John Spence (frogman)

John Pitts Spence (June 14, 1918 – October 29, 2013) was an American diver for the United States Navy and World War II veteran who is widely credited as the country's first combat frogman.[1][2][3] Spence was the first enlisted man to be recruited into a clandestine group, operated by General William "Wild Bill" Donovan of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which would become known as the frogmen.[1] The group was a predecessor of the present-day United States Navy SEALs.[1][2]

The origin of the term "frogman" can be traced directly to John Spence.[1] In an interview with maritime historian Erick Simmel, Spence explained that frogman first came into use while he was training in a green, waterproof suit.[1] Spence recalled, "Someone saw me surfacing one day and yelled out, 'Hey, frogman!' The name stuck for all of us."[1] Spence and the other men trained in underwater close combat techniques, demolition and stealth in order to destroy underwater emplacements and enemy ships during World War II.[1] Spence trained under a medical student, Dr. Christian Lambertsen, who developed the United States Navy frogmen's rebreathers for underwater warfare.[1]

Spence was initially sent to the United Kingdom after training. His original mission was to attack a German submarine base in France.[1] However, Spence's original mission was cancelled for fear that the attack on the submarine base might accidentally alert Nazi Germany to the impending D-Day invasion of Normandy.[1] Instead, Spence and several British commandos were secretly sent to France several times to rescue stranded airmen and meet with the French Resistance.[1]

He was next sent to the Bahamas, where he trained combat swimmers to prepare for fighting against Japan in the Pacific Theater.[1] Spence was soon deployed to the Pacific, where he served on the USS Wadsworth (DD-516).[1] He manned a forward gun battery during the Battle of Iwo Jima in an effort to provide cover for U.S. combat swimmers.[1] He also helmed the gun battery against kamikaze pilots during the long Battle of Okinawa in 1945.[1]

Spence was unable to tell friends and family of his role in the frogmen until the late 1980s, when files on the group were finally declassified.[1]

Spence remained with the United States Navy until his retirement in 1961.[1][2] He worked as a systems testing engineer at the Lockheed Corporation after leaving the Navy.[1] He lived in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles and later resided in Oroville, California.[1] He moved to Bend, Oregon, after the death of his first wife in the 2000s.[1][2]

John Spence died at an elderly care facility in Bend, Oregon, on October 29, 2013, at the age of 95.[1][2] He was survived by four daughters - Genevieve Ross, Yvonne Romano, Margo Kirkwood and Sharon Ogden.[1]