"Rudy dropped out of school at 16 and joined the Merchant Marine serving on various cargo ships taking war materials to Europe."
"In 1945 he joined the Navy and never looked back."
By Henry L Boesch∼US Navy 1945-1990
Too young to join the Marines, Boesch dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Navy in April 1945 at age 17.[5][6] Following boot camp at Naval Training Station Sampson in New York,[7] he volunteered for the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders at Fort Pierce, Florida, where he was tentatively assigned to conduct covert reconnaissance of China's coastline.[5] The Second World War ended before the training completed, but he was still sent to China. For a while he and a few others guarded a decommissioned ship in Hong Kong Harbor.[7][8] He then had a stint as a Boatswain's mate (BM) on board USS Massey, a destroyer ported on the Chinese coast.[9][7][10] That was followed by a period of shore duty in London.[6] He volunteered for UDT Frogman training in late 1950, graduating in Underwater Demolition Team Replacement Class #6 in 1951.[11]
Boesch met his future-wife, Marge, at a wedding circa 1950-1951. They married in 1955 and had three daughters in the following years.[12] Meanwhile, he served in UDT Team 2 and later UDT Team 21 alongside Richard Marcinko, until Roy Boehm selected Boesch (then a BMC) to be Chief of the Boat of newly created SEAL Team Two in 1962.[7][13]
From 1968–1970, Boesch completed two combat deployments to Vietnam as a platoon chief based in Mỹ Tho.[14] He earned the Bronze Star for heroic action during more than 45 combat operations.[15] In 1967, Boesch was promoted to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer.[16]
During and after his stint in Vietnam he set physical and operational standards at SEAL Team Two.[17][18] With the creation of Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in 1987, its first Commander-in-chief General James J. Lindsay selected BMCM Boesch to serve as SOCOM's first Senior Enlisted Advisor.[19] Before his retirement, Boesch was designated the "Chief SEAL" (a.k.a. "Bullfrog"), a title identifying the longest-serving SEAL still on active duty.[20] Upon his retirement from the Navy on August 1, 1990, as a Command Master Chief Petty Officer, he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal.[21]
Boesch's time as a SEAL has been described in a number of books. Editor Bill Fawcett included his story as the opening, 30-page recollection in his 1995 Hunters & Shooters: An Oral History of the U.S. Navy SEALs in Vietnam.[7] Orr Kelly's 1995 Never Fight Fair: Navy SEALs' Stories of Combat and Adventure included descriptions by Rudy (and Marge as well) of their parachuting experiences, along with a few of Rudy's recollections of Vietnam.[22] In his 1998 memoir, Good to Go: The Life and Times of a Decorated Member of the U.S. Navy's Elite SEAL Team Two, former SEAL Harry Constance describes Boesch as giving a no-nonsense introduction to SEALs in training and then later giving him informal advice to not take a posting that would involve troublesome superiors.[23] In an early 2000s interview, a SEAL said that Boesch was "a walking Bible on Special Operations."[24] In 2010's SEAL Warrior: The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday, Thomas Keith portrayed Boesch as a master of the military art of gathering resources: "From weapons to the men who would use them, Rudy could scrounge like nobody else in the SEAL Teams. He wasn't going to let anything or anybody get in the way of putting together the best platoon he could build, beg, borrow, coerce, or dig out of the Operations Department."[25] He then describes Boesch leading a platoon in nighttime ambush raids against the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, operating in the Mekong Delta out of Mỹ Tho and using LCM-8 "Mike boats" for access.[25] Boesch was a physical training fanatic whose dog tag listed "PT" as his religion and who through the decades gained a reputation for leading grueling runs that men would look for ways to get out of by faking injuries or hiding in bushes.[18][26] In former SEAL James Watson's 1995 memoir Point Man, he states of 1964 training that, "We had to be physically fit to perform what was expected of us. And for all our trying [to get out of the runs], Rudy Boesch made sure that we stayed in condition."[18] Kevin Dockery's 2003 work Navy Seals: A History Part III – Post-Vietnam to the Present includes three different SEALs relating how, when Boesch was 50 to 57 years old, he could keep up or beat trainees less than half his age in five-mile runs, obstacle courses, and open sea swimming.[24] In his 2011 memoir, SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper, former SEAL Howard E. Wasdin tells of being assigned to SEAL Team Two in the late 1980s, where Boesch, though nearly 60 years old, nevertheless ran with the trainees over an obstacle course; he then made every person who finished behind him run it again.[26] Even Boesch's physical appearance made a mark: Waston refers to him as an exemplar of military form,[18] Wasdin describes him as having "a perfect crew cut",[26] another account talks of his haircut and uniform being perfect at 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning,[24] and in 2002's One Perfect Op, former SEAL Dennis Chalker said that among SEALs based on the U.S. East Coast in the late 1970s, the style was known as a "Rudy Boesch haircut" and was even more severe than normal military cuts.[27] Overall, in his history of SEAL operations in Vietnam, former SEAL T.L. Bosiljevac writes that Boesch symbolizes much of what the SEAL teams represent and that, "There are a lot of colorful personalities among the teams, but even considering the best of those, Rudy Boesch is a legend. Everybody knows Rudy, and you can bet that Rudy knows everyone in return ... [including] some of the Navy's top brass."[28] Several of these other accounts have also referred to Boesch as a legend within the SEALs.[7][24]∼A retired(BMCM) Master Chief and US Navy Seal.
Served from 1945-1990. Started as a Frogman in 1951 which was formed to Seals in 1962.
He also served in Vietnam and is a
recipient of many awards including the Bronze Star and Defense Superior Service Medal.
In 1991 he co-wrote a book with Jeff Herman; "The Book of Rudy" The Wit and Wisdom of Rudy Boesch
Placed 3rd on the Survivor TV show contest∼Rudy joined the Navy in April of 1945 and immediately volunteered for "secret and hazardous duty" with the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders, highly classified naval commando units. In 1951, six years after Scout and Raider training at Fort Pierce, Florida, Rudy completed UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) training in Little Creek, Virginia, and was assigned to UDT-2 (redesigned as UDT-21 in 1953). He remained in UDT-21 for the next 11 years. During this period, he completed numerous specialized schools and deployed routinely to the Mediterranean and Caribbean areas with the Naval Amphibious Forces. Rudy became a proficient combat swimmer and expert in small-boat operations. In 1962, Rudy was one of the 50 hand-selected officers of the original SEAL (Sea-Air-Land) Team TWO, becoming one of their most distinguished members
He competeted on the first season of the popular and influential reality competition show Survivor where he finished third and and is still considered one of the most beloved players. Rudy is remembered for his begrudging-turned-lasting friendship with Richard Hatch, being a part of the first ever voting alliance, and being the oldest castaway to ever compete. He made it to the final three along with Richard and Kelly Wiglesworth. After he lost the Final Immunity Challenge to Kelly on Day 38, she voted him out that night, eliminating him one day before the Final Tribal Council.
He returned for All-Stars, where he aligned with Rupert Boneham and was voted out second due to an injury which made him a liability.
After suffering a battle with Alzheimer's Rudy passed away peacefully in assisted living surrounded by his loved ones∼Rudolph Ernst Boesch (/bɒʃ/ BOSH; January 20, 1928 – November 1, 2019) was a United States Navy SEAL, and two-time competitor on the reality competition show Survivor.
"In 1945 he joined the Navy and never looked back."
By Henry L Boesch∼US Navy 1945-1990
Too young to join the Marines, Boesch dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Navy in April 1945 at age 17.[5][6] Following boot camp at Naval Training Station Sampson in New York,[7] he volunteered for the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders at Fort Pierce, Florida, where he was tentatively assigned to conduct covert reconnaissance of China's coastline.[5] The Second World War ended before the training completed, but he was still sent to China. For a while he and a few others guarded a decommissioned ship in Hong Kong Harbor.[7][8] He then had a stint as a Boatswain's mate (BM) on board USS Massey, a destroyer ported on the Chinese coast.[9][7][10] That was followed by a period of shore duty in London.[6] He volunteered for UDT Frogman training in late 1950, graduating in Underwater Demolition Team Replacement Class #6 in 1951.[11]
Boesch met his future-wife, Marge, at a wedding circa 1950-1951. They married in 1955 and had three daughters in the following years.[12] Meanwhile, he served in UDT Team 2 and later UDT Team 21 alongside Richard Marcinko, until Roy Boehm selected Boesch (then a BMC) to be Chief of the Boat of newly created SEAL Team Two in 1962.[7][13]
From 1968–1970, Boesch completed two combat deployments to Vietnam as a platoon chief based in Mỹ Tho.[14] He earned the Bronze Star for heroic action during more than 45 combat operations.[15] In 1967, Boesch was promoted to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer.[16]
During and after his stint in Vietnam he set physical and operational standards at SEAL Team Two.[17][18] With the creation of Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in 1987, its first Commander-in-chief General James J. Lindsay selected BMCM Boesch to serve as SOCOM's first Senior Enlisted Advisor.[19] Before his retirement, Boesch was designated the "Chief SEAL" (a.k.a. "Bullfrog"), a title identifying the longest-serving SEAL still on active duty.[20] Upon his retirement from the Navy on August 1, 1990, as a Command Master Chief Petty Officer, he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal.[21]
Boesch's time as a SEAL has been described in a number of books. Editor Bill Fawcett included his story as the opening, 30-page recollection in his 1995 Hunters & Shooters: An Oral History of the U.S. Navy SEALs in Vietnam.[7] Orr Kelly's 1995 Never Fight Fair: Navy SEALs' Stories of Combat and Adventure included descriptions by Rudy (and Marge as well) of their parachuting experiences, along with a few of Rudy's recollections of Vietnam.[22] In his 1998 memoir, Good to Go: The Life and Times of a Decorated Member of the U.S. Navy's Elite SEAL Team Two, former SEAL Harry Constance describes Boesch as giving a no-nonsense introduction to SEALs in training and then later giving him informal advice to not take a posting that would involve troublesome superiors.[23] In an early 2000s interview, a SEAL said that Boesch was "a walking Bible on Special Operations."[24] In 2010's SEAL Warrior: The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday, Thomas Keith portrayed Boesch as a master of the military art of gathering resources: "From weapons to the men who would use them, Rudy could scrounge like nobody else in the SEAL Teams. He wasn't going to let anything or anybody get in the way of putting together the best platoon he could build, beg, borrow, coerce, or dig out of the Operations Department."[25] He then describes Boesch leading a platoon in nighttime ambush raids against the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, operating in the Mekong Delta out of Mỹ Tho and using LCM-8 "Mike boats" for access.[25] Boesch was a physical training fanatic whose dog tag listed "PT" as his religion and who through the decades gained a reputation for leading grueling runs that men would look for ways to get out of by faking injuries or hiding in bushes.[18][26] In former SEAL James Watson's 1995 memoir Point Man, he states of 1964 training that, "We had to be physically fit to perform what was expected of us. And for all our trying [to get out of the runs], Rudy Boesch made sure that we stayed in condition."[18] Kevin Dockery's 2003 work Navy Seals: A History Part III – Post-Vietnam to the Present includes three different SEALs relating how, when Boesch was 50 to 57 years old, he could keep up or beat trainees less than half his age in five-mile runs, obstacle courses, and open sea swimming.[24] In his 2011 memoir, SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper, former SEAL Howard E. Wasdin tells of being assigned to SEAL Team Two in the late 1980s, where Boesch, though nearly 60 years old, nevertheless ran with the trainees over an obstacle course; he then made every person who finished behind him run it again.[26] Even Boesch's physical appearance made a mark: Waston refers to him as an exemplar of military form,[18] Wasdin describes him as having "a perfect crew cut",[26] another account talks of his haircut and uniform being perfect at 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning,[24] and in 2002's One Perfect Op, former SEAL Dennis Chalker said that among SEALs based on the U.S. East Coast in the late 1970s, the style was known as a "Rudy Boesch haircut" and was even more severe than normal military cuts.[27] Overall, in his history of SEAL operations in Vietnam, former SEAL T.L. Bosiljevac writes that Boesch symbolizes much of what the SEAL teams represent and that, "There are a lot of colorful personalities among the teams, but even considering the best of those, Rudy Boesch is a legend. Everybody knows Rudy, and you can bet that Rudy knows everyone in return ... [including] some of the Navy's top brass."[28] Several of these other accounts have also referred to Boesch as a legend within the SEALs.[7][24]∼A retired(BMCM) Master Chief and US Navy Seal.
Served from 1945-1990. Started as a Frogman in 1951 which was formed to Seals in 1962.
He also served in Vietnam and is a
recipient of many awards including the Bronze Star and Defense Superior Service Medal.
In 1991 he co-wrote a book with Jeff Herman; "The Book of Rudy" The Wit and Wisdom of Rudy Boesch
Placed 3rd on the Survivor TV show contest∼Rudy joined the Navy in April of 1945 and immediately volunteered for "secret and hazardous duty" with the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders, highly classified naval commando units. In 1951, six years after Scout and Raider training at Fort Pierce, Florida, Rudy completed UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) training in Little Creek, Virginia, and was assigned to UDT-2 (redesigned as UDT-21 in 1953). He remained in UDT-21 for the next 11 years. During this period, he completed numerous specialized schools and deployed routinely to the Mediterranean and Caribbean areas with the Naval Amphibious Forces. Rudy became a proficient combat swimmer and expert in small-boat operations. In 1962, Rudy was one of the 50 hand-selected officers of the original SEAL (Sea-Air-Land) Team TWO, becoming one of their most distinguished members
He competeted on the first season of the popular and influential reality competition show Survivor where he finished third and and is still considered one of the most beloved players. Rudy is remembered for his begrudging-turned-lasting friendship with Richard Hatch, being a part of the first ever voting alliance, and being the oldest castaway to ever compete. He made it to the final three along with Richard and Kelly Wiglesworth. After he lost the Final Immunity Challenge to Kelly on Day 38, she voted him out that night, eliminating him one day before the Final Tribal Council.
He returned for All-Stars, where he aligned with Rupert Boneham and was voted out second due to an injury which made him a liability.
After suffering a battle with Alzheimer's Rudy passed away peacefully in assisted living surrounded by his loved ones∼Rudolph Ernst Boesch (/bɒʃ/ BOSH; January 20, 1928 – November 1, 2019) was a United States Navy SEAL, and two-time competitor on the reality competition show Survivor.
"Rudy dropped out of school at 16 and joined the Merchant Marine serving on various cargo ships taking war materials to Europe."
"In 1945 he joined the Navy and never looked back."
By Henry L Boesch∼US Navy 1945-1990
Too young to join the Marines, Boesch dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Navy in April 1945 at age 17.[5][6] Following boot camp at Naval Training Station Sampson in New York,[7] he volunteered for the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders at Fort Pierce, Florida, where he was tentatively assigned to conduct covert reconnaissance of China's coastline.[5] The Second World War ended before the training completed, but he was still sent to China. For a while he and a few others guarded a decommissioned ship in Hong Kong Harbor.[7][8] He then had a stint as a Boatswain's mate (BM) on board USS Massey, a destroyer ported on the Chinese coast.[9][7][10] That was followed by a period of shore duty in London.[6] He volunteered for UDT Frogman training in late 1950, graduating in Underwater Demolition Team Replacement Class #6 in 1951.[11]
Boesch met his future-wife, Marge, at a wedding circa 1950-1951. They married in 1955 and had three daughters in the following years.[12] Meanwhile, he served in UDT Team 2 and later UDT Team 21 alongside Richard Marcinko, until Roy Boehm selected Boesch (then a BMC) to be Chief of the Boat of newly created SEAL Team Two in 1962.[7][13]
From 1968–1970, Boesch completed two combat deployments to Vietnam as a platoon chief based in Mỹ Tho.[14] He earned the Bronze Star for heroic action during more than 45 combat operations.[15] In 1967, Boesch was promoted to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer.[16]
During and after his stint in Vietnam he set physical and operational standards at SEAL Team Two.[17][18] With the creation of Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in 1987, its first Commander-in-chief General James J. Lindsay selected BMCM Boesch to serve as SOCOM's first Senior Enlisted Advisor.[19] Before his retirement, Boesch was designated the "Chief SEAL" (a.k.a. "Bullfrog"), a title identifying the longest-serving SEAL still on active duty.[20] Upon his retirement from the Navy on August 1, 1990, as a Command Master Chief Petty Officer, he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal.[21]
Boesch's time as a SEAL has been described in a number of books. Editor Bill Fawcett included his story as the opening, 30-page recollection in his 1995 Hunters & Shooters: An Oral History of the U.S. Navy SEALs in Vietnam.[7] Orr Kelly's 1995 Never Fight Fair: Navy SEALs' Stories of Combat and Adventure included descriptions by Rudy (and Marge as well) of their parachuting experiences, along with a few of Rudy's recollections of Vietnam.[22] In his 1998 memoir, Good to Go: The Life and Times of a Decorated Member of the U.S. Navy's Elite SEAL Team Two, former SEAL Harry Constance describes Boesch as giving a no-nonsense introduction to SEALs in training and then later giving him informal advice to not take a posting that would involve troublesome superiors.[23] In an early 2000s interview, a SEAL said that Boesch was "a walking Bible on Special Operations."[24] In 2010's SEAL Warrior: The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday, Thomas Keith portrayed Boesch as a master of the military art of gathering resources: "From weapons to the men who would use them, Rudy could scrounge like nobody else in the SEAL Teams. He wasn't going to let anything or anybody get in the way of putting together the best platoon he could build, beg, borrow, coerce, or dig out of the Operations Department."[25] He then describes Boesch leading a platoon in nighttime ambush raids against the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, operating in the Mekong Delta out of Mỹ Tho and using LCM-8 "Mike boats" for access.[25] Boesch was a physical training fanatic whose dog tag listed "PT" as his religion and who through the decades gained a reputation for leading grueling runs that men would look for ways to get out of by faking injuries or hiding in bushes.[18][26] In former SEAL James Watson's 1995 memoir Point Man, he states of 1964 training that, "We had to be physically fit to perform what was expected of us. And for all our trying [to get out of the runs], Rudy Boesch made sure that we stayed in condition."[18] Kevin Dockery's 2003 work Navy Seals: A History Part III – Post-Vietnam to the Present includes three different SEALs relating how, when Boesch was 50 to 57 years old, he could keep up or beat trainees less than half his age in five-mile runs, obstacle courses, and open sea swimming.[24] In his 2011 memoir, SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper, former SEAL Howard E. Wasdin tells of being assigned to SEAL Team Two in the late 1980s, where Boesch, though nearly 60 years old, nevertheless ran with the trainees over an obstacle course; he then made every person who finished behind him run it again.[26] Even Boesch's physical appearance made a mark: Waston refers to him as an exemplar of military form,[18] Wasdin describes him as having "a perfect crew cut",[26] another account talks of his haircut and uniform being perfect at 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning,[24] and in 2002's One Perfect Op, former SEAL Dennis Chalker said that among SEALs based on the U.S. East Coast in the late 1970s, the style was known as a "Rudy Boesch haircut" and was even more severe than normal military cuts.[27] Overall, in his history of SEAL operations in Vietnam, former SEAL T.L. Bosiljevac writes that Boesch symbolizes much of what the SEAL teams represent and that, "There are a lot of colorful personalities among the teams, but even considering the best of those, Rudy Boesch is a legend. Everybody knows Rudy, and you can bet that Rudy knows everyone in return ... [including] some of the Navy's top brass."[28] Several of these other accounts have also referred to Boesch as a legend within the SEALs.[7][24]∼A retired(BMCM) Master Chief and US Navy Seal.
Served from 1945-1990. Started as a Frogman in 1951 which was formed to Seals in 1962.
He also served in Vietnam and is a
recipient of many awards including the Bronze Star and Defense Superior Service Medal.
In 1991 he co-wrote a book with Jeff Herman; "The Book of Rudy" The Wit and Wisdom of Rudy Boesch
Placed 3rd on the Survivor TV show contest∼Rudy joined the Navy in April of 1945 and immediately volunteered for "secret and hazardous duty" with the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders, highly classified naval commando units. In 1951, six years after Scout and Raider training at Fort Pierce, Florida, Rudy completed UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) training in Little Creek, Virginia, and was assigned to UDT-2 (redesigned as UDT-21 in 1953). He remained in UDT-21 for the next 11 years. During this period, he completed numerous specialized schools and deployed routinely to the Mediterranean and Caribbean areas with the Naval Amphibious Forces. Rudy became a proficient combat swimmer and expert in small-boat operations. In 1962, Rudy was one of the 50 hand-selected officers of the original SEAL (Sea-Air-Land) Team TWO, becoming one of their most distinguished members
He competeted on the first season of the popular and influential reality competition show Survivor where he finished third and and is still considered one of the most beloved players. Rudy is remembered for his begrudging-turned-lasting friendship with Richard Hatch, being a part of the first ever voting alliance, and being the oldest castaway to ever compete. He made it to the final three along with Richard and Kelly Wiglesworth. After he lost the Final Immunity Challenge to Kelly on Day 38, she voted him out that night, eliminating him one day before the Final Tribal Council.
He returned for All-Stars, where he aligned with Rupert Boneham and was voted out second due to an injury which made him a liability.
After suffering a battle with Alzheimer's Rudy passed away peacefully in assisted living surrounded by his loved ones∼Rudolph Ernst Boesch (/bɒʃ/ BOSH; January 20, 1928 – November 1, 2019) was a United States Navy SEAL, and two-time competitor on the reality competition show Survivor.
"In 1945 he joined the Navy and never looked back."
By Henry L Boesch∼US Navy 1945-1990
Too young to join the Marines, Boesch dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Navy in April 1945 at age 17.[5][6] Following boot camp at Naval Training Station Sampson in New York,[7] he volunteered for the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders at Fort Pierce, Florida, where he was tentatively assigned to conduct covert reconnaissance of China's coastline.[5] The Second World War ended before the training completed, but he was still sent to China. For a while he and a few others guarded a decommissioned ship in Hong Kong Harbor.[7][8] He then had a stint as a Boatswain's mate (BM) on board USS Massey, a destroyer ported on the Chinese coast.[9][7][10] That was followed by a period of shore duty in London.[6] He volunteered for UDT Frogman training in late 1950, graduating in Underwater Demolition Team Replacement Class #6 in 1951.[11]
Boesch met his future-wife, Marge, at a wedding circa 1950-1951. They married in 1955 and had three daughters in the following years.[12] Meanwhile, he served in UDT Team 2 and later UDT Team 21 alongside Richard Marcinko, until Roy Boehm selected Boesch (then a BMC) to be Chief of the Boat of newly created SEAL Team Two in 1962.[7][13]
From 1968–1970, Boesch completed two combat deployments to Vietnam as a platoon chief based in Mỹ Tho.[14] He earned the Bronze Star for heroic action during more than 45 combat operations.[15] In 1967, Boesch was promoted to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer.[16]
During and after his stint in Vietnam he set physical and operational standards at SEAL Team Two.[17][18] With the creation of Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in 1987, its first Commander-in-chief General James J. Lindsay selected BMCM Boesch to serve as SOCOM's first Senior Enlisted Advisor.[19] Before his retirement, Boesch was designated the "Chief SEAL" (a.k.a. "Bullfrog"), a title identifying the longest-serving SEAL still on active duty.[20] Upon his retirement from the Navy on August 1, 1990, as a Command Master Chief Petty Officer, he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal.[21]
Boesch's time as a SEAL has been described in a number of books. Editor Bill Fawcett included his story as the opening, 30-page recollection in his 1995 Hunters & Shooters: An Oral History of the U.S. Navy SEALs in Vietnam.[7] Orr Kelly's 1995 Never Fight Fair: Navy SEALs' Stories of Combat and Adventure included descriptions by Rudy (and Marge as well) of their parachuting experiences, along with a few of Rudy's recollections of Vietnam.[22] In his 1998 memoir, Good to Go: The Life and Times of a Decorated Member of the U.S. Navy's Elite SEAL Team Two, former SEAL Harry Constance describes Boesch as giving a no-nonsense introduction to SEALs in training and then later giving him informal advice to not take a posting that would involve troublesome superiors.[23] In an early 2000s interview, a SEAL said that Boesch was "a walking Bible on Special Operations."[24] In 2010's SEAL Warrior: The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday, Thomas Keith portrayed Boesch as a master of the military art of gathering resources: "From weapons to the men who would use them, Rudy could scrounge like nobody else in the SEAL Teams. He wasn't going to let anything or anybody get in the way of putting together the best platoon he could build, beg, borrow, coerce, or dig out of the Operations Department."[25] He then describes Boesch leading a platoon in nighttime ambush raids against the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, operating in the Mekong Delta out of Mỹ Tho and using LCM-8 "Mike boats" for access.[25] Boesch was a physical training fanatic whose dog tag listed "PT" as his religion and who through the decades gained a reputation for leading grueling runs that men would look for ways to get out of by faking injuries or hiding in bushes.[18][26] In former SEAL James Watson's 1995 memoir Point Man, he states of 1964 training that, "We had to be physically fit to perform what was expected of us. And for all our trying [to get out of the runs], Rudy Boesch made sure that we stayed in condition."[18] Kevin Dockery's 2003 work Navy Seals: A History Part III – Post-Vietnam to the Present includes three different SEALs relating how, when Boesch was 50 to 57 years old, he could keep up or beat trainees less than half his age in five-mile runs, obstacle courses, and open sea swimming.[24] In his 2011 memoir, SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper, former SEAL Howard E. Wasdin tells of being assigned to SEAL Team Two in the late 1980s, where Boesch, though nearly 60 years old, nevertheless ran with the trainees over an obstacle course; he then made every person who finished behind him run it again.[26] Even Boesch's physical appearance made a mark: Waston refers to him as an exemplar of military form,[18] Wasdin describes him as having "a perfect crew cut",[26] another account talks of his haircut and uniform being perfect at 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning,[24] and in 2002's One Perfect Op, former SEAL Dennis Chalker said that among SEALs based on the U.S. East Coast in the late 1970s, the style was known as a "Rudy Boesch haircut" and was even more severe than normal military cuts.[27] Overall, in his history of SEAL operations in Vietnam, former SEAL T.L. Bosiljevac writes that Boesch symbolizes much of what the SEAL teams represent and that, "There are a lot of colorful personalities among the teams, but even considering the best of those, Rudy Boesch is a legend. Everybody knows Rudy, and you can bet that Rudy knows everyone in return ... [including] some of the Navy's top brass."[28] Several of these other accounts have also referred to Boesch as a legend within the SEALs.[7][24]∼A retired(BMCM) Master Chief and US Navy Seal.
Served from 1945-1990. Started as a Frogman in 1951 which was formed to Seals in 1962.
He also served in Vietnam and is a
recipient of many awards including the Bronze Star and Defense Superior Service Medal.
In 1991 he co-wrote a book with Jeff Herman; "The Book of Rudy" The Wit and Wisdom of Rudy Boesch
Placed 3rd on the Survivor TV show contest∼Rudy joined the Navy in April of 1945 and immediately volunteered for "secret and hazardous duty" with the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders, highly classified naval commando units. In 1951, six years after Scout and Raider training at Fort Pierce, Florida, Rudy completed UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) training in Little Creek, Virginia, and was assigned to UDT-2 (redesigned as UDT-21 in 1953). He remained in UDT-21 for the next 11 years. During this period, he completed numerous specialized schools and deployed routinely to the Mediterranean and Caribbean areas with the Naval Amphibious Forces. Rudy became a proficient combat swimmer and expert in small-boat operations. In 1962, Rudy was one of the 50 hand-selected officers of the original SEAL (Sea-Air-Land) Team TWO, becoming one of their most distinguished members
He competeted on the first season of the popular and influential reality competition show Survivor where he finished third and and is still considered one of the most beloved players. Rudy is remembered for his begrudging-turned-lasting friendship with Richard Hatch, being a part of the first ever voting alliance, and being the oldest castaway to ever compete. He made it to the final three along with Richard and Kelly Wiglesworth. After he lost the Final Immunity Challenge to Kelly on Day 38, she voted him out that night, eliminating him one day before the Final Tribal Council.
He returned for All-Stars, where he aligned with Rupert Boneham and was voted out second due to an injury which made him a liability.
After suffering a battle with Alzheimer's Rudy passed away peacefully in assisted living surrounded by his loved ones∼Rudolph Ernst Boesch (/bɒʃ/ BOSH; January 20, 1928 – November 1, 2019) was a United States Navy SEAL, and two-time competitor on the reality competition show Survivor.
Family Members
Siblings
