Joseph Wambaugh (1937–2025), author who explored police work 

Joseph Wambaugh was an award-winning writer and author whose work explored the harsh realities of police and detective work, both as fiction (“The Glitter Dome,” “The New Centurions”) and in non-fiction (“The Onion Field,” “The Blooding”).

Charles Person (1942–2025), youngest of the Freedom Riders

Charles Person was a civil rights activist best known as the youngest of the original Freedom Riders, a group of activists who challenged illegal, unconstitutional racial segregation that was rampant throughout the American South.

John Kinsel Sr. (1917–2024), WWII Navajo Code Talker

John Kinsel Sr. was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and one of the last surviving Navajo Code Talkers, who helped the Allies win World War II.

Ozzie Virgil Sr. (1932–2024), first Dominican player in MLB

Ozzie Virgil Sr. became the first player in Major League Baseball from the Dominican Republic when he debuted with the New York Giants in 1956.

Paul Harrell (1966–2024), firearms educator and YouTuber 

Paul Harrell was a U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran who garnered a strong following on YouTube as a firearms educator and gun rights activist.

Steve Symms (1938–2024), conservative U.S. senator

Steve Symms was a staunch conservative and longtime Republican elected official, serving four terms in Congress and two as a United States senator for Idaho.

Evan Wright (1964–2024), Generation Kill author 

Evan Wright was a writer and journalist whose work often explored dark themes, most notably in his 2004 book on the Iraq War, “Generation Kill,” which was adapted into an HBO miniseries.

Pete McCloskey (1927–2024), GOP congressman who fought Nixon

Pete McCloskey was a Republican congressman who became the first member of the House to call for Richard Nixon’s resignation, co-wrote the Endangered Species Act, and co-founded Earth Day.

Terry Anderson (1947–2024), reporter held hostage in Lebanon

Terry Anderson was an Associated Press reporter who was held hostage in Lebanon by Islamic militants for nearly seven years from 1985 to 1991.

Alfred M. Gray Jr. (1928–2024), former U.S. Marine Corps commandant 

Gen. Alfred M. Gray Jr. was the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991, who focused on revitalizing the corps. 

Jack Burke Jr. (1923–2024), two-time major-winning golfer 

Jack “Jackie” Burke Jr. was a PGA Tour golfer and winner of both the Masters and PGA Championship in 1956 who won 16 PGA Tour events overall during his career.

Conrad Palmisano (1948–2024), Rambo: First Blood stunt coordinator 

Conrad Palmisano was a stunt performer and coordinator on such movies as “Rambo: First Blood,” “Weekend at Bernie’s,” the sequels to “Rush Hour,” and many more.

Johnny Green (1933–2023), four-time NBA all-star

Johnny Green was a four-time NBA All-Star who was a star player with the New York Knicks from 1959 to 1965, and who made the All-Star team his final time at the age of 37.

Burt Young (1940–2023), played Paulie in the Rocky series

Burt Young was an Oscar-nominated movie and television actor best known for playing Paulie, Rocky’s best friend and brother-in-law in the “Rocky” film series.

Marine Corps Osprey Crash (2023)

Three U.S. Marines were killed on Sunday, August 27, 2023, when a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft crashed on Melville Island, Australia. Several others were critically injured.

Daniel Ellsberg (1931–2023), Pentagon Papers whistleblower

Daniel Ellsberg was a political activist who exposed the Pentagon Papers, top-secret documents that analyzed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Pat Robertson (1930–2023), televangelist who hosted The 700 Club

Pat Robertson was a former Southern Baptist minister and political commentator who founded the Christian Broadcasting Network and hosted its flagship show, “The 700 Club,” since 1966.

George Maharis (1928–2023), star of TV’s Route 66

George Maharis was an actor best known for his starring role on the 1960s TV series “Route 66.”

Dave Brandt (1947–2023), innovator farmer who became a meme 

Dave Brandt was a farmer and conservationist who helped educate the agriculture community about soil health and no-till farming. He later became an internet meme known for the saying, “It ain’t much, but it’s honest work.” 

Vincent Stewart (1958–2023), Defense Intelligence Agency director 

Vincent Stewart was the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the first Black man and first Marine to hold that position.

Tom Love (1937–2023), founder of Love's Travel Stops

Tom Love was the founder of Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, a sprawling roadside empire with over 600 locations in 42 states. Though founded in 1964, it would take decades for Love to grow his brand into the billion-dollar behemoth it is today. Love’s is the 10th-largest privately owned company in the United States. Love was also involved in charitable work throughout his life and has been praised as a pioneer in roadside services.

Art McNally (1925–2023), NFL’s “father of instant replay”

Art McNally was an NFL official and executive who introduced the instant replay for reviewing plays.

Walter Cunningham (1932–2023), NASA astronaut on Apollo 7

Walter Cunningham  was a NASA astronaut who flew to space on Apollo 7.

Mills Lane (1937–2022), Hall of Fame boxing referee and TV judge

Mills Lane was a boxing referee who officiated many notable bouts, including the “Bite Fight” between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson.

George Booth (1926–2022), cartoonist for the New Yorker

George Booth was a cartoonist for the New Yorker, who drew the magazine’s unofficial mascot of a bull terrier.

Ted White (1925–2022), stuntman and Jason Voorhees actor

Ted White was a stuntman and actor who played Jason Voorhees in “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.”

Dean Caswell (1922–2022), World War II flying ace

Dean Caswell was the last living U.S. Marine Corps flying ace from World War II.

Robert E. Simanek (1930–2022), Korean War Medal of Honor recipient

Robert E. Simanek was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War who was presented with the Medal of Honor for his valor in battle.

Samuel Sandoval (2022), one of the last Navajo Code Talkers of World War II

Samuel Sandoval was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and one of the last remaining Navajo Code Talkers, who transmitted encrypted messages during World War II.

Hershel Williams (1923–2022), Battle of Iwo Jima hero  

Hershel Williams was a U.S. Marine who was awarded a Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.

Mark Shields (1937–2022), “PBS NewsHour” commentator

Mark Shields was a political pundit who spent decades as a commentator on “PBS NewsHour.”

U.S. Marines Aircraft Crash (2022)

Five U.S. Marines were killed on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, when an Osprey aircraft crashed near Glamis, California. There were no survivors of the crash.

A Memorial Tribute to U.S. Veterans Who Died in 2021-2022

This Memorial Day, we set out to share the incredible true life stories of the American war vets who died in 2021 and 2022. This eight-minute tribute video is a very special mini-episode of Legacy's "Immortalized" series, honoring the brave men and women who served in World War II, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

John L. Canley (1937–2022), Medal of Honor recipient

John L. Canley was the first living Black U.S. Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, for his valor in the Vietnam War.

Duane E. Dewey (1931–2021), Korean War Medal of Honor recipient

Duane E. Dewey was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War who was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Ernie Lively (1947–2021), “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” actor and Blake Lively’s father

Ernie Lively was an actor known for movies including “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” and he was the father of actress Blake Lively.

John Warner (1927–2021), longtime U.S. Senator and sixth husband of Elizabeth Taylor

John Warner was a Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia who served from 1979 to 2009, as well as the former U.S. Secretary of the Navy.

Honor your veteran's memory with a free, permanent Military Times tribute

Legacy.com is pleased to announce the successful launch of a new relationship with the Military Times that offers families a free way to honor and share their veteran’s life story.

Edgar Harrell (1924–2021), last surviving Marine from the USS Indianapolis

Edgar Harrell was the last living U.S. Marine who was serving on the USS Indianapolis during World War II when it was torpedoed and sank.

Dorothy “Dot” Cole (1913–2021), oldest living U.S. Marine

Dorothy “Dot” Cole was a U.S. Marines veteran of World War II who was the oldest living Marine.

Edward J. Perkins (1928–2020), first Black U.S. ambassador to South Africa

Edward J. Perkins was a diplomat who became the first Black U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

“Bullet” Bob Armstrong (1939–2020), WWE Hall of Fame wrestler

“Bullet” Bob Armstrong was a professional wrestler whose career spanned five decades, from 1960 to his final match in 2009. His four sons became professional wrestlers and he partnered with them in tag team matches at various points in his career.

Gerald Carr (1932–2020), Skylab 4 commander

Gerald Carr was an astronaut who commandedc2Skylabc24c2in 1973, the final Skylabc2mission.c2

Richard Wolbach (2020), Iwo Jima Marine who became a priest

Richard Wolbach was a Marine who fought in Iwo Jima during World War II. After his service, he was inspired to become a priest.

Joe Vandever Sr. (1923–2020), one of the last living WWII Navajo code talkers

Joe Vandever Sr.  was one of the Navajo code talkers who transmitted top secret messages during World War II using Native American languages. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Vandever was among about 400 to 500 code talkers whose expertise in little-known languages has been credited with making the victory at Iwo Jima possible, among other accomplishments. Vandever’s death reportedly leaves just four Navajo code talkers still living. Vandever also served in combat in World War II, fighting in the Pacific.

Jim Lehrer (1934–2020), longtime anchor of “PBS NewsHour”

Jim Lehrer was a broadcast journalist well known for hosting “PBS NewsHour” for more than 30 years. Lehrer joined Robert MacNeil to cohost the program in 1976, when it was titled “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report.” When MacNeil left in 1995, it became “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,” renamed “PBS NewsHour” in 2009. In the 36 years before his 2011 retirement, Lehrer became a giant of broadcasting known for his directness. He always strove simply to report the news, feeling that opinion and analysis had no place in what he did. Lehrer moderated twelve presidential debates, more than any other moderator in U.S. history, most recently the first presidential general election debate of 2012. He was also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and an author of plays, novels, memoirs, and screenplays, including the novel “Top Down” about the Kennedy assassination. Lehrer was honored with the National Humanities Medal and the George Foster Peabody Broadcast Award, and he was a member of the Television Hall of Fame.

How Veterans Grieve

Honoring their fallen comrades is a uniquely powerful experience for America's military veterans.

John Moon (1916–2019), oldest known surviving veteran of Iwo Jima

John Moon was believed to be the oldest known surviving veteran of Iwo Jima.

Stories of D-Day Veterans We Said Goodbye to This Year

Seventy-five years after the D-Day invasion of World War II, families and nations are honoring the service members who fought in one of the war's most famous battles.