Graham Greene, the venerable actor who rocketed to fame in the classic western “Dances with Wolves,” passed away on Sept. 1 at the age of 73. Among the many tributes written about Greene on the internet were several that spoke of his military service in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.
When we looked into his story, we found that this was wildly incorrect. Greene was a Canadian citizen and didn’t serve in any military. It was interesting that even his IMDb page and others referenced his “time in Vietnam” with remarkable clarity. His IMDb page has been updated, but other sites led their obituaries by mentioning his military service.
We think we know why.
Graham Greene was a phenomenal actor but also a wonderful orator. And one of the best performances of his career was when he paid tribute to Purple Heart recipient and Vietnam veteran Sgt. Bill Rider at the 2018 National Memorial Day Concert. While Greene’s career has had many memorable moments (especially his Oscar-nominated role as Kicking Bird in “Dances with Wolves”) it’s safe to say few roles captured the raw emotion and depth of his salute to Rider.
Rider was a Marine and came from a military family. He was raised to believe a man proved his mettle by being tested in combat. Rider was quickly deployed to Vietnam, where he learned that “war wasn’t about being a man but staying alive.” By the time he got to the 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh, he was a squad leader in charge of keeping his men alive. North Vietnamese snipers ambushed his squad while they were on “mop-up duty” on one of the hills.
Greene recounted Rider’s words as he talked about losing one of his Marines and trying to comfort him in his dying moments. Rider’s unit took the hill, but only after they lost 45 men. After leaving the Marine Corps, Rider became a police officer, where he had a long career. It wasn’t until 30 years after his military service that the VA sent him to talk about post-traumatic stress.
You see, Rider leaves out the word “disorder” because it carries a stigma that implies something is wrong with you, as opposed to saying you have been through a lot. Rider became a veteran advocate, saying that “PTS is not a disorder or a sign or weakness; it’s a sign that you are a human being with a normal response to the traumas of war.”
Rider grew tired of talking in anger management classes, wondering if talking was all they could do. In 2001, he co-founded a group to help combat veterans as they dealt with the scars of war. It started as a group for Vietnam veterans, but has grown to include Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The nonprofit he helped start is American Combat Veterans of War (ACVOW).
Rider and ACVOW are still going strong, serving as a voice for veterans everywhere and working to make sure that the troops who come home truly feel as if they have come home. Rider also works for the city of San Diego (and its huge veteran population) as the city’s Director of Veterans Affairs.
Graham Greene will be remembered forever for his acting roles, as well as his emotional tribute to Sgt. Bill Rider. It’s not just because he told the story of a combat veteran, but because he told it in such a way that people thought he was talking about himself. And maybe that is what truly makes an actor great.
