Lt. Col. Oliver North USMC (ret)
Oliver L. North is a combat decorated marine, a #1 best-selling author, the founder of a small business, an inventor with three U.S. patents, a syndicated columnist, and the host of War Stories on the Fox News Channel. Yet, he claims his most important accomplishment is to be “the husband of one, the father of four and the grandfather of eleven.”
North was born in San Antonio, Texas, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and served 22 years as a U.S. Marine. His awards for service in combat include the silver star, the bronze star for valor and two purple hearts for wounds in combat.
Assigned to the National Security Council Staff in the Reagan administration, Lieutenant Colonel North was the United States government’s counter-terrorism coordinator from 1983-1986. He was involved in planning the rescue of 804 medical students on the Island of Grenada and played a major role in the daring capture of the hijackers of the cruise ship Achille Lauro. After helping plan the U.S. raid on Muammar Qaddafi’s terrorist bases in Libya, North was targeted for assassination by Abu Nidal, the infamous terrorist found dead in Baghdad in August, 2002. President Ronald Reagan described him as “an American hero.”
Since 2001, North has been the host of War Stories — the award-winning military documentary series on Fox News Channel. He has also authored eleven books — all of them New York Times bestsellers. His latest book, American Heroes, based on his extensive coverage of U.S. military units engaged in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Philippines was released in May 2008 and is yet another New York Times Best-Selling Book.
North is a life member of the National Rifle Association and a member of the NRA board of directors. He is also the founder of Freedom Alliance, a foundation that provides college scholarships for the sons and daughters of service members killed in action.
