NORTH, Oliver L(aurence) 1943-

PERSONAL: Born October 7, 1943, in San Antonio, TX; son of Oliver Clay (a mill owner) and Ann (a schoolteacher; maiden name, Clancy) North; married Frances Elizabeth Stuart, November 13, 1968; children: Stuart, Tait, Sarah, Dornin. Education: Attended State University of New York College at Brockport, 1961-63; U.S. Naval Academy, B.S., 1968; attended Naval War College, 1980-81. Politics: Republican. Religion: Christian.

ADDRESSES: Home—703 Kentland Dr., Great Falls, VA 22066. Office—c/o FOX News Channel, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036.

CAREER: U.S. Marine Corps, 1968-88; served as platoon commander during Vietnam War, 1968-69; taught guerrilla warfare tactics at Marine Basic School, 1969-74; director of Northern Training Area in Okinawa, Japan, 1974; plans and policy analyst within manpower division at headquarters in Washington, DC, 1975-78; battalion operations officer in Camp Lejeune, NC, 1978-80; lobbyist for National Security Council (NSC), 1981-83; specialist in counterterrorism for NSC's defense policies group, 1983-86; became lieutenant colonel. Guardian Technologies International, cofounder, Dulles, VA, 1989. Republican candidate for Senator in Virginia, 1996. Host of Common Sense (syndicated radio show), Radio America, 1995-2003. Currently hosts War Stories with Oliver North, FOX News Channel (FNC). Founder of Freedom Alliance, a scholarship program. Lecturer and writer. Also holds three U.S. patents. Guest appearances as himself on television shows including "Take My Life, Please," Wings, National Broadcasting Company, Inc. (NBC), 1992; "Desert Son," JAG, NBC, 1995; "Hemlock," JAG, NBC, 1996; "Family Secrets," First Monday, Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. (CBS), 2002; "Ready or Not," JAG, CBS, 2002.

AWARDS, HONORS: Silver Star; Bronze Star; two Purple Hearts; and other military awards. Honorary doctorate from Liberty University, 1988.

WRITINGS:

Taking the Stand: The Testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver L. North (Congressional transcripts), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1987.

(Author of introduction) Randy Herrod, Blue's Bastards: A True Story of Valor under Fire, Regnery Gateway (Washington, DC), 1989.

(With William Novak) Under Fire: An American Story (biography), HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991.

(With David Roth) One More Mission: Oliver North Returns to Vietnam, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1993.

(With Joe Musser) Mission Compromised (novel), Broadman & Holman (Nashville, TN), 2002.

(With Joe Musser) The Jericho Sanction (novel), Broadman & Holman (Nashville, TN), 2003.

War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom, Regnery (Washington, DC), 2003.

(With Brian Smith) True Freedom: The Liberating Power of Prayer, Multnomah Publishers (Sisters, OR), 2004.

Author of Creators Syndicate column, "Common Sense," 1991—. Has also contributed articles to San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Times, and other newspapers and periodicals.

ADAPTATIONS: One More Mission was also released as a sound recording, Harper Audio (New York, NY), 1993.

SIDELIGHTS: Oliver L. North was a U.S. Marine career officer who received international attention for his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal during Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s. North, who grew up in New York, was a 1968 graduate of the Naval Academy. Soon after finishing his studies, North began serving as a company commander in the Vietnam War. During his year of fighting in Vietnam, North readily distinguished himself with heroism under fire. During one skirmish, for example, he was knocked from atop a tank and sustained broken ribs and a punctured lung. Despite these wounds, he scrambled back to his position and managed to return enemy fire. For his actions in battle, North received a Bronze Star and a Silver Star.

After leaving Vietnam, North spent five years teaching guerrilla warfare tactics at a Marine school, where he developed a reputation as a colorful, invigorating instructor. When that stint ended, North assumed management of a training school in Okinawa, Japan. By this time he had been promoted to captain. North transferred to Washington, D.C., home of Marine Corps headquarters, in 1975, and served as an analyst of plans and policy. In 1978, when he was promoted to major, he became a battalion operations officer at a North Carolina base. After two years there he resumed academic studies and entered the Naval War College.

By 1981 North was generally known as an enterprising, forthright officer with expertise in both combat strategy and administrative affairs. That year, upon the recommendation of naval secretary John F. Lehman, Jr., North was named to the National Security Council (NSC), where his chief responsibility was the lobbying of Congress on behalf of the Reagan administration, which hoped to sell surveillance planes to Saudi Arabia. In October, only two months after North joined the NSC, he succeeded in his lobbying efforts, whereupon he was named to the crisis management center within the Reagan administration.

In 1983 North was promoted to lieutenant colonel. That year he also proved a key member of the NSC's defense policies group. His role with the NSC principally involved actions in Central America. He reportedly diminished the violent excesses of El Salvador's roving military bands. Perhaps more crucially, he garnered support for the Contra rebels fighting against the communist Sandinistas ruling Nicaragua. It was through his activities on behalf of the Nicaraguan rebels that North became substantially involved in what the news media dubbed the Iran-Contra scandal. The enterprise began when North, learning that the Reagan administration had covertly agreed to arms sales to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages, proposed that funds from the sales be diverted to the Contras. This scheme was eventually uncovered, and a Congressional investigation was organized.

In late November of 1986, authorities within the Reagan administration conceded that funds from the Iranian sales were being used to aid the Contra rebellion. On the occasion of that disclosure, Reagan discharged North of his NSC duties, though he also hailed him as a hero. When Congress produced its findings in 1987, it characterized North as a somewhat autonomous figure who had grossly exceeded his actual responsibilities within the NSC. According to the Congressional report, North had devised his own communications system and was supplying the Contras with funds elicited from a range of international donors.

After obtaining limited immunity, North appeared before Congress and retaliated that he was far from a reckless operator. Indeed, he declared that he constantly notified his superiors of any and all actions he undertook. Furthermore, North contended that Reagan himself was a fully informed supporter of the Iran-Contra enterprise, a point vehemently denied by the former president. During his six days of testimony, North portrayed himself as an obedient, achievement-oriented officer, who was merely following the orders of his superiors. In addition to denying any criminal content in his actions, North argued that the U.S. Congress became involved in the Nicaraguan war and then cut the majority of funding for the Contra effort, effectively abandoning the rebels to their communist enemies. He asserted that had Congress upheld their commitment to the Contras, the covert diversion of funds from the Iranian arms sales would never have been necessary.

While North characterized himself as a patriot, many observers cited evidence from the Congressional hearings as an indication that he might also have been an opportunist. An Iranian businessman, for instance, stated that some of the profits from the sales to Iran were deposited into one of North's secret bank accounts, and a CIA employee declared that funds were also used to finance the installation of a security system in North's home. In early 1988 North was charged with several violations, including defrauding the American government. Soon afterward, he resigned from the Marines. The following spring, North was found guilty on three counts, including obstruction of justice. He was thereupon sentenced to a two-year probation and twelve hundred hours of community service, and fined $150,000.

North appealed the verdict, and in the summer of 1990 he won a reversal on one of the three indictments. In 1991 the other two indictments were overturned by the Supreme Court when Robert C. McFarlane, former National Security Advisor in the Reagan administration, disclosed that his courtroom testimony had been influenced by North's earlier Congressional testimony made under limited immunity. Since being vindicated, North has remained before the public as a political activist and author. He published the Congressional transcripts of his trial in Taking the Stand: The Testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver L. North, in 1987. North has subsequently toured the United States in support of conservative candidates, and ran for and lost a bid or a U.S. Senate seat in 1994.

In 1991 North, in collaboration with William Novak, published Under Fire: An American Story, which remained on best-seller lists in excess of seven weeks. Written under strict—even covert—security, the work offers insights into North's life and career, as well as his involvement with the Iran-Contra affair and the subsequent Congressional investigations and trials. "I never saw myself as being above the law," explained North, "nor did I ever intend to do anything illegal." Lawrence Martin, in a Toronto Globe and Mail review, commented that "what's striking in Under Fire is the extent to which North believed himself to be carrying out the will of God." Barrett Seaman in Time observed that the North of the book "is an intriguing blend of the old and the new. Unchanged is the corny, small-town, voice-cracking patriotism; the deep and apparently genuine religiosity that regularly peeks out from under the sleeve….Butthenew Ollie is also softer at the edges, older, a bit wiser and less naive." Seaman stressed, however, that North's "disdain for Congress, the press and the special prosecutor's office is almost palpable." For example, as quoted by William McGurn in the National Review, North read the Bible and the Washington Post every day, commenting ironically, "that way I know what both sides are thinking."

Martin, in his Toronto Globe and Mail assessment of the book, affirmed that "North does a perky job of smart-bombing his critics and selling himself as the guy who stood tall for America." And Maureen Dowd wrote in the New York Times Book Review that in Under Fire North "continues his star turn …, offering his opinions on everything from term limitations for Congress to Soviet-American relations to the state of C.I.A. intelligence gathering."

In his next book, One More Mission: Oliver North Returns to Vietnam, written with David Roth, North visits Vietnam to recount the events of the war and observe how the country has changed in the aftermath. North remembers gruesome war battles and vividly describes current efforts of Christian and International Aid groups to help the Vietnamese people. Booklist's John Mort remarked that while North "isn't insincere" in his descriptions, it seems obvious that the former Marine didn't spend much time in the country during the Vietnam War. Mort commented, "North as an old vet with a need to come to terms with his memories seems more convenient than heartfelt….He doesn't seem to have any ghosts to deal with. His faith, his marriage, his prosperity, and his status as a hero have anchored him." A Publishers Weekly reviewer praised the audio version of One More Mission, writing, "North's signature manner of speaking—pained yet proud—comes across with full vigor on audio." The critic also noted, "Especially poignant is North's recollection of the desperation of soldiers returning to an 'ungrateful nation.'"

After the publication of One More Mission, North set his sights on fiction and penned his first novel, Mission Compromised. Part of a three-book series, the book is set in the mid-1990s and focuses on Major Peter J. Newman, a Marine who takes a position with the National Security Council. Newman is in charge of a secret operation to stop terrorists like Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. In the process of planning his mission, Newman (whose office belonged to North before the Iran-Contra scandal) discovers a secret file and contacts North for advice. As the title suggests, the mission goes awry when the targets are tipped off, and when Newman is almost assassinated and charged with international terrorism.

A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote that the book "has a plot so convoluted that a snake might get motion sickness." A Kirkus Reviews critic stated, "The vigor and candor of North's memoir are missing in this uneasy mix of fiction and fact, reducing both to predictable stereotypes and mainly offering summaries instead of action itself." The critic called the book a "plodding retro thriller with a supervillainous Osama bin Laden—and an unintentionally funny supporting turn by the author himself." Library Journal contributor Shawna Saavedra Thorup commented, "By having his character conveniently discover evidence that proves North acted with the full authority of the White House in the Iran-Contra scandal, the author uses fiction to clear his muddied name and get his version of the truth out to the public." Though Thorup dubbed the novel "an irritating act of hubris," she noted, "there will be strong demand from North's legion of fans." In discussing the book on the Broadman & Holman Web site, North said, "It's easy to make a decision between right and wrong. And it's maybe a little more difficult when you have to decide between good and better. But the toughest decisions any of us have to make are those where you have to decide between bad and worse. Those are the kinds of decisions Peter Newman faces in this book, and those are the kinds of decisions all of us will have to consider as we respond to the very real threat of international terrorism on our shores."

Peter Newman's adventures continue in The Jericho Sanction, which finds the major and his wife hiding out in Israel under false identities. Meanwhile, Newman's friend, General George Grisham, learns that Saddam Hussein has acquired nuclear weapons, which he plans to use against Israel and the West. General Grisham asks Newman to organize another mission to locate and recover the weapons. Amidst the turmoil, Newman's wife and her friend are kidnapped and must be rescued. Newman must work fast to find his wife and prevent the Jericho Sanction, a defensive launch of Israel's nuclear weapons against a threatening nation.

North's next work, War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom, is based on a program from his FOX News Channel series. As host of War Stories with Oliver North, North spends an hour each week discussing stories and events from different wars, including the United States' military operation to remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein from power. North explained on the FOX News Web site that the book is "a more in-depth look at those who fought and won a remarkable victory in Iraq in 2003. There's only so much that you can say on television in a broadcast over a videophone! So what we've done is look behind-the-scenes at some of what went on during the fight for Baghdad and beyond, that we just didn't have time to put on the air." "It is hardly surprising," wrote a Publishers Weekly critic, that North, a former Marine, "does excellent work covering a Marine aviation unit, one appointed to transport assault troops and evacuate wounded in aging helicopters—never without risk and sometimes with bloody incidents. These are vividly and knowledgeably described, as is the Marines' courage and professionalism."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

books

Almanac of Famous People, 6th edition, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI), 1998.

Bradlee, Ben, Jr., Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North, Donald I. Fine (New York, NY), 1988.

Contemporary Newsmakers 1987, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI), 1988, pp. 266-268.

Fredriksen, John C., American Military Leaders from Colonial Times to the Present, ABC-Clio (Santa Barbara, CA), 1999.

Fried, Amy, Muffled Echoes: Oliver North and the Politics of Public Opinion, Columbia University Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Hart, John W., The Found Poetry of Lt. Col. Oliver L. North, And Books, 1991.

Herrod, Randy, Blue's Bastards: A True Story of Valor under Fire, Regnery (Washington, DC), 1989.

Hewitt, Gavin, Terry Waite and Ollie North: The Untold Story of the Kidnapping—and the Release, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1991.

Koh, Harold Hongju, The National Security Constitution: Sharing Power after the Iran-Contra Affair, Yale University Press (New Haven, CT), 1990.

Meyer, Peter, Defiant Patriot: The Life and Exploits of Lt. Colonel Oliver L. North, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1987.

North, Oliver and William Novak, Under Fire: An American Story, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991.

The Story of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North: His Early Years, His Military Valor, His Controversial Exploits, and Highlights from the Day-by-Day Transcripts of His Testimony before the Congress, U.S. News and World Report (Washington, DC), 1987.

Toobin, Jeffery, Opening Arguments: A Young Lawyer's First Case, United States v. Oliver North, Viking (New York, NY), 1991.

United States House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services, Full Committee Organization and Consideration of Subpoena in Connection with Oliver North Trial, Government Printing Office (Washington, DC), 1989.

United States House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations, To Protect the Retired Pay of Certain Members of the Armed Forces Convicted of an Offense under 18 U.S.C. 2071(b), Government Printing Office (Washington, DC), 1990.

United States House of Representatives, Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran, Taking the Stand: The Testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver L. North (Congressional transcripts), introduced by Daniel Schorr, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1987.

United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Legal Issues Raised by the Termination of Oliver North's Retirement Pay, Government Printing Office (Washington, DC), 1990.

United States Senate, Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition, Iran-Contra Investigation, Government Printing Office (Washington, DC), 1988.

periodicals

Booklist, October 15, 1993, John Mort, review of One More Mission: Oliver North Returns to Vietnam, p. 394.

Editor & Publisher, September 14, 1991, "Oliver North Doing Weekly Column," p. 33.

Globe and Mail (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), November 23, 1991, p. C10.

Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2002, review of Mission Compromised, p. 984.

Library Journal, November 1, 2002, Shawna Saavedra Thorup, review of Mission Compromised, p. 74.

Mediaweek, June 30, 2003, "North Exits Radio for More FNC Time," p. 24.

National Review, May 19, 1989, pp. 10-11; January 20, 1992, William McGurn, review of Under Fire, pp. 51-52.

New Leader, December 30, 1991, James LeMoyne, review of Under Fire, pp. 20-21.

Newsweek, August 1, 1988, p. 24.

New Yorker, December 20, 1991.

New York Times, May 16, 1988.

New York Times Book Review, November 17, 1991, p. 12.

Publishers Weekly, November 1, 1991, Maureen O'Brien, "HarperCollins Publishes Oliver North's Memoirs," pp. 50-51; November 15, 1991, John Mutter, "Under Fire Catches On; Retailers Complain about Allotments," p. 12; December 6, 1991, audio book review of Under Fire, p. 45; February 7, 1994, review of One More Mission, p. 44; August 26, 2002, review of Mission Compromised, pp. 43-44; November 24, 2003, review of War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom, p. 55.

Time, October 28, 1991, Barrett Seaman, "The Unsinkable Ollie North," review of Under Fire, pp. 67-69.

online

Broadman & Holman Web site, http://www.broadmanholman.com/ (January 15, 2003), publisher description of Mission Compromised, press release about Mission Compromised, publisher description of The Jericho Sanction, and press release about The Jericho Sanction.

Conservative Chronicle, http://conservativechronicle.com/ (January 15, 2003), brief biography of Oliver North.

Creators Syndicate, http://www.creators.com/ (April 29, 2004), brief biography of Oliver North, "Common Sense" columnist.

FOX News Channel, http://www.foxnews.com/ (April 29, 2004), War Stories Homepage, "Oliver North Bio," and "Exclusive Interview: Oliver North."

Town Hall.com, http://www.townhall.com/ (April 29, 2004), brief biography of Oliver North, "Common Sense" columnist.

TV Tome, http://www.tvtome.com/ (April 30, 2004), "Oliver North."

Who 2? Web site, http://www.who2.com/ (January 15, 2003), brief biography of Oliver North.

other

American Decades CD-ROM, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI), 1998.*