SEALs Surface to Blow Holes in Navy Nerd Image

I am at Horton Plaza watching the movie “Navy SEALS.”

I want to find out what they’ve been doing in Coronado all these years.

“Navy SEALS” is the purported story of the Navy’s Sea, Air, Land commandos--rubber boats landing under cover of darkness, blackened faces, piano wire, armed to the molars, guerrilla combat, quick and deadly, etc.

The Navy’s one-and-only training base for SEALs is at Coronado. SEAL teams are also stationed at Little Creek, Va., and overseas, but everybody starts at Coronado.

The Navy’s official policy for years has been to say nearly nothing about the SEALs.

The Navy gave only grudging support to “Navy SEALS.” To get permission just to film some ships at Norfolk, Va., Orion Pictures had to tone down the hothead character played by Charlie Sheen.

Here’s the official Pentagon statement on the film’s accuracy:

“The film shows some of the general capabilities of the SEALs, including combat swimming, sky diving and combat patrols.

“The film is a work of fiction, however, and the portrayals of capabilities and modes of operation of the Navy special warfare forces may or may not be accurate. “

Can you be more specific?

“No, it would serve no purpose to be more specific.”

Oh.

If you believe the movie, SEALs drink a lot, play polo with golf carts and go on covert missions in the Middle East. There’s enough male bonding to qualify as Super Glue.

It is a good summer-action movie. Nobody left early.

Maybe “Navy SEALS” will help the Navy’s image. A recent headline in Navy Times read: “Survey Shows Navy Burdened by Nerd Image.”

As Sheen and his buddies are preparing to parachute into the Mediterranean, on their way to blow up some contraband missiles in Beirut, the team leader advises him to be careful.

“If I wanted to be careful,” Sheen replies, “I’d have joined the Coast Guard.”

Definitely not the words of a nerd.

Family in Hawaii?

People and places.

* There’s a budget crisis, do you know where your legislator is?

Assemblywoman Sunny Mojonnier (R-Encinitas) has dropped from sight in recent days as the Assembly fusses and the state remains budget-less.

Her office will only say that she’s out of state due to a “family situation.”

The political rumor mill says she’s on vacation in Hawaii.

* Leftover from the Over-the-Line Tournament.

Spotted in the crowd on Fiesta Island: U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). Not a junket, just R & R.

* Joke making the rounds: Did you hear Pete Rose is being transferred to San Diego’s Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Yeah, the judge wants to put him in a city that doesn’t have major league baseball.

* Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Coronado) was among 18 House members Thursday to vote against a reprimand for Barney Frank (D-Mass.). He preferred expulsion.

* Bottom of the news.

Associated Press lead on the Roseanne Barr flap: “It was crude, even lewd. But this time fans were spared seeing where she’s tattooed.”

Explanation: Barr bared her expansive fanny at a World Series game last year, showing the world her “Tom” tattoo, after hubbie Tom Arnold.