Oliver Laurence North was born on October 7, 1943 in San Antonio. He is a former United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, conservative political commentator and television host, and military historian. North was a National Security Council staff member during the Iran Contra affair, a political scandal of the late 1980s. The scandal involved the clandestine sale of weapons to Iran, which was to encourage the release of U.S. hostages then held in Lebanon. North formulated the second part of the plan, which was to divert proceeds from the arms sales to support the Contra rebel groups in Nicaragua (which had been specifically prohibited under the Boland Amendment).
North's military career started with being a platoon commander during the Vietnam War where he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He was soon promoted to Captain of Northern Training Area in Okinawa, Japan. From that level he moved on to major and then to the National Security Council where he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
Oliver North became lnown for his political commentary as host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel. He has also written several books including: American Heroes, Heroes Proved, One More Mission and The Assassins. His title Counterfeit Lies made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2014.
030