Hunters & Shooters
An Oral History of the U.S. Navy SEALs in Vietnam
Master Chief Boatswain's MateRudy Boesch
USN (Ret.)
One of the legendary names of the SEAL Teams is that of Rudy Boesch, who holds the distinction of having the longest time in service of any man ever in Naval Special Warfare. Long known as a steadying influence on the quarterdeck, Rudy, as he was called by his men, served with SEAL Team TWO from us first day in 1962 to the late 1980s.
World War Two was in its last year, though I didnt know it, when I joined the Navy. I was seventeen years, three months old in April 1945 when I enlisted. Boot camp for me was in Sampson, New York, not far from my home in Rochester, New York.
While I was in boot camp, the war in Germany ended. Now it looked as if the Pacific and Japanese would be where and who I would fight. Just after graduation while still at Sampson, the class was lined up for an announcement. What we were asked was if anybody wanted to volunteer for a special program. That was about all the information they gave us, a special ... read full excerpt from Hunters & Shooters ebook
