The Handshake of a Lifetime A salute and a handshake at Navy SEAL graduation creates an indelible memory! The Thrive Global Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published. By A handshake that lasts a lifetime Of the seventeen who had survived our Navy SEAL Hell week, only eleven graduated with our Class number 81. Injuries, failed standards, and academics had lessened the final graduation number.