Richard Marcinko was raised in Lansford, Pennsylvania, with a normal upbringing as the son of Croatian and Slovakian immigrants. At 17, he realized that traditional education wasn’t his path and left high school. Marcinko initially tried to join the US Marine Corps but was rejected due to not having a diploma. Undeterred, he remained committed to his goals and successfully enlisted in the Navy in 1958, marking the start of a remarkable and occasionally controversial military career.
Richard Marcinko’s early service in the US Navy
Richard Marcinko started his naval career as a radioman but soon felt drawn in a different direction. Inspired by the 1951 film The Frogmen, which portrayed the US Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) during the Second World War, he realized he wanted to take a similar path. He was eventually accepted into Underwater Demolition Team/Replacement (UDTR) training, where he gained expertise in diving, parachuting, and explosives handling.
In 1965, Marcinko was selected for officer training and graduated from Officer Candidate School in December. Commissioned as an ensign, he was assigned to SEAL Team Two in June 1966, just in time for a deployment to Vietnam, and was sent overseas in 1967.
Richard Marcinko’s service during the Vietnam War
Richard Marcinko served two tours during the Vietnam War, both with 2nd Platoon, SEAL Team Two. During his first tour, he led his team against the Viet Cong on Hòn Ilo Ilo. They were successful in killing many enemy fighters, as well as destroying six of their boats, and their efforts became known as the “most successful SEAL operation in the Mekong Delta.”
On his second tour, Marcinko commanded his platoon during the Tet Offensive, where they helped US Army Special Forces rescue trapped American nurses and a schoolteacher. He was so successful as a platoon leader that he eventually earned a bounty on his head. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) said they would pay 50,000 piastre to anyone who could kill him and show proof.
Throughout both his tours, Marcinko was given many awards for his service: the Silver Star, four Bronze Stars with combat V, two Navy Commendation Medals, the Legion of Merit and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star. While his time in Vietnam was impressive, it wasn’t the part of his military career he was best known for.
US Navy SEAL Team Six
After a brief assignment as the naval attaché to Cambodia in 1973, Richard Marcinko returned to command SEAL Team Two from 1974 to 1976. By 1979, the United States was grappling with the Iran Hostage Crisis, which led the Navy to establish a specialized counter-terrorism unit.
Marcinko was tasked with forming SEAL Team Six, leading the unit from 1980 to 1983. He recruited members from the UDT and SEAL communities, including several who had previously served with him in SEAL Team Two. This sparked criticism, with some accusing him of favoring friends and “drinking buddies” over merit-based selections.
Despite what the name might suggest, SEAL Team Six did not imply the existence of five other teams; Marcinko intentionally chose the name to confuse potential enemies during the Cold War, boosting the security of operations. The unit’s creation was kept highly secret due to its sensitive role amid geopolitical tensions.
Running Red Cell
Eventually, Richard Marcinko stepped down from his role as commander of SEAL Team Six and was given a new assignment to create an entirely different unit. This new team, called Red Cell, was tasked with evaluating the Navy’s susceptibility to terrorism. Red Cell was distinctive in that its members were not only allowed but encouraged to mimic terrorist attacks on naval bases.
The team used fake IDs, conducted break-ins, took hostages, and set up barricades to reveal the vulnerabilities of U.S. naval installations. Red Cell even went so far as to kidnap high-ranking officials, recording the entire operation to later present to base personnel. As described by Marcinko, “I’d tell them Red Cell was coming, eat them alive, and then show the film and rub their noses in it.”
A prison sentence and civilian life
Part of the controversy surrounding Richard Marcinko’s legacy comes from his alleged involvement in a “kick-back” scheme involving the price of hand grenades. According to prosecutors at his trial, he conspired with an arms dealer in Arizona to overcharge the government by nearly $113,000 on a contract to produce grenades.
Marcinko was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the government and was fined $10,000. He was sentenced to federal prison for 21 months, serving only 15 months of his term. He maintained his innocence until his death, claiming he was the subject of a “witch-hunt” because of his work with Red Cell.
After retiring from the Navy and serving his time in prison, Marcinko went on to have a successful civilian career, which was largely focused on the work he did while in the military. He wrote an autobiography, titled Rogue Warrior, as well as fictional books. He also hosted a radio show, America on Watch with Dick Marcinko.
On December 25, 2021, Marcinko died from a heart attack at his home in Fauquier County, Virginia. He was 81 years old.
The controversial legacy of Richard Marcinko
As a figure, Richard Marcinko remains highly controversial. He’s often commended for his military actions, particularly with his involvement with SEAL Team Six, which went on to be heavily involved in the war on terror. There’s no doubt his actions played an important role in the group’s counter-terrorism efforts throughout the Cold War and into the present.
However, there are others who feel many of his methods were appalling. He was known for his general disregard of the rules, and had a leadership style that brought him into conflict with superiors. His second-in-command of SEAL Team Six went so far as to say that Marcinko left “a mess” in his wake.
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He was, however, remembered more positively by Adm. William McRaven, who said of him:
“While we had some disagreements when I was a younger officer, I always respected his boldness, his ingenuity and his unrelenting drive for success. I hope he will be remembered for his numerous contributions to the SEAL community.”