For Immediate Release:
May 14, 2025
Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134
Roughly 60 people came out to 麻豆新剧 Saturday afternoon to watch a screening of the documentary 鈥�33 Black Frog: An American Story鈥� and meet its star, Chief Petty Officer (Ret.) Eddie L. Ferguson, one of the first Black men to make it onto the U.S. Navy鈥檚 Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) 鈥� the precursor to the SEALs. His son, filmmaker, Andre Ferguson, created and narrated the movie, which is being streamed on Amazon Prime.
Saturday鈥檚 event was sponsored by the college and Coming to the Table Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter, which shared a slideshow focusing on the military contributions of Black Americans going back to the colonial era before the Revolutionary War.
Ferguson grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, during the Jim Crow era. In the documentary, he and his friends discussed how certain parts of town were no-go areas for Black residents. He said the first White person he interacted with in his hometown was a Navy recruiter.
鈥淭here was no [non-military] career opportunities in Fort Myers at that time,鈥� Ferguson said in the movie. 鈥淚 was looking for a 20-year career somewhere. I was attracted to the ocean, to the sea. I wanted to be involved in adventure at sea.鈥�
The action-adventure series, 鈥淪ea Hunt,鈥� starring Lloyd Bridges as a scuba-diving former frogman, as well as National Geographic inspired this thirst for Ferguson, who didn鈥檛 know how to swim prior to joining the UDT-21 team. 鈥�33 Black Frog鈥� showcases some of the training he underwent, including drownproofing, and being required to swim underwater 50 yards up and 50 yards back in a pool without coming up for air 鈥� he passed out just near completion on his first two attempts before succeeding.
鈥淚 had never done an underwater swim in my life before,鈥� said Ferguson, who would go on to become a swimming instructor and motivator. 鈥淚 had to get it done and I wasn鈥檛 going to give up.鈥�
Following the screening, he and his son took questions from those gathered in the audience.
Lino Miani, president of the Combat Diver Foundation, said he鈥檇 flown up from Tampa to come to Saturday鈥檚 event. He asked Andre Ferguson if he felt a greater sense of importance regarding the project now since some forces, especially at the federal government level, appear to be operating counter to what his father fought for.
鈥淚 do believe this film is important, not from just a military history perspective, but also a great American story about a family where a father volunteered to fight for his country in a Navy special warfare team and a mother supported him and took care of the children and made sure the family was successful,鈥� Andre Ferguson said. 鈥淚 will continue to make documentaries about underrepresented heroes in different cultures.鈥�
He said he just finished writing the script of a feature film about his dad鈥檚 story, which he hopes will lead to his being able to do more projects.
Maurertown resident Dennis Atwood was one of numerous audience members to express gratitude to Eddie Ferguson.
鈥淥ur country has been blessed by your service, thank you,鈥� he said. 鈥淸Saying] thank you for your service is not enough.鈥�
Christen Snow, who came from Warrenton to see the film and is the sister-in-law of a Navy SEAL, said she came away from the experience with a sense of human excellence.
鈥淚鈥檓 struck by your noble affect throughout the story of your life,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow did you maintain that in the face of [discrimination] that was directed towards you and your community for so long and that we鈥檙e still dealing with?鈥�
Eddie Ferguson said he had instructors who gave sage advice, such as 鈥渢he only good day was yesterday鈥� and 鈥渟mile in the face of adversity.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 let negativity get in my way,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 show animosity because to me that鈥檚 a waste of time. I鈥檝e heard people say bad things against me, but I鈥檝e never returned that to anyone else. I have a way of forgiveness.鈥�
Founded in 1970, 麻豆新剧 is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With three locations 鈥� Middletown, Warrenton, and Luray-Page County 鈥� the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. 麻豆新剧 offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines, in addition to providing access to bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degree programs offered on site by a four-year institution. 麻豆新剧 also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. 麻豆新剧 serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.
麻豆新剧 is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. 麻豆新剧 also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of 麻豆新剧 may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC鈥檚 website ().
麻豆新剧 is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities. 麻豆新剧 shall promote and maintain equal employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age (except when age is a bona fide occupational qualification), status as a veteran, national origin, or other non-merit factors. 麻豆新剧 also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment. Inquiries may be directed to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources,听[email protected],听173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645, 540-868-7226.
麻豆新剧 was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as 麻豆新剧 going forward.
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