WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter has faced scrutiny for maintaining a Marine persona without having served in the military.
In an old interview with Sam Roberts and Jim Norton, Slaughter claimed he served two tours in Vietnam. However, during his A&E Biography, he admitted he did not serve, explaining he was advised by Vince McMahon Sr. to stay in character.
“I was told by Vince McMahon Sr. that when I became a Marine (character) that I should act like a Marine, be a Marine. That’s the only way that people are gonna believe you,” Slaughter said. “When I did that show in New York City, I wasn’t Bob Remus. That was Sgt. Slaughter talking.”
Bruce Prichard noted that wrestlers of Slaughter’s era were committed to protecting their gimmicks. Hacksaw Jim Duggan defended Slaughter, saying, “He probably raised more awareness for the military than all the military posters you see.” Road Dogg, an Iraq war veteran, stated, “Look, Sgt. Slaughter came from a different time and a different era. He was so committed to that character.”
Slaughter apologized, stating:
“If someone got offended by that, I apologize. You’ll never hear it out of my mouth again. I don’t mention Vietnam anymore; I was told that was part of my character so I portrayed that character.
I can’t tell you how many men and women come up to me and tell me that they served in the military because of me. Sgt. Slaughter is America. People come up and want my autograph? That’s an honor.”
Road Dogg concluded by affirming that Slaughter remains his American hero, even if he didn’t serve.
Sgt. Slaughter’s last WWE match took place on the December 29, 2012 edition of RAW, where he lost to Antonio Cesaro in a United States Championship match in less than 2 minutes. He was 64 years old at that time.
The former WWF Champion’s last match took place at an indy event in 2014.
MUST SEE: Revealing Photos Of Chelsea Green (Zack Ryder’s Wife) – Part 2:
