Frog Fathers 2: Last Battle of the Pacific

Navy SEALs took out bin Laden, but during many of the early missions conducted by their predecessors, the “Frogmen” of the Navy Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU), they were unable to return fire. Instead, the demolitionaires were busy hacking away at their primary targets: the coral reefs blocking the amphibious landings of the Island-Hopping campaigns. Decades later, four retired special operators from multiple service branches return to rebuild the same reefs in director-editor-cinematographer Bob Whitney’s Frog Fathers: Last Battle of the Pacific, which releases today on VOD.

As in Lessons from the Normandy Surf, the film features a core group of veterans active with Force Blue, a non-profit that repurposes veteran special operators’ aquatic skills for marine conservation projects. Although the central quartet of Lessons from the Normandy Surf dived around the Normandy shore, as an act of remembrance, the vets in Last Battle have a specific mission off the coast of Okinawa. Nobody blames the NDCU for destroying the coral reefs. In fact, they all agree it had to be done. However, they can now rebuild the reefs, as part of a general healing process.

Indeed, the film’s four central veterans all give their NCDU predecessors ample credit for operating under far worse everyday conditions then they experienced during their service. For this film, retired SEALs Adam Wright and Bear Handlon are joined by retired Green Beret Dan Henderson and retired Marine Recon Rudy Reyes, whom many viewers might recognize as one of the staff on Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. Once again, they dive under the guidance of the film’s director of diving operations, Navy veteran Angelo Fiore (who also appears in Normandy Surf). Plus, retired SEAL Steve “Gonzo” Gonzalez returns in the off-camera role of assistant director.

There are considerably more underwater sequences in Last Battle, which will appeal to some viewers. However, while though the second film is about fifteen minutes longer, it is slightly less focused. Nevertheless, there are plenty of lessons to learn from Frog Fathers 2, particularly with respects to the Pacific Theater. Several surviving WWII veterans explain how daunting it was to face an enemy that stigmatized surrender.

On the other hand, the film’s historical consultants explain the American military had an advantage in terms of communication. The Japanese service branches suffered from deep rivalries that hindered cooperation and communication, especially in comparison to their more unified American counterparts. This was a lesson we temporarily forgot, but re-learned with the formation of JSOC, the Joint Special Operations Command, as explained in Lessons of the Normandy Surf.

Honestly, the Frog Father documentaries are just what the doctor ordered. They celebrate the heroism and humanity of our veteran special operators, unambiguously establishing how the sacrifices they made kept our nation free and safe. Their service with Force Blue is also laudable, because it constitutes the best kind of positive, productive environmentalism. Highly recommended, both Frog Father films release today (11/10) on VOD.