About
A famous anti-war activist and author, he is best known for his 1976 autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July. The memoir was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film starring Tom Cruise.
Before Fame
He joined the U.S. Marine Corps after high school. His injuries in the Vietnam War left him partially paralyzed, and he received both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his wartime bravery.
Trivia
He was a speaker at the 1976 Democratic National Convention.
Family Life
He was born in Wisconsin and raised in New York by an Irish mother and a Croatian father. In his later life, he settled in Redondo Beach, California.
Associated With
He inspired the Bruce Springsteen song, "Shut Out the Light."
