Rambo is a character from a series of popular action films starring Sylvester Stallone, based on the
characters created by David Morrell in his novel First Blood. The films featuring the character are: First
Blood (1982), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Rambo III (1988), and Rambo (2008). The films focus on a
troubled Vietnam War veteran and Green Beret, John James Rambo, who is greatly skilled in all aspects of
survival, weaponry, hand-to-hand combat and guerrilla warfare.

Morrell says that in choosing the name Rambo he was inspired by "the sound of force" in the name of the
Rambo apples which he encountered in Pennsylvania, and he felt that its pronunciation was similar to the
surname of Arthur Rimbaud, the title of whose most famous work A Season in Hell, seemed to him " an apt
metaphor for the prisoner-of-war experiences that I imagined Rambo suffering."

In popular culture, the name has become an eponym for a tactic of military aggression or, alternatively,
a person demonstrating heroism through extreme violence, especially when outnumbered. However, the term
can also be used somewhat derogatorily to describe someone who thoughtlessly charges into a fight with no
regard for personal safety or careful planning. This term is commonly referred to as "Going Rambo".

The fictional character of John James Rambo was born on July 6, 1947 in Bowie, Arizona to a Native
American Navajo father and a mother of German descent. Rambo graduated from Rangeford High School in 1965,
and then was drafted into the United States Army at the age of 18 on January 2, 1966. He was deployed to
South Vietnam in September of 1966. He returned to the U.S. in 1967 and began training in the Special
Forces (Green Berets) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In late 1969, Rambo was re-deployed to Vietnam. In
November 1971, he was captured by North Vietnamese forces near the Chinese-Vietnamese border and held at
aPOW camp, where he and other American POWs were repeatedly tortured. Rambo escaped captivity in May 1972,
but was then re-deployed.

His highest and final paygrade is unknown. Upon his return to the U.S., Rambo discovered that many
American civilians hated the returning soldiers, and he himself was subject to humiliation and
embarrassment by having anti-war "hippies" throw garbage at him and calling him "baby killer". His
experiences in Vietnam and back home resulted in an extreme case of post-traumatic stress disorder. At the
same time, inner questions of self identity and reflectiveness cause Rambo to lash out at society rather
than handling difficult situations in a "civilized" manner.

Per dialogue in Rambo: First Blood Part II, during his Vietnam era service, Rambo was awarded two Silver
Stars, four Bronze Stars (for Valor), four Purple Hearts, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal
of Honor. This is, apparently, only a partial listing of Rambo's honors as in a deleted scene from Rambo
III, Rambo's "Class A" uniform can clearly be seen with the following 13 ribbons:
    * Medal of Honor - Awarded two and refused another
    * Army Distinguished Service Medal
    * Distinguished Flying Cross
    * Soldier's Medal
    * Bronze Star
    * Purple Heart
    * Air Medal
    * Combat Action Ribbon
    * Vietnam Service Medal
    * Prisoner of War Medal
    * Army Service Ribbon
    * Vietnam Wound Medal
    * Vietnam Campaign Medal

In a measure of discontinuity within the storyline, Rambo's Silver Stars and Distinguished Service Cross
were missing from his ribbon rack as well as the National Defense Medal and the Good Conduct Medal, both
of which he would have been awarded.

Various special duty badges can also be seen on Rambo's "Class A" uniform, including:
    * Combat Infantryman Badge
    * Aircraft Crewman Badge
    * Senior Combat Parachutist Badge
    * Expert Weapons Qualification Badge