Robert Timberg

Born into a show business family, Robert Timberg graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1964 and accepted a commission as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. While serving in South Vietnam, in January of 1967 he suffered third degree burns when the motorized vehicle he was riding in hit a land mine and spewed gallons of burning gasoline all over his body. He would suffer over thirty surgeries over the years, but ultimately survived to write his memoir, "Blue-Eyed Boy," which was published in 2014. Timberg started on a second career in journalism, starting as a news reporter for the Baltimore "Sun." He eventually rose to the position of deputy chief of the Washington news bureau. He wrote three other books, primarily concentrating on the impact of the Vietnam Conflict on his life, the lives of others, and on American society as a whole.