▁under ▁box er ▁Gene ▁Tun ney , ▁and ▁then ▁in ▁a ▁top - secret ▁program ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁at ▁Naval ▁Am ph ib ious ▁Base ▁Little ▁Creek ▁in ▁Little ▁Creek , ▁Virginia , ▁along ▁with ▁fellow ▁NFL ▁football ▁players ▁Phil ▁Buck le w ▁and ▁John ▁Tri pson ▁and ▁seven ▁others ▁who ▁made ▁up ▁the ▁first ▁class ▁of ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Navy ▁Sc outs ▁& ▁Ra iders , ▁a ▁prede cess or ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ▁Se als . ▁ ▁The ▁three ▁former ▁NFL ▁players ▁were ▁among ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁NFL ▁players ▁who ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁military ▁for ▁the ▁U . S . ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁The ▁job ▁of ▁the ▁tra ine es ▁was ▁to ▁locate ▁designated ▁landing ▁be aches ▁at ▁night ▁for ▁am ph ib ious ▁land ings , ▁note ▁any ▁obst acles , ▁and ▁guide ▁the ▁attack ing ▁troops ▁and ▁their ▁landing ▁craft . ▁ ▁War ▁correspond ent ▁William ▁H . ▁St on eman ▁wrote ▁of ▁Hal per in , ▁" H is ▁job ▁is ▁to ▁mark ▁be aches ▁for ▁the ▁assault , ▁inf antry , ▁a ▁d aring , ▁intr icate ▁job , ▁calling ▁for ▁as ▁much ▁brain ▁as ▁courage , ▁and ▁bar rel s ▁of ▁both ." ▁He ▁was ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁ 1 4 ▁sc out ▁boats , ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁arrive ▁in ▁France ▁in ▁the ▁Norm andy ▁land ings . ▁Hal per in ▁saw ▁action ▁in ▁Sic ily , ▁Italy , ▁Europe ▁( including ▁during ▁D - Day