Brazen, irreverent, and unforgiving, the unpredictable Navy SEALs deploy on classified missions worldwide. Theodis "Blue" Springer, decided as a young man that he wanted to join this elite military unit. The path through Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL training is excruciating and has been shrouded in clandestine mystery. Discover what it means to "Ring Out" and "Get Wet" through the eyes of Blue the Black Fish, an actual day-by-day journal of BUD/S class # 86. The physical requirements are extreme, picture a fourteen-mile, soft sand beach run. Glimpse the mental skills required to master scuba diving, handle explosives, and perform hydrographic reconnaissance. You will see the pictures of weapons training and the end result of a five-mile ocean swim where Blue's eyes are nearly swollen shut from inflammation and fatigue. Enter the real world of US Navy SEAL training where "the only easy day was yesterday." Author Steven King has more than twenty years of hard news experience. He has hosted talk shows, directed news departments, and written magazine articles about cutting edge issues. Steven is co-author of "Silent Partner"; Fear Nothing Risk Everything. King, a Florida native, resides in Orlando. Blue the Black Fish The Evolution of a Navy SEAL By Steven King iUniverse, Inc. Copyright © 2010 Steven King All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4502-0831-4 Chapter One It was another hot and humid Saturday at the city pool. The sun was high and wispy white clouds streaked across the light blue sky in interesting patterns that slowly morphed into a series of irregular shapes. An occasional hot breeze stirred the still, sticky air as the temperature hovered in the high 90s. The pool was crowded with children of all ages; some swimming, some floating leisurely under the intense summer sun, while others just splashed about in the shallow end creating undulating waves as they played in the pool's clear blue water. A rambunctious child filled with youthful energy and unchained bravado, was showing off. Egged on by several other boys, he deftly jumped in the pool feet first with his arms extending upward. Instantaneously, any semblance of skill vanished as things went from fun in the sun, to the sheer panic of drowning. The frantic mother's scream pierced the jovial sounds of laughter as the ever-vigilant lifeguard jolted into action. He spotted the floundering child and blew his whistle making a shrill sound that immediately focused the attention of swimmers and bystanders alike. People were scrambling to get on the pool deck as the lifeguard instinctively dove from his perch into the chilly water. He quickly negotiated between and around the scattering bathers and swam to the youngster in record time, although it seemed like an eternity to the child's mother whose body was as tense as a taut guitar string and her heart was pounding like a drum. Swiftly and with relative ease, the lifeguard brought the child out of the water and gently laid him down at poolside. The boy's small body was limp and a quick check of the child's pulse indicated a heart beat but more than a few seconds had passed and there was no indication that the child was breathing. There was an eerie quiet as people looked on with both anticipation and dread. The lifeguard tilted the child's head back to clear his airway. As he pinched the nose and leaned close to execute rescue breathing, the boy spontaneously sputtered small spurts of water and simultaneously emitted noises that were a combination of coughing, gagging and crying. A horrified mother, now crouching by her son's side, heaved an audible sigh of relief. Her son seemed to be out of danger. The lifeguard smiled and reassured her that everything was ok. The tension that had enveloped the crowd quickly dissipated as the pool began to fill with children who, because of the frightening incident, were now playing in the water with a bit more caution than usual. The lifeguard was very relieved that a potentially deadly crisis had been averted. He was also feeling a sense of pride that he had skillfully executed his duties by successfully rescuing the young bather. He returned to his stand and like an eagle with long outstretched wings resumed his watch over the community pool. This alert, attentive lifeguard is an eighteen year-old high school senior. All stories worth telling have a beginning. This story begins in 1955 in the central Florida town of Orlando where Theodis Springer was born. At the age of five he moved to the small Atlantic coast town of Stuart, Florida. Theodis, who preferred to be called Theo, was one of six children who lived with their mother, on the east side of Stuart throughout the 1960's. Friends and family called Theo "Blue" and that nickname would follow him for the rest of his life. Theo was like most black kids growing up in Stuart; he went to school and played hard. However, he was different from most black kids because of his