Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

SOC-6 Special Operations Craft-6

National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, November 13, 2021

1. SOC-6 Special Operations Craft-6 Marker

Inscription.

SOC-6 Special Operations Craft-6. National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum. , This boat is often referred to as a HSAC [High Speed Assault Craft]. It was built by United States Marine, Inc. [USMI] and delivered to Naval Special Warfare in 1990 as the 6th of the 42 Foot Special Operations Craft being used at that time. It was manned by a crew of three and capable of carrying 12 passengers. It had two racing outdrives and was powered by two 550 horsepower gasoline engines designed specifically for this craft. This boat was capable of operating effectively in extremely adverse sea conditions in support of NSW missions. , , This specific boat is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. For over a month SOC-6 was used to conduct missions into Kuwait from a forward operating base in Saudi Arabia. On February 25, 1991, elements of Special Warfare Group One used a SOC-6 and three other Special Operations Craft to carry out an amphibious deception operation off the coast of Kuwait. The four-boat element assigned to Special Boat Unit 12 came within 20 yards of the beach under the cover of darkness to conduct a direct action raid against an Iraqi base on the coast of Kuwait. This was part of a coordinated attack that included an ARC Light Strike carried out by B52 bombers and a cruise missile attack from the Battleships Wisconsin and Missouri. This raid simulated the start of a major amphibious landing by US forces and had the direct impact of causing the Iraq army to shift an entire division from their southern flank to their eastern flank allowing fewer enemy forces to oppose the US First Marine Division attacking from the south. , , Sometime after the Gulf war, this boat was decommissioned and sent to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station to be used as a test platform and Ultimately destroyed. A retired SEAL and a member of the original boat crew of this boat and veteran of the amphibious deception operation mentioned above, found the boat in a state of complete disrepair in 2000. Retired SEALs and members of the CARDEROCK, Combatant Craft Division were instrumental in getting the boat reactivated and assigned to the Naval Historical Center and eventually to the Museum. The President of the United States Marine Incorporated [USMI], fully funded the restoration of this boat and the shipment to the Museum to honor the late Tom Dreyfus, founder of USMI. The Museum is extremely grateful to USMI for their tireless efforts to restore this boat and get it to the Museum.

This boat is often referred to as a HSAC [High Speed Assault Craft]. It was built by United States Marine, Inc. [USMI] and delivered to Naval Special Warfare in 1990 as the 6th of the 42 Foot Special Operations Craft being used at that time. It was manned by a crew of three and capable of carrying 12 passengers. It had two racing outdrives and was powered by two 550 horsepower gasoline engines designed specifically for this craft. This boat was capable of operating effectively in extremely adverse sea conditions in support of NSW missions.

This specific boat is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. For over a month SOC-6 was used to conduct missions into Kuwait from a forward operating base in Saudi Arabia. On February 25, 1991, elements of Special Warfare Group One used a SOC-6 and three other Special Operations Craft to carry out an amphibious deception operation off the coast of Kuwait. The four-boat element assigned to Special Boat Unit 12 came within 20 yards of the beach under the cover of darkness to conduct a direct action raid against an Iraqi base on the coast of Kuwait. This was part of a coordinated attack that included an ARC Light Strike carried out by B52 bombers and a cruise missile attack from the Battleships Wisconsin and Missouri. This raid simulated the start of a major amphibious landing by US forces and had the direct impact of causing the Iraq army to shift an entire division from their southern flank to their eastern flank allowing fewer enemy forces to oppose the US First Marine Division attacking from the south.

Sometime after the Gulf war, this boat was decommissioned and sent to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station to be used as a test platform and Ultimately destroyed. A retired SEAL and a member of the original boat crew of this boat and veteran of the amphibious deception

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operation mentioned above, found the boat in a state of complete disrepair in 2000. Retired SEALs and members of the CARDEROCK, Combatant Craft Division were instrumental in getting the boat reactivated and assigned to the Naval Historical Center and eventually to the Museum. The President of the United States Marine Incorporated [USMI], fully funded the restoration of this boat and the shipment to the Museum to honor the late Tom Dreyfus, founder of USMI. The Museum is extremely grateful to USMI for their tireless efforts to restore this boat and get it to the Museum.

Erected by National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, 1st Iraq & Desert Storm • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is February 25, 1991.

Location. 27° 29.726′ N, 80° 18.043′ W. Marker is in Fort Pierce, Florida, in St. Lucie County. It is on U.S. A1A 0.3 miles Jackson Way, on the right when traveling north. Located within the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3300 N Hwy A1A, Fort Pierce FL 34949, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Combatant Craft Assault (CCA) (here, next to this marker); America's Price of Freedom (within shouting distance of this marker); The Button (within shouting distance of this marker); Naked Warrior Statue (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Naked Warrior Statue (within shouting distance of this marker); Mk V Special Operations Craft [SOC] (within shouting distance of this marker); Mark VII Mod 0 Delivery Vehicle (SDV) (within shouting distance of this marker); Apollo Space Capsule (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Pierce.

Also see . . .

Photographed by James Hulse, January 7, 2026

2. SOC-6 Special Operations Craft-6 Marker

The marker is located on the left side of the two markers. This is the new location of the marker.

National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum. (Submitted on November 21, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

SOC-6 Special Operations Craft-6 Marker - Old Location of Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, November 13, 2021

3. SOC-6 Special Operations Craft-6 Marker - Old Location of Marker

SOC-6 Special Operations Craft-6 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, November 13, 2021

4. SOC-6 Special Operations Craft-6

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,797 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 21, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 2. submitted on February 1, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. 3, 4. submitted on November 21, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.