The Tribe Has Spoken

 

Rudolph "Rudy" Ernst Boesch was born in Rochester, New York on January 20, 1928. He was the son of Austrian immigrants who settled there after World War I, in which his father had fought with the German Army.  It inspired in Rudy a desire to serve in the military as well.

To that end, he dropped out of high school and attempted to enlist in the U.S. Marines.  He was only 17 however, and as such didn't qualify.  Fortunately for Rudy, the Navy wasn't as restrictive.  He enlisted in April 1945 and was sent to boot camp at Naval Training Station Sampson in New York.  Upon completion, he volunteered for the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders (known today as the SEALs) and was assigned to reconnaissance missions off China's coast. 

After World War 2, Rudy continued training as a Frogman with the Navy's Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), graduating in 1951.  That same year, he met a woman named Marge at a wedding and it wasn't long before they were wed themselves.  Over the next few years, they'd welcome three daughters into the world.

Rudy saw multiple deployments throughout the Vietnam War.  In 1962, he was assigned to SEAL Team Two during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  As a result of this service, he was promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer in 1967.

The following year, he was sent on combat deployment to the Mekong Delta.  His mission was to gather intelligence on troop positions, conduct raids and ambushes and take enemy prisoners.  He also helped train the South Vietnamese forces in combat readiness.  And you thought your job was tough!  During this tour, he earned the Bronze star, successfully completing 45 combat operations.

 

He continued his service to SEAL Team Two after the war ended, setting both physical and operational standards for the unit.  By 1987, he was named Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Navy's Special Operations Command, a posting he held until August 1990.  He retired from the service as a command master chief petty officer and was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal for his distinguished service.  

During the 1990s, Rudy settled into retirement, but continued working occasionally.  Near the end of the century, he became a technical advisor to a television series called Eco-Challenge, produced by Mark Burnett.  This would be Rudy's first foray into the world of reality television.

Then in 2000, Rudy achieved international fame when he appeared as a contestant on the most popular reality program of the year, Survivor.  The series saw Rudy and 15 others marooned on the island of Pulau Tiga in Malaysia.  Although the series was also produced by Mark Burnett, Rudy stated that he applied for the show via a newspaper advertisement, and that his prior association with Burnett was not a factor.  Similarly, Burnett claimed to have never even met Rudy during the production of Eco-Challenge.

Spoiler alert.  Although he was the odds-on favorite to win the series and the $1 million prize, Rudy finished in third place, for which he earned $85,000 (before taxes).  He proved to be the most popular contestant however, and was invited back in 2004 to compete on Survivor: All Stars.

Unlike most Survivor 
contestants, Rudy's fame lasted longer than 15 minutes.  Throughout the early 2000s, he made multiple television appearances, including the CBS military series JAG.  He never considered himself an actor however, finding it difficult to memorize dialogue, once stating "anything over five words, I'm mumbling."

By 2015, Rudy's health was in decline and he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.  He moved into an assisted-living facility in Virginia Beach, where despite his condition, he continued his regimen of physical fitness, even enlisting his fellow residents.  But by 2019, he could no longer continue to do so.  He finally succumbed on November 1 at the age of 91.

Survivor host Jeff Probst took to Twitter, stating "the Survivor family has lost a legend.  He is one of the most iconic and adored players of all time.  And he served our country as a 45-year Navy SEAL.  Rudy is a true American hero."

Rudy was buried with his wife Marge at Princess Anne Memorial Park in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Location: Garden of Love, 
Section #492, Site #1

Rudy, the tribe has spoken.  Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Rudy and Marge died on the same day, November 1, but 11 years apart.  When she passed in 2008, an episode of Survivor: Gabon (the 17th season) was dedicated to her memory.  Similarly, when Rudy passed in 2019, an episode of Survivor: Island of the Idols (the 39th season) was dedicated to him.  
  
  
• In 2001, Rudy cashed in on his fame by releasing The Book of Rudy: The Wit and Wisdom of Rudy Boesch.  Pick up a copy from Amazon.  As I recall, it was pretty damn funny.  You'll also hear a lot of his quotes in this Survivor compilation video on Youtube.
  
  
• That same year, Blue Box Toys released the Rudy Boesch Ultimate SEAL action figure.
  
  
  
  
  
• In between his deployments to Vietnam, Rudy competed with the Navy's bobsled team.
  
  
• Rudy was so into physical training that on his military dog tags, it listed "PT" as his religion.
  
  
• Rudy's military uniform is on display at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida.
  
  
• In 2001, Rudy hosted the Mark Burnett reality series Combat Missions and served as Commandant of it's Camp Windstorm.  You can watch the first episode on Youtube.