Bo Gritz, also known as James Gordon Gritz, has died at the age of 87, according to his wife. The Green Beret and Vietnam War veteran was a major inspiration for Sylvester Stallone’s character of John Rambo in the 1992 movie First Blood.

According to TMZ, Gritz’s wife confirmed he had died on Friday, Feb.27, at their Sandy Valley home in Nevada. His cause of death has not officially been confirmed, with his wife having previosly documenting his health battles and cancer diagnosis.

His wife posted on social media days before that she had taken Gritz back to their home from the hospital after a recent diagnosis. She claims Gritz had always said he wanted to die in Sandy Valley, where he’s lived for 45 years.

Gritz was a retired United States Army Special Forces officer who served during the Vietnam War and attended the University of Illinois. As a decorated Lieutenant Colonel, he served in the military from 1957 until 1979 and received multiple honors, such as a Silver Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, and many more. Gritz was born in Enid, Oklahoma, in 1939, with his father having been killed in action during his service in the Army Air Forces during World War II.

Signed copy of “Called to Serve” to Jeffrey Bennett, by Colonel Gritz, Sept. 1999

Alongside the military, Gritz had his hand in politics and ran for the United States presidency in 1992 as a member of the Populist Party. He was reported to have taken part in the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff, where he managed to persuade extremist Randy Weaver into surrendering to federal agents after an 11-day siege.

Later in life, Gritz became known for sharing his anti-government and survivalist views on the Freedom Call radio program on the American Voice Radio Network.

In his career, Gritz also published three books in 1988, 1991, and 2003. He’s also reported to have inspired more than a few pop culture characters, like Colonel Kurtz in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. As well as John “Hannibal” Smith in The A-Team, reportedly a few of Chuck Norris’s film characters and was portrayed by actor Vic Browder in the first episode of the 2018 television miniseries Waco.

Above all, Gritz was reported to have been the inspiration for Stallone’s legendary Rambo character from the 1982 action movie. The film follows Stallone’s character as a Vietnam War vet who uses his skills to survive in a small town after clashing with local law enforcement.

Written by Gabriel Silva for Parade ~ March 2, 2026