Ron Kovic, the war veteran who inspired two iconic Bruce Springsteen songs
In an alternative universe, Bruce Springsteen could have been a Vietnam War veteran and another young man who lost his life serving his country. However, the musician dodged the draft and, as a result, has lived in the shadow of guilt.
Springsteen, reflecting on a difficult time in his life, once explained that he did “everything in the draft-dodgers textbook”. Detailing further about this period, he added: “So, perhaps, I felt guilty about that later on. I had friends who went. I had friends who went and died. I had friends later on who were seriously hurt.”
Later, Bruce also admitted that his action had made it difficult “come to terms with myself”, which is why he wrote from the perspective of a veteran on ‘Shut out the Light’ and ‘Born in the U.S.A.’.
However, it wasn’t until he encountered disabled veteran Ron Kovic that Springsteen began to ruminate about his previous regretful behaviour. Kovic was later portrayed in the on-screen adaptation of his memoirs, Born on the Fourth of July, by Tom Cruise, and his friendship with Springsteen was life-altering for the musician.
“In 1978 I was on a cross-country drive with a friend when we stopped at a small-town drugstore. There, in a book rack, I found Ron Kovic’s Born on the Fourth of July,” Springsteen wrote in the foreword of a later edition of the same book. “I devoured it on the way to Los Angeles, caught in its unrelenting power, and was still under its spell when we pulled into the Sunset Marquis hotel, a rocker’s hideaway on Alta Loma Road.”
He continued: “Over the next few days I noticed a young man in a wheelchair sitting poolside. One afternoon he approached me and said, ‘Hi, I’m Ron Kovic. I wrote a book called Born on the Fourth of July.‘ I couldn’t believe it. I told him I’d just finished his book and felt it was one of the most powerful I’d ever read. We talked about the plight of Vietnam vets who’d returned stateside and he offered to take me to the Venice vet centre”.
“A few days later we made the trip and I was introduced to many young men who were struggling with their own difficulties coming home. It was unforgettable and sparked my interest in veterans’ affairs that led to our concert in support of Vietnam veterans at the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles in August 1981. Ron’s book, his passion, and his friendship have stayed with me to this day.”
Thanks to his conversations with Kovic, Springsteen gained a full understanding of the sacrifices made by veterans, and he was inspired to put his knowledge into practice through his songwriting.
Through ‘Born In The USA’ and ‘Shut out the Light’, Springsteen used his platform to spread a message of empowerment to those such as Kovic, who put their body on the line for their country. Tragically, despite their sacrifices, they were shockingly treated with indignation upon their return, and Springsteen refused to stay silent.
