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Richard "Dick" Marcinko, the retired U.S. Navy SEAL and founding commander of famed SEAL Team 6, die
Ricci.Wright
Member Posts: 5,129 ✭✭✭✭
He died on Christmas night at 81 years of age. Fair Winds and Following Seas.
Marcinko's son, Matthew, made the announcement in a post to Twitter on Sunday afternoon.
"Last night, Christmas evening, we lost a hero, who's also known as The Rogue Warrior, the retired Navy SEAL commander AND the creator of SEAL Team Six, my father, Richard Marcinko," Matthew wrote in a tweet. "His legacy will live forever. The man has died a true legend."
"Rest In Peace Dad," he added. "I love you forever."
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In January 1967, Marcinko deployed to Vietnam with 2nd Platoon, SEAL Team Two for a six month tour of duty. On May 18, 1967, Marcinko led his men in an assault on Ilo Ilo Hon (Ilo Ilo Island), where they killed a large number of Viet Cong and destroyed six of their sampans. This action would be called the "most successful SEAL operation in the Mekong Delta" by the U.S. Navy. For leading it, Marcinko was awarded the first of his four Bronze Stars, as well as a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and the Silver Star.[3]
Marcinko returned to Vietnam with SEAL Team Two after a few months stateside as Officer-in-Charge of 8th Platoon from Dec 1967 to June 1968. During the Tet Offensive, Marcinko ordered his platoon to assist U.S. Army Special Forces at Châu Đốc.[1] What began as an urban street battle turned into a rescue mission of American nurses and a schoolteacher trapped in the city's church and hospital.[4]
After completing his second tour in Vietnam and a two-year stateside staff assignment, Marcinko was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and assigned as the Naval Attache to Cambodia in 1973. After serving in Cambodia for 18 months, Marcinko returned stateside and assumed command of SEAL Team Two from 1974 to 1976.[5]
SEAL Team Six[edit]
During the Iran hostage crisis in 1979, Marcinko was one of two Navy representatives for a Joint Chiefs of Staff task force known as the TAT (Terrorist Action Team). The purpose of the TAT was to develop a plan to free the American hostages held in Iran which culminated in Operation Eagle Claw. In the wake of the debacle, the Navy saw the need for a full-time dedicated counter-terrorist team and tasked Marcinko with its design and development.
Marcinko was selected by the Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Thomas B. Hayward, as the first commanding officer of this new unit. At the time, the Navy had only two SEAL teams. Marcinko purportedly named the unit SEAL Team Six in order to confuse other nations, specifically the Soviet Union, into believing that the United States had at least three other SEAL teams that they were unaware of. He personally selected the unit's members from across the U.S. Navy's SEAL Teams and Underwater Demolition Teams, including a special counter-terrorist tactics section of SEAL Team Two, codenamed MOB-6. SEAL Team Six would be the Navy's premier counter-terrorist and hostage rescue unit, like its Army counterpart Delta Force.[1][6] While typically a two-year command in the Navy at the time, Marcinko commanded SEAL Team Six for three years, from August 1980 to July 1983.[7]
Red Cell[edit]
After relinquishing command of SEAL Team SIX to CDR Robert Gormly, Marcinko was tasked by Vice Admiral James "Ace" Lyons, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, with the design of a unit to test the Navy's vulnerability to terrorism. This unit was the Naval Security Coordination Team OP-06D, unofficially named Red Cell.[7]
RIP
I read his first book many years ago. It cast some people in a poor light and I think there were lawsuits. After that, his books were fictionalized. He was a dyed-in-the-wool warrior, though.
I have a hard time with guys like Marcinko.
Incredible warrior and leader, who Made a turn for the worst years later and was convicted of a felony for fraud.
If you read up on that (Accuracy Systems and Ramco Intl) its pretty clear what they were trying to do. Still instead of fessing up, he created a wild story that the US Government framed him for previously doing exactly what his job was (Red Cell).
RIP
I don't claim to know anything but what I was told by a Navy guy. This submariner said Marcinko embarrassed so many high officials that they were looking for a reason to jam him up and ruin his career. True?? I don't know.