First Navy SEAL to become admiral dies at 93

SAN DIEGO – Richard Lyon, the first Navy SEAL to rise to the rank of admiral, has died. He was 93.

Lifelong friend Kelly Sarber said Lyon died Friday surrounded by family and friends at his beachfront home in Oceanside, north of San Diego.

Lyon was among the first to endure the SEAL training known as “Hell Week” in which trainees spend seven days with almost no sleep, running, swimming and other drills.

He served four decades in the Navy, including World War II and the Korean War, and was among the first U.S. troops to enter Japan after the atomic bomb was dropped.

Sarber says Lyon stayed active in the SEAL community until his death. He mentored young SEAL candidates until recently.