Oliver North American Hero

Color photograph of a man in uniform in front of an illustration of an American flag with red and blue outer rings with white text

Oliver Laurence “Ollie” North is a former United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, political commentator, military historian, author, and television host. During his time in the military, North was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, two purple hearts, marksmanship medals, and an array of other prestigious honors, making him appear as the all-American hero. However, his reputation came under scrutiny due to North’s involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal. The incident involved the sale of weapons to Iran to fund counter-revolutionaries against the Sandinistas in Central America. When the scandal broke, President Reagan dismissed North from the military. After his military career, North ran for the Senator of Virginia and lost. He went on appear in television programs and write best-sellers, his most famous being American Heroes.