Historical Figures Codexery

Oliver North

Oliver North: Marine, Iran-Contra figure, NRA president.

He served as a Marine platoon commander in Vietnam, receiving the Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and two Purple Hearts.[1] North later became a central figure in the Iran-Contra affair and was elected president of the National Rifle Association in May 2018.[2][3]

Quick Facts

Office
65th President of the National Rifle Association
Took office
September 2018
Left office
April 29, 2019
Predecessor
Pete Brownell
Successor
Carolyn D. Meadows
Birth name
Oliver Laurence North
Born
7 October 1943
Birthplace
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

North served as a platoon commander in Vietnam, leading a counter-assault against the People's Army of Vietnam under heavy fire.[4] In 1981, he began his assignment to the National Security Council staff in Washington, D.C.[5] He came into the public spotlight for his role in the Iran-Contra affair, claiming partial responsibility for selling weapons to Iran with profits going to the Contras.[3] North was indicted in March 1988 on 16 felony counts and was initially convicted of three charges in May 1989.[6][7]

His convictions were vacated on July 20, 1990, and all charges were dismissed on September 16, 1991.[8][7] In 1994, North ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate seat from Virginia, losing to incumbent Chuck Robb by a margin of 2.73%.[2] For two years North was a student at the State University of New York at Brockport, and then in 1963 he secured a place at the United States Naval Academy.[9][10] Serious injuries from a car crash, which also killed a classmate, caused North to miss a year, but he eventually received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1968.[10]

What the cited sources add

A 1987 Chicago Tribune article reported that North was voted "most courteous" and "best looking" in his high school class and was a member of the track team, chorus, and chess club.[11] The Walsh Iran/Contra Report states that North's nationally televised testimony under a grant of use immunity greatly complicated the Independent Counsel's investigation.[7] According to the same report, North succeeded in having all prospective jurors who recalled his immunized testimony excused for cause during jury selection.[7] A 1997 Chicago Tribune article described North's radio show as having more than 100 affiliates and ranking No. 10 among radio talk shows at that time.[12]

The article also noted that North wore cowboy boots while broadcasting and used the word "outrage" so often that callers began to echo him.[12]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Oliver North" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cushman, "Washington Talk; 5 Young Lawyers Who Would Be Heroes ... And A Marine Who Wears a Hero's Ribbons", The New York Times, July 7, 1987 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Oliver North" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Orr, "NRA announces North's resignation onstage as 'crisis' hits gun lobby", POLITICO, April 27, 2019; Sherfinski, "Carolyn Meadows to replace Oliver North as new NRA president", The Washington Times, April 29, 2019 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Oliver North" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Webb, "Dark Alliance", Seven Stories Press, 1999, p. 206 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Oliver North" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Veteran Tributes", Veterantributes.org (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Oliver North" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Greenwald, "Washington's Cowboys", November 17, 1986 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Oliver North" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Shenon, "North, Poindexter and 2 Others Indicted on Iran–Contra Fraud and Theft Charges", The New York Times, March 17, 1988, p. A00001; Saker, "Oliver North's 'time for judgment' arrived Tuesday with the...", UPI, February 21, 1989; Johnston, "North Trial Opens After Long Delay", The New York Times, February 22, 1989 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. "Walsh Iran/Contra Report – Chapter 2 United States v. Oliver L. North", Fas.org. facts only, no text reused. fas.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Oliver North" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Walsh Iran/Contra Report – Chapter 2 United States v. Oliver L. North", Fas.org (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Oliver North" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Oliver North site", Oliver North (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Oliver North" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Puzzle of Oliver North", Chicago Tribune, March 8, 1987; "Top 10 Most Athletic Democrats – #10 Jim Webb", RealClearSports.com; "The Puzzle of Oliver North", Chicago Tribune, March 8, 1987 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  11. "The Puzzle of Oliver North", Chicago Tribune, March 8, 1987. facts only, no text reused. chicagotribune.com
  12. Obejas, "His Radio Show Doesn't Air Here Yet, But America's Favorite Loose Cannon Is Getting Plenty of … Northern Exposure", Chicago Tribune, November 26, 1997. facts only, no text reused. chicagotribune.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Oliver North (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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