Bo Gritz

This article is about the American Army officer. For the Swedish theologian, see Bo Giertz.
Bo Gritz
Personal details
Born
James Gordon Gritz

(1939-01-18) January 18, 1939 (age 85)
Enid, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyPopulist (1984–1996)
Alma materUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-
Champaign
Websitebogritz.com via Wayback Machine
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1957–1979
RankLieutenant colonel
UnitB-36, 5th Special Forces Group
Battles/warsVietnam War
AwardsSilver Star (3)
Legion of Merit (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Soldier's Medal
Bronze Star (4)
Purple Heart (2)
Air Medal (26)

James Gordon "Bo" Gritz (/ˈɡraɪts/;[1] born January 18, 1939) is a retired United States Army Special Forces officer who served during the Vietnam War. Following his military career, Gritz became involved in various failed attempts to rescue prisoners of war (POWs) associated with the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue.

In the realm of politics, Gritz ran for the United States presidency in 1992 as a candidate of the Populist Party, advocating an isolationist platform encapsulated in his manifesto, "The Bill of Gritz".[2] His campaign was characterized by the slogan "God, Guns, and Gritz".

Gritz's life has been marked by controversy, including questions regarding his military awards, his involvement in high-profile standoffs with federal authorities, and his involvement with the Christian Patriot movement and other right-wing militia groups.[3]

Gritz was born in Enid, Oklahoma, and currently resides in Sandy Valley, Nevada. He is the father of four children.

  1. ^ Rabinovitz, Jonathan (2 October 1996). "A Militia Leader's New Battle With Authority". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  2. ^ Newell G. Bringhurst and Craig L Foster (2008). The Mormon Quest for the Presidency (Ann Arbor, Mich.: John Whitmer Books, ISBN 1-934901-11-3) pp. 208–226.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference sunstone was invoked but never defined (see the help page).