Oliver North

Remembering Faith Ryan Whittlesey

Early in 1983, an attractive young woman I did not know grabbed my sleeve as I was leaving a meeting on Central America in the White House Cabinet Room. She stuck her card in my hand. It read, "Ambassador Faith Ryan Whittlesey, Assistant to the President for Public Liaison." On the back she had penned, "Call me! You need my help."

May 23, 2018

Ken Burns ‘Vietnam War’ got some facts wrong

When Richard Nixon was in the White House, I was in Vietnam and he was my commander in chief. When I was on Ronald Reagan's National Security Council staff, I had the opportunity to brief former President Nixon on numerous occasions and came to admire his analysis of current events, insights on world affairs and compassion for our troops. His preparation for any meeting or discussion was exhaustive. His thirst for information was unquenchable and his tolerance for fools was nonexistent.

October 16, 2017

NRA shooting sports: The healing power of a dove hunt with fellow veterans

Walter Reed's staff and its patients maintain a close relationship with our team at Freedom Alliance. Because of the military medical center's proximity to our headquarters, we tend to make friends there frequently.

December 16, 2014

NORTH: Cruise control

Missile strikes make weak presidents feel strong, but accomplish little else

August 28, 2013

NORTH: A founder’s greatness steeped in humility

On April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York, George Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States. He and the members of both houses of Congress then assembled in the unfinished Senate chamber, where Washington took less than 20 minutes to deliver the first inaugural address.

May 6, 2013

NORTH: Lost in the fog of denial

More than 2,500 years ago, Sun Tzu wrote "The Art of War." In it, the Chinese strategist postulated: "One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be endangered in a hundred engagements. ... One who knows neither the enemy nor himself will invariably be defeated."

April 29, 2013

NORTH: The American landscape after the massacre

We're beginning to uncover details about how two brothers from Dagestan in southern Russia purportedly set off two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and wounding more than 170 others on April 15.

April 22, 2013

NORTH: Dangerous duty on the home front

Ten years ago this weekend, our Fox News team was racing north from Baghdad to Tikrit in Iraq with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. They knew what needed to be done and had a plan for doing it, and all Griff Jenkins and I had to do was cover it and stay out of the way.

April 15, 2013

NORTH: Korean saber rattling

On Sunday, June 25, 1950, the Korean People's Army attacked across the 38th parallel, captured Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, and began driving south. The battered South Korean army and their U.S. military advisers quickly were pushed into the "Pusan Perimeter" on the southern tip of the peninsula - and U.S. President Harry Truman took the case to the United Nations Security Council.

April 8, 2013

NORTH: No greater friend

On the eve of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division distributed a one-page "Message to All Hands." It was a succinct warning to those going into battle about what to expect from the enemy and his expectations for them.

April 2, 2013

NORTH: Was it worth it?

It's the question asked by Gold Star families -- the loved ones of our fallen -- when I meet them at funerals or public events. It's spoken quietly by the spouses of grievously wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen and Marines when I visit military and veterans' hospitals.

March 25, 2013

NORTH: Nothing green about this war memory

Some holidays are unforgettable. If I sit down and think about it, I can recall where and with whom I celebrated nearly every Christmas of my life. That's not the case with St. Patrick's Day -- an inexcusable lapse, given my maternal Irish heritage. But wait.

March 18, 2013

NORTH: Thinking the unthinkable

In my New York Times best-selling novel "Heroes Proved," the president of the United States orders the execution of an American citizen in the United States by using precision munitions fired from a remotely piloted aircraft, or RPA -- incorrectly referred to by our media as a drone.

March 11, 2013

NORTH: Sequestration and other stupid tricks

The screeching you hear in Washington is the sound of politicians slamming their mouths into reverse as they back away from their previous positions on the misnamed "budget sequester." For weeks now, we have been told that an $85 billion reduction in the rate of increase in federal spending -- a 2.4 percent cut -- will have devastating consequences for our nation.

March 4, 2013

NORTH: Obama stands by while world goes nuclear

Last year, the Obama administration announced to the world that it was planning to pursue a new Asia/Pacific-oriented national security strategy. Since then, North Korea has countered with a strategy of its own. In December, Pyongyang successfully launched a multistage intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a warhead-sized payload to the U.S. mainland.

February 25, 2013