James “Bo” Gritz, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer who claimed to have inspired Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character John Rambo, has passed away.

He was 87, according to a statement by his wife.

“It was just a terrible scene”

A decorated Vietnam War veteran with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Gritz retired as a lieutenant colonel after earning multiple awards, including three Silver Stars.

After leaving the military, he became involved in politics, drawing attention for his association with conspiracy theories, militia movements, and the Christian Patriot movement. He ran for president in 1992 under the Populist Party and served as a mediator during the Ruby Ridge standoff in Idaho.

Gritz’s military career also included covert missions to rescue American prisoners of war in Laos, though none were successful. He remained committed to defending the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, often putting himself in dangerous situations to mediate with anti-government groups.

During the famous 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff, Gritz flew to Idaho at the request of federal agents to negotiate with Randy Weaver, who had survived a deadly siege that killed his wife and son.

“It was just a terrible scene,” Gritz recalled during an interview with Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“Weaver hadn’t fired a shot at anybody. And yet, his son was dead.”

The Vietnam War

Gritz entered the cabin against FBI advice, helped assess Weaver’s minor injuries, and arranged for legal representation, ultimately preventing further loss of life.

In 2020, Gritz reflected on his life-long mission:

“This is not supposed to happen in America. I took an oath to defend the Constitution, and I’ve been overseas and all of a sudden the Constitution, to me, was in challenge and in the forefront.”

He later attempted to mediate with the Montana Freemen during their 81-day standoff, though that effort was less successful.

During the Vietnam War, James “Bo” Gritz led Detachment B-36 of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). This unit, part of the MIKE Force, was a mixed team of American soldiers and Cambodian-Vietnamese mercenaries.

They operated in the III Corps area of southern South Vietnam, close to the Cambodian border. Among Gritz’s notable missions was the successful retrieval of the black box from a downed Lockheed U-2 spy plane deep in enemy territory in Cambodia in December 1966.

Despite slowing down in later years, Gritz remained committed to what he called his “mistress”: the Special Forces. He once said, “When people, American citizens, get into trouble, I’ve been wanting to hold up my hand. And I will put myself in the face of danger when it comes to American citizens who don’t have my experience.”

How he died

Gritz’s story was also featured in the 2017 documentary Erase and Forget, where he spoke about his alleged influence on the character of John Rambo in First Blood and its sequels

Gritz lived in Sandy Valley, near the California-Nevada border, about 35 miles west of Las Vegas. Judy Gritz wrote on Facebook that he died peacefully, “looking into the eyes of our Savior.”

His wife had planned to bring him back to their home in Sandy Valley, Nevada, rather than move him to a long-term care facility. “Bo has told me several times he wants to die in Sandy Valley, where he has lived for over 45 years, and he wants to be buried here,” she wrote.

He was the father of four children. No cause of death was reported.