James “Bo” Gritz, a retired Green Beret and Vietnam war veteran who claimed to inspire the “Rambo” movie character, died on Feb. 27, his wife said. He was 87.
Gritz lived in Sandy Valley, a small community near the California border about 35 miles west of Las Vegas, KSNV reported. No cause of death was given.
His wife, Judy Kirsch Gritz, wrote in a social media post that her husband had “peacefully passed.”
“His comrades welcoming him, ‘What took you so long, Colonel?’” she wrote in all capital letters. “He’s looking into the eyes of our Savior.”
Gritz fought with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Vietnam, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army, KSNV reported. His military decorations included three Silver Stars, according to the television station.
He was the subject of a 2017 documentary, “Erase and Forget.” Gritz claimed he was an inspiration for the John Rambo character, the muscular Vietnam war veteran who excelled in combat techniques and was portrayed by Sylvester Stallone in the 1982 film “First Blood” and its sequels, KSNV reported.
Gritz favored an anti-government platform and ran as a populist candidate for president in 1992, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
“When people, American citizens, get into trouble, I’ve been wanting to hold up my hand,” he told the newspaper. “And I will put myself in the face of danger when it comes to American citizens who don’t have my experience.”
Gritz became a national figure in 1992 when he helped end a standoff in northern Idaho, the Review-Journal reported.
The Ruby Ridge standoff covered several days and involved federal agents who were attempting to arrest Randy Weaver on weapons charges, according to the newspaper.
James "Bo" Gritz, a retired U.S. Army veteran who claimed to have inspired the character of John Rambo, died on Friday in Sandy Valley. https://t.co/fR8ULxLOMl
— KSNV News 3 Las Vegas (@News3LV) March 2, 2026
A shootout resulted in the death of 14-year-old Samuel Weaver and Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan. When Randy Weaver and his family remained in a cabin, Gritz was called in by the FBI to help resolve the dispute.
He convinced Randy Weaver, who had been wounded in the shootout, to surrender by promising to help him find an attorney, the Review-Journal reported.
John Reynolds, who is Randy Weaver’s nephew, credited Gritz for saving the family and called him an American hero.
“He was fearless of any repercussion of what he wanted to do. He wanted to go up there and make sure nobody else got killed,” Reynolds, who currently lives in St. George, Utah, told the newspaper. “Against a lot of odds, I really feel like God came down and used him, and he accomplished that. I don’t think my uncle would have surrendered.”
Gritz’s wife had posted on social media in the days leading up to his death that he was suffering from health issues, including a recent cancer diagnosis, KLAS reported. He also feared surgery and long-term hospice care.
“Bo has told me several times, he has lived in Sandy Valley for over 45 years, he wants to die in Sandy Valley, and he wants to be buried in Sandy Valley,” she wrote on Feb. 24. “I’ll be bringing him home (from the hospital) Thursday (Feb. 26).” He died the next day, according to the television station.
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