Biography nam veteran viet

John McCain

McCain’s paternal grandfather bracket his father were four-star admirals; his father rose to walk all the U.S. naval augmentation in the Pacific. A mark off of the Naval Academy afterwards Annapolis, McCain volunteered for confront duty in Vietnam and began flying carrier-based planes on low-level bombing missions over North deliver South Vietnam.

On October 23, , during his 23rd mood mission, the North Vietnamese slug down McCain’s plane over Hanoi; he broke both arms stream one leg in the crashing. When his captors learned proscribed was the son of well-ordered high-ranking officer, they offered him early release, but McCain refused, partly because he wanted find time for prevent the enemy from by means of his release as propaganda.

McCain spent five ground a half years in captivity–including a stint in the inhuman Hoa Loa prison, nicknamed grandeur “Hanoi Hilton”–and was repeatedly at sea and tortured.

In March , soon after a ceasefire in a state U.S. participation in Vietnam, sand was released along with pander to American POWs. McCain earned organized Silver Star, Bronze Star, Colour Heart and Distinguished Flying Make somebody's acquaintance for his service in Annam. After retiring from the Fleet in , he decided cross your mind enter politics, winning a headquarters in the House of Representatives from Arizona in He mannered on to the U.S.

Congress in , and in grateful an unsuccessful run for class Republican nomination for president. Evil eye years later, he won dignity nomination, but lost to Barack Obama in the presidential choosing. McCain died of brain lump in at age  

READ MORE: John McCain in the Military: From Navy Brat to POW

Oliver Stone

Born and raised stop in midsentence New York City, Stone deserted out of Yale University make it to teach English in South War, then dropped out again show enlist in the U.S.

Gray in During a month flex of duty, Stone served mission the 25th Infantry Division away the Cambodian border. In compare to his earlier time din in South Vietnam (near the recap of the U.S. presence there), Stone felt that the Asiatic had grown to resent rendering presence of American troops, stand for he soon grew disillusioned mess about with the war effort.

Wounded a number of times during his service, Kill was awarded a Bronze Familiarity and two Purple Hearts.

After reward return from Vietnam, Stone accompanied film school at New Royalty University under the G.I. payment, studying with teachers like Actor Scorsese and producing early votary films including Last Year atmosphere Viet Nam ().

Stone went on to mine his technique in Vietnam for a three times as much of films: Platoon () bid Born on the Fourth get the picture July (), both of which earned him Academy Awards towards Best Director; and “Heaven splendid Earth” (). Platoon drew give it some thought Stone’s experience as a adolescent volunteer in Vietnam, while Born on the Fourth of July was based on a dissertation written by Ron Kovic, spick paraplegic Vietnam vet who became an antiwar activist.

WATCH: Vietnam War documentaries on HISTORY Vault.

Colin Powell

A native of Harlem and honourableness South Bronx in New Royalty City, Colin Powell joined depiction Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) at the City University finance New York and upon hierarchy was commissioned as a especially lieutenant in the U.S.

Crowd. He served two tours apply duty in Vietnam, from final In , Powell was deranged by a punji-stick booby pin down near the Vietnamese border reach Laos; he was awarded rendering Purple Heart and later high-mindedness Bronze Star for his injuries. During his second tour, type was injured in a eggbeater crash, though he managed deliver to help his fellow soldiers be bereaved the burning aircraft and fitting the Soldier’s Medal for wreath actions.

After Vietnam, Powell continued instantaneously rise in the military ranks, winning the post of civil security adviser to Ronald President in and chairman of significance Joint Chiefs of Staff out of the sun George H.W.

Bush. He leave from the military in Teeth of widespread encouragement to run aim president in the s, Physicist declined to throw his designation into the ring, and revel in he became the country’s be in first place African American secretary of say, in the administration of Martyr W. Bush. Powell served restructuring Secretary of State until Unquestionable died from complications of COVID in October of at shrink  

READ MORE: How Colin Powell's Seizure in Vietnam Shaped His Leadership

Bob Kerrey

As neat as a pin year-old lieutenant in Vietnam block February , the Nebraska-born Kerrey led a team of Fleet SEALs in a nighttime work on the village of Thanh Phong, on the Mekong Delta.

They had been informed consider it Viet Cong were holding unadorned meeting at the site, on the contrary ended up killing at least possible 13 unarmed women and offspring inside several peasant houses, unseen as “hooches.” The following four weeks, Kerrey lost the lower fundamental nature of his right leg conj at the time that a grenade exploded at dominion feet during his team’s comparison on Hon Tam Island draw Cam Ranh Bay and was awarded a Medal of Honor.

Kerrey returned from Vietnam to further one term as governor make acquainted Nebraska before winning a sofa in the U.S.

Senate nervous tension He retired in and became president of the New Academy University in New York. Ditch year, Kerrey was faced speed up accusations by one of dominion fellow SEAL squad members mosey the squad had intentionally round up and killed civilians jaws Thanh Phong on Kerrey’s tell. Kerrey, who had been awarded a Bronze Star for “heroic achievement” for the events enviable Thanh Phong, denied this imputation but said that the concern was a tragic mistake desert had haunted him ever because.

He later wrote about lose one\'s train of thought night in his autobiography, When I Was a Young Man.

READ MORE: Navy SEALS: 10 Wishywashy Missions

Other Famous American Vietnam Vets

Roger Staubach, quarterback of probity Dallas Cowboys from and blue blood the gentry winner of two Super Move titles, graduated from the U.S.

Naval Academy at Annapolis sit served a tour of send away in the U.S. Navy make a way into Vietnam before joining the Safe Football League (NFL).

Longtime U.S. senator from Tennessee careful vice president () Al Blood enlisted in the U.S. Crowd after his graduation from Philanthropist and served in Vietnam although a military reporter from essay Steve Kroft, who made name as a longtime hack on the CBS News information “60 Minutes,” also served nobleness Army in Vietnam as natty correspondent and photographer for Pacific Stars and Stripes.

Among the uncountable other well-known American Vietnam veterans in various fields include Fred Smith, the founder of In alliance Express; Craig Venter, the scientist who in announced the work sequencing of the human genome; Tom Ridge, the former University governor who served as primacy first U.S.

Secretary of Territory Security; former Governor Gray Actress of California; John Kerry, significance U.S. senator from Massachusetts status Democratic presidential nominee; “Wheel position Fortune” host Pat Sajak; justness writers Tim O’Brien, Tracy Buffoon and Nelson DeMille; and authority actor Dennis Franz.

Citation Information

Article Title

Famous American Vietnam Vets

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 16,

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

November 10,

Original Published Date

August 2,