The first commanding officer of U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6, Richard "Dick" Marcinko, died on Saturday at the age of 81, according to an announcement from his son.
Marcinko was born on Nov. 21, 1940, in Lansford, Pennsylvania, and enlisted with the U.S. Navy in 1958 after being rejected from the Marines for his lack of a high school diploma.
Marcinko worked his way up in the navy, achieving the rank of commander. He also went on to earn a bachelor's degree and master's degree in international relations and political science, respectively.
"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," Matt Marcinko tweeted on Sunday. "His legacy will live forever. The man has died a true legend. Rest In Peace Dad. I love you forever."
Marcinko's list of achievements is long as he was the first commanding officer of both SEAL Team 6 and RED CELL, the two top counter-terrorist units in the military. He also helped found both of them.
He was also awarded four Bronze Stars, a Silver Star, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. In all, he earned 34 citations and medals.
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The Navy SEAL Museum's Facebook page released a statement on Marcinko's passing as well.
"Dick Marcinko played a very unique part in SEAL history, leaving a legacy like no other," the post read. "'Demo Dick' is considered the United States' premier counterterrorism operator. We send our deepest sympathies to his family, teammates, and friends."
In January 1967, Marcinko was deployed to Vietnam in the 2nd Platoon, SEAL Team 2. In Vietnam, he took part in the assault on Ilo Ilo Han on May 18, 1976; a mission described as the most successful SEAL operation during the war, Fox News reported.
Marcinko also took part in the Tet Offensive during his second deployment to Vietnam. The North Vietnamese also placed a bounty on his head, one that he avoided, because of his leadership.
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The creation of SEAL Team 6 came after Marcinko served as a Navy representative on an unsuccessful task force to free the American hostages during the Iran hostage crisis in 1979.
After the failure, it was then that SEAL Team 6 was created, with a name intended to fool the Soviet Union and others into thinking the U.S. had more SEAL teams than it did. From August 1980 to July 1983, he commanded SEAL Team 6.
"The SEALs who knew Dick Marcinko will remember him as imaginative and bold, a warrior at heart," Eric Olson, a retired Navy SEAL Admiral, said to the Navy Times. "He was a spirited rogue for sure, but we are better off for his unconventional service."
