hell Week”, with Kauff-man saying “The men had sense enough to quit — leaving us with the boys!”. Draper Kauffman went on to not only create the UDT/SEALs, but established ways of engaging the enemy through clandestine amphibious warfare techniques still used. Although the Navy SEALs are well known today, during WWII, the UDTs were kept entirely secret from the US public and enemy forces, with the warriors being known only as “Frogmen". 

During World War II, Kauffman also participated in the assaults on Iwo Jima and Okinawa as Commander of the UDT. On two occasions, he had to transfer his team from his enemy damaged ship to another to continue operations. On one such occasion in 1945, after an enemy aircraft bombed his ship and started a rag-ing fire, he directed fire control efforts in the face of exploding munitions. Soon after, during the invasion of Saipan, Kauffman lead his team of warriors on a re-connaissance mission through heavily guarded beaches and intense enemy fire at Tinian island, earning the brave young officer his second Navy Cross.

After the conclusion of World War II, Kauffman continued his distinguished Naval career, commanding the USS Gearing, and assignment as Superintendent of the Naval Academy.

The free world truly owes a debt of gratitude to RADM Draper Kauffman for fol-lowing the Ask, Seek and Knock (A.S.K.) to his Purpose, and for his example in overcoming adversity that ensured freedom millions. His actions not only en-sured a free world for my family, but inspired me as a young man to follow in his footsteps to conquer “Hell Week”, and become one of the the U.S. Navy’s elite UDT/SEALs. Thank you Admiral! 3

Along with the many books on RADM Kauffman and his legacy, the UDT/SEAL Mu-seum in Fort Pierce, Florida provides an exceptional hands-on experience of this great man’s legacy.