James “Bo” Gritz, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer who claimed to have inspired Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character John Rambo, has died.
He was 87, according to a statement from his wife.
“It was just a terrible scene”
A decorated Vietnam War veteran with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Gritz retired as a lieutenant colonel after receiving multiple honors, including three Silver Stars.
After leaving the military, he became involved in politics, drawing attention for his ties to conspiracy theories, militia movements, and the Christian Patriot movement. He ran for president in 1992 under the Populist Party and served as a mediator during the Ruby Ridge standoff in Idaho.
Gritz’s military career also included covert missions aimed at rescuing American prisoners of war in Laos, though none succeeded. He remained dedicated to defending the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, often placing himself in dangerous situations to mediate with anti-government groups. During the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff, Gritz flew to Idaho at the request of federal agents to negotiate with Randy Weaver, who had survived a deadly siege that killed his wife and son.
“It was just a terrible scene,” Gritz recalled in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“Weaver hadn’t fired a shot at anybody. And yet, his son was dead.”
The Vietnam War
Gritz entered the cabin against FBI advice, helped assess Weaver’s minor injuries, and arranged legal representation, ultimately helping to prevent further bloodshed.
In 2020, Gritz reflected on his lifelong mission:
“This is not supposed to happen in America. I took an oath to defend the Constitution, and I’ve been overseas and all of a sudden the Constitution, to me, was in challenge and in the forefront.”
He later attempted to mediate with the Montana Freemen during their 81-day standoff, though that effort was less successful.
During the Vietnam War, James “Bo” Gritz led Detachment B-36 of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). The unit, part of the MIKE Force, consisted of American soldiers and Cambodian-Vietnamese mercenaries. They operated in the III Corps area of southern South Vietnam near the Cambodian border. Among Gritz’s notable missions was the successful recovery of the black box from a downed Lockheed U-2 spy plane deep inside enemy territory in Cambodia in December 1966.
Even as he slowed down in later years, Gritz remained devoted to what he called his “mistress”: the Special Forces. He once said, “When people, American citizens, get into trouble, I’ve been wanting to hold up my hand. And I will put myself in the face of danger when it comes to American citizens who don’t have my experience.”
How he died
Gritz’s story was also featured in the 2017 documentary Erase and Forget, in which he discussed his alleged influence on the character of John Rambo in First Blood and its sequels.
Gritz lived in Sandy Valley, near the California-Nevada border, about 35 miles west of Las Vegas. Judy Gritz wrote on Facebook that he died peacefully, “looking into the eyes of our Savior.”
His wife had planned to bring him back to their home in Sandy Valley, Nevada, rather than move him to a long-term care facility. “Bo has told me several times he wants to die in Sandy Valley, where he has lived for over 45 years, and he wants to be buried here,” she wrote.
He was the father of four children. No cause of death was reported.
