Seawolf Pride

The ORIGINAL Seawolves

In 1966 the Navy sent a message fleet wide asking for volunteer naval aviators to man HA(L)-3. From the response, eighty aviators were chosen to be the first “Seawolves” and were transferred to Vietnam. On April 1, 1967, HA(L)-3 was officially established in South Vietnam.

Today Pacifica has adopted the name Seawolves as an homage to these heroic veterans whose bravery has made them the most decorated unit in U.S. Naval history. For fifteen years, Pacifica has honored the men and women, families, and friends of this unit as part of our Homecoming festivities for soldiers who never had a proper homecoming of their own.

The Seawolf legacy at Pacifica means more than just playing a game for personal glory. To be a Seawolf means to stand with teammates through good times and bad, overcome adversity, and play with honor and courage. 

We can think of no greater inspiration than these veterans and their families, and we are honored by their presence in the Pacifica community.

Learn more about the HA(L)-3 Seawolves

A PACIFICA HOMECOMING

Come salute the Seawolf veterans themselves before the Homecoming game tip-off as members of the original unit and their families serve as the color guard for our National Anthem. Every year we also join together for the annual Seawolves Luncheon. Organized by Pacifica’s founding athletic director (2005–2021), Kevin Kelsey, and the late, decorated Seawolf veteran Joe Crutcher, the inaugural luncheon in 2008 served as one of the first formal reunions for these veterans on the West Coast. This tradition has grown each year, and Pacifica is now host to over 150 students, parents, faculty and staff, Seawolf veterans, and their families every January.

In 2019 the Seawolf Luncheon screened the feature-length documentary, Scramble the Seawolves, directed by Jeff Arballo and produced by his wife, Shannon Arballo. This award-winning film debuted earlier that year on the deck of the Midway Naval Museum in San Diego, capturing the never-before-told stories of these Navy heroes. 

Watch the Video Documentary trailer on YouTube.