Ron Kovic biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Ron Kovic was born on July 4, 1946, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin but was raised in Massapequa, Long Island, New York. When Kovic was growing up, his father worked as a supermarket clerk, while his mother was a stay-at-home mom to Ron and his five younger siblings.

As a high school student, Kovic didn’t excel in academics. He was, however, a respected athlete in wrestling and track. He was considering a career as a professional baseball player after graduation, but a speech by a local military recruiter inspired him to enlist in the Marines instead. Kovic’s choice was reinforced by his own sense of duty, which had been instilled in him as a child of a patriotic family with a history of military service.

Vietnam War

In 1964 Kovic joined the Marines and was sent to fight in the Vietnam War. On the battlefield, he accidentally shot a young corporal. Kovic was shocked when his superiors refused to hear his confession.

On another occasion, he and his fellow platoon members were ordered to kill a village full of civilians. They were told the citizens of the village were armed. After the massacre, Kovic discovered that none of their casualties—which, to his dismay, included women and children—were in fact armed.

Having joined the Marines to become a hero, Kovic was disillusioned by his experiences in Vietnam. On January 20, 1969, he was shot in the spine during combat and paralyzed from the waist down. Because he had spared another soldier’s life in the process, Kovic was awarded a purple heart. But, instead of feeling like a hero, he grappled with feelings of guilt and shame.

When Kovic returned to New York, he did not receive a hero’s welcome—as one might expect. Facing the disdain of people who were enraged about the Vietnam War, Kovic languished in Queens and Bronx veterans’ hospitals where conditions were deplorably poor.

Becoming an Activist

Following his initial recovery period, Kovic enrolled in college in New York. Soon after, he broke his leg while exercising and landed back in another veteran's hospital. Again, the conditions were terrible. Freshly indignant, Kovic sought an outlet for his outrage in activism. He started spreading his anti-war message at local high schools. He became increasingly active with Vietnam Veterans of America, run by his friend at the time.

Although Kovic participated in numerous rallies and demonstrations, it wasn't until he spoke at the 1972 Republic National Convention that he truly garnered the nation's attention.