Meet Ron Kovic

"I began to question whether I or the others who had gone to that war had gone for nothing."
Ron Kovic served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. Injured in the line of duty in 1968, he returned home, paralyzed from the chest down and questioning the system that sent American soldiers into battle. He would go on to become one of the country's most outspoken opponents of the Vietnam War, a journey he details in his now-classic memoir Born on the Fourth of July.
Here Kovic talks about what drove him to military service, how his perspective changed while serving in Vietnam, and why he is so proud to be called a peacemaker.

[@ryanperez1999]

He's truly someone I want to meet. I watched his movie five times and was deeply moved by it. I found it as a brave film and truly one of the world's greatest movie. It should have won Best Picture and Actor for Tom Cruise's groundbreaking performance. He portrayed Ron beautifully.

[@lalotorres772]

Good Bless ron😥

[@SuperThunderlips]

Ron you are an American hero. My father is also a Vietnam Veteran, and although we are completely on the other side of your political views, we respect you and wish you nothing but the best. God Bless.

[@user-cc5od3zk4p]

Ron, you are a hero on so many levels.

[@jamesburns4363]

God saw that Ron was such a good soldier he made a judgement call to bring him on his team and fight for his peace. God bless Ron. We must remain ever vigilant. The war dogs are always baying for more blood.

[@emjay9733]

Love this guy, what an inspiration.

[@JaimeGarcia-pe7bj]

Ron you are an American hero.

[@Reverend_Brown]

He’s not a hero. The heroes are the ones who did not come home. Kovic is just a bitter bell end.

[@JaimeGarcia-pe7bj]

@@Reverend_Brown How can you say such a thing? He was in the Army or marine corps and got totally disable there.

[@Reverend_Brown]

@@JaimeGarcia-pe7bj The man stepped up to the plate and served his country. He knew the risks. The heroes are the ones that did not make it home.

[@JaimeGarcia-pe7bj]

@@Reverend_Brown I don't doubt for a second that those that got killed in Vietnam gave the ultimate measure. Ron came to realize that the war was corrupt after being rendered a quadriplegic. The U.S. made a terrible state inserting itself into a country where it was not wanted. Like kind of "suegra del mundo" (mother-in-law of the world) and they lost with all their military bullshit. But had America won? What would they won? No ethical person doubts that the Americans that fought there were brave. Of course, they were. Likewise no ethical or thoughtful person could fail to have empathy for the families of there people. But as to Ron? Whether his epiphany was arrived at because of his T6 level permanent injury or would have it been arrived through his interpretations and reflecting examinations over gunning down women, kids, and senior citizens? I don't know. But I believe that the protesters did help put an end to the Vietnam War. Every Memorial Day I go to an observance and say a prayer for all of those and their families both here and in Vietnam for the repose of their souls. Wars create many dead and in cemeteries there are no enemies. So to this end, I still think Ron is a hero. Thank you.

[@mikelomez9313]

​@@Reverend_Brown So you're saying this man hasn't sacrificed enough? He only lost his legs, can't walk, can't have children, can't have relations and most likely has PTSD so he lost his peace of mind as well. He is a hero imo and can be bitter all he wants. People like you are just mad because he figured out Vietnam was a total con job

[@sappermade6012]

We love you Ron! No you gave all you had for us , for our freedoms, god bless you Ron

[@norton2757]

He wanted to go to war and when he got it he didn’t want it and now speaks against it but his body is destroyed.

[@rithvikmuthyalapati9754]

He was groomed into wanting to go to war

[@mikepowers7950]

I find it amazing he willingly goes to war, gets wounded, then comes back protesting war. Seems hypocritical to me.

[@TheShoshie10]

he's a traitor

[@spm36]

​@Shoshanna Silcove traitor to what? A war the US caused? The murder of thousands of innocent vietnamese? The rapes? The agent orange deformities? Read a book and educate yourself dummy!

[@spm36]

That's because you're tiny brain can't compute the reality of an illegal war...go read a book

[@rithvikmuthyalapati9754]

Do you even know what hypocritical means?

[@rithvikmuthyalapati9754]

@@TheShoshie10 And how so?