MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Rudy Boesch has encountered many islands in his life and Oct. 15, he sampled the island of Japan with a visit to the Air Station to be a featured speaker at the Navy Ball.
Many might recall his stint on the television series ‘Survivor’ where he survived all the way until the end when he dozed off during one of the final challenges. Boesch and the other two survivors, Richard and Kelly, had to stand next to a pole and hold on. After hour four, Rudy dozed and his hand slipped off.
Boesch was one of the favorites on the show that has garnered a cult following in the United States. He was also favored to win that first series.
“I was the most popular,” Boesch recalls.
Today, he reflected on the television show that catapulted the 76-year-old to star status and his career in the U.S. Navy that prepared him for the show and many of life’s challenges in the ensuing years.
Like many Americans during World War II, Boesch couldn’t wait to join the service. As a young 17-year-old in 1945, he went to see the Navy recruiter.
“I was in boot camp when the war in Germany ended,” he said. “After boot camp, I went to Florida for Scouts and Raiders school and then they dropped the bomb.”
That was the end of World War II. After school, Boesch headed to California, then on to China.
“There were three million (people) coming back and 300 going over,” he said. “We went over there to watch the equipment until they could get it back.”
In 1951, Boesch trained for underwater demolition. He was a member of the Underwater Demolition Team until 1962 when he was picked for a new special unit the Navy was starting.
Boesch was one of 50 selected to become Navy SEALs. He found his niche with the Navy as a SEAL and stayed with the special operations unit until 1988. While assigned to the SEALs, he participated in two tours to Vietnam earning a Bronze Star for his actions.
He then received the call to join another special program, U.S. Special Operations Command. He became the Command Master Chief for USSOCOM and worked directly for a four-star Army general who commanded approximately 45,000 men in three different services.
He retired from the Navy in 1990 after almost 45 years of active-duty service. He conducted his first interview for Survivor in 1999.
“I read an article and it had the word challenge,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about the money, but I was going to do it anyway.”
After several interviews in Baltimore, Md. he was sent to Hollywood, Calif. for several more.
“I figure they had 15 fouled-up people and they needed one normal one,” he said. “That was me.”
After being selected for the show, Boesch and his fellow first-time survivalists embarked on a boat to the South China Sea off the coast of Borneo. They were marooned on the tiny island of Tiga. The only provisions provided were a small amount of rice and drinking water.
“There were snakes and lizards, but we couldn’t touch them for environmental reasons.”
The first day on the island, Boesch circumnavigated the 2 by 3 mile island to search for natural resources.
“There were no bananas, no coconuts, nothing,” he recalled.
The only food available was rats and fish.
“After a couple of days you get used to the hunger,” he said. “I would jog and do push-ups every morning, but after a while, I got weak and I had to quit doing that.”
39 days later and 23 pounds lighter, Boesch was one of the last three. His popularity gained him a spot on Survival all stars. However, he was voted off in Episode two. That won’t keep this energetic retiree from doing it all and trying again.
“I’ll keep doing this until I win,” he declared.
Through it all, the Navy, the Survivors, the notoriety, has stood his wife of 42 years, Marge. Now in retirement, the Boeschs are extensive volunteers with various community service organizations.