SEALS Peterson, Robert W. (Pete)

John Robertson

Administrator
Staff member
  • SURNAME
Peterson
  • FORENAME
Robert W. (Pete)
  • UNIT
U.S.N. Seal Team 2
  • RANK
Lieutenant
  • NUMBER
  • AWARD
Silver Star
  • PLACE
South Vietnam 1968
  • ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

As an undergraduate at Slippery Rock State College, Robert W. Peterson earned All-America honors in swimming and was also a four-year letterwinner in track and field.
Following graduation, Peterson became a distinguished member of the U.S. Navy, serving as a Seal and intelligence officer.
A native of New Castle, Pa., and graduate of New Castle High School, Peterson earned four letters each in track and field and swimming and diving at The Rock. As a senior team captain, Peterson earned All-America honors in swimming with a national runner-up finish in the 50-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle relay.
Peterson made his biggest splash, though, as a member of the U.S. Navy. An honor graduate of both the Navy underwater swim school (1962) and postgraduate school (1975), Peterson had a 30-year military career. He attained the rank of captain following 15 years as a Naval Seal and 15 years as a Naval intelligence officer. He also served five years as deputy project director conducting operations for the U.S. Antarctic Research Project and for the last 10 years has served as chief finance officer for the Hupedo Ranch, where he raises red angus cattle, in Spicewood, Texas.
A "plank owner of U.S. Navy Seal Team Two," Peterson had the distinction of being one of the original members of the prestigious underwater assault team and earned several honors for his performance during combat action in Vietnam.
Peterson was the proud recipient of Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Vietnamese Cross of Galantry medals, as well as Defense Superior Service, Defensive Meritorious Service, Naval Commendation and Joint Service Commendation medals, a Presidential Unit citation and Combat Action ribbon.
While serving as a Naval intelligence officer from 1975-91, Peterson served as the U.S. Naval Attache in Tel Aviv, Israel and New Delhi, India and as a U.S. Defense Attache in Santiago, Chile.
Aside from his military involvement, Peterson was able to claim second-place finishes in diving and the 400-meter freestyle relay as a member of the 1965 Vietnamese team in the Southeast Asian Games. He also won three consecutive age-group titles in the Tri-Hard Challenge triathlon in Burnet, Texas between 1996 and 1998, finished sixth in the 2002 World Indoor Rowing Championship and won back-to-back age-group titles in the 2009 and 2010 Texas Bicycling Championship.
Peterson earned his bachelor's degree from Slippery Rock in 1961 and currently resides in Spicewood, Texas. He and his wife, Karen, are the parents of one son and have two grandchildren.
 
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