Oliver North to dedicate C of O war memorial

College of the Ozarks secured Oliver North, a Vietnam War veteran and Fox News host, as speaker for the dedication ceremony of its Vietnam War memorial.

Former U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. North is scheduled to visit the Point Lookout-based college April 22. The public is invited to attend the 2:30 p.m. ceremony for the monument deemed the official Missouri Vietnam War memorial by the state legislature.

During the Vietnam War, North earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for valor and two Purple Hearts for wounds in combat, according to a news release.

He later served on the National Security Council staff for the Reagan administration, and since 2001, has hosted the “War Stories” military documentary on Fox News. He has authored 13 books, all of which went on to be New York Times best sellers. He’s also known for the Iran-Contra scandal, for which he served a short prison sentence successfully appealed after selling weapons to Iran in an effort to help fund rebels fighting Nicaragua’s socialist government, according to

In November 2013, North visited Bass Pro Shops' Springfield and Branson stores to sign copies of his book, "American Heroes on the Homefront: The Hearts of Heroes,” according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

At C of O, the memorial is being constructed by staff and students near the college’s entrance.

“The fallen and their families, along with the Vietnam veterans, deserve a proper thank you,” C of O President Jerry Davis said in the release of the more than 1,400 Missouri men and women who died during the Vietnam War.

The memorial - which has walls listing names of fallen soldiers - was designed by 2014 C of O graduate Austin Meyer.