The forerunners of today’s Navy SEALS are the WWII Frogmen, often referred to as the “Naked Warriors.” These commandos cleared the beaches of Normandy and the Pacific Islands wearing nothing more than their swim trunks, mask and fins. In this spirit, on January 3rd, 2010, with a record low air temperature of 37 degrees, and a water temperature of 55 degrees, CDR John Doolittle, chose to swim wearing only a Speedo in honor of wounded warrior, fellow Navy SEAL LT Dan Cnossen, the namesake of the inaugural swim.

When asked at the finish why he only wore a Speedo, he responded in true “Naked Warrior” spirit – “I wanted to make it as hard as possible, because wounded SEALs like Dan Cnossen have a much harder road to recovery than I’ll ever know.”