I’m tellin’ ya — they’re hot and sexy. Back in the 1980s, after their spectacular assault on the Iranian Embassy in London, it was all SAS all the time. Seemed like every thriller featured an “ex-SAS badass” and bookshelves groaned under the weight of tales of the SAS. Men wanted to be ’em and women just wanted ’em. Nowadays, the Penthouse Commando of the Month is always a Navy SEAL. The Delta guys can’t get a date and who ever calls up MARSOC for a candlelit dinner and long walks on the beach?
Joking aside — it does seem like there’s more than a bit of overkill in SEAL media. There are other elite Special Operations units out there, ya know. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that many of us Frontier Partisans will tune in the new History Channel series Six. As in SEAL Team 6.
From the estimable web news source SOFREP:
As reported way back in early 2016, The History Channel is producing a scripted television show about the now-well known Navy SEAL unit, SEAL Team SIX, which is conveniently enough entitled, “Six.” The show was originally set to debut back in the summer of 2016, but apparently one of the lead actors had to pull out of the project due to unspecified health issues. The show is now officially set to debut on January 18, 2017, per The History Channel.
According to an article from Entertainment Weekly, Harvey Weinstein, of The Weinstein Company, teamed up with “Apollo 13” and “Jarhead” writer William Broyles and The History Channel to produce and write the show. It will feature eight episodes in its first season, premiering in January. David Broyles, the son of William, is also reportedly writing some of the episodes alongside his father. David is reportedly a Special Operations veteran, though it is unclear in what capacity he served.
It’s History’s first scripted series since Vikings — which I love. So the casting of runes bodes well for this. And. Walt Goggins. I mean… Walt Fuckin’ Goggins. If you watched Justified, you know what I’m getting at here.
Goggins brings just the right amount of batshit crazy swagger to every role he inhabits, which should serve him well in this particular endeavor.
Yeah, what SOFREP said. Hell, yes, I’m in.
Matthew says
I have great admiration for the SEALs and what they do, but it is getting kind of cliche. It would be more interesting to do a series about another group. Of course, even before the SAS became big there was a Green Beret craze until the Vietnam War went out of popularity.
From what I understand the Delta operators don’t really want the fame. I’ve also noted that SEALs are usually portrayed as good guys and Delta as shady characters. (Though I can think of one novel subverts this.)
None of this is to say that the SEALs aren’t worthy of respect. They are tremendous warriors I just think other groups deserve some credit.
On the whole frontier partisan thing, the Army Rangers and Green Beret’s and even MARSOC seem more in line with the Frontiersman. I wonder if the SEALs aren’t more like say Viking Raiders.
JimC says
Oh yeah, they deserve the admiration they get. It’s just that the media seems to think they’re the only elite out there and it just ain’t so.
You’re right — the Rangers and Delta have a more direct lineage with the Frontier Partisans. The Rangers are explicit about it. You’re also right about the “rogue Delta operator” being a bit of a trope.
Benerson Little is the preeminent historian of the buccaneer age and piracy. He’s a retired SEAL. Hi book The Sea Rover’s Practice comes at the topic of pirate raiding from a maritime special ops viewpoint and it’s a freakin’ fantastic book.
Matthew says
The “rogue Delta operator” trope probably comes from their extreme commitment to secrecy. That and maybe the politics of the Reagan era.
I might want to pick up the Sea Rover’s Practice.
Finn says
Hail the Grunt ! All Special Forces in any nation get their fame, big or small way. Common infantry grunt, the expendaple beast of burden, is regulary and shamefully forgotten…
JimC says
Point well taken Finn.
Matthew says
That’s true. A lot of people seem to forget that the greatest soldiers in American history, Alvin York and Audie Murphy, were regular grunts. Murphy did so poorly during training they tried to transfer him to kitchen staff. He wouldn’t have it and the rest is history.
JimC says
I can’t believe I haven’t done a full post on Audie Murphy. Texan; warrior; country songwriter. Our kinda guy, right?
I have been negligent. That must be remedied.
Matthew says
That would be cool!
JimC says
Appreciate the reference. I don’t know how that notion never occurred to me before.
Breaker Morant says
Reading “Rogue Heroes” a new history of the SAS in WW2. The first half in the desert is the best. A very Frontier Partisany war that was.
North Africa turns my mind to a book “The March to Tunis”-on the North African and other Middle East campaigns by Alan Moorehead (a war correspondent, I believe) which I read many times as a callow youth, and I am tempted to reread now.
My thought also turned to “The Lost Oasis”-the true story of the English Patient which I read about 15 years ago and which I loved-I remember turning to the maps-dozens of times while reading the book.
JimC says
I am very interested in reading “Rogue Heroes.”
john roberts says
Us Green Beret types are known for our self-effacing modesty.
JimC says
Right.