November 28, 1947

Author Gustav Hasford was born in Haleyville. Hasford served as a combat correspondent with the First Marine Division during the Vietnam War and is best known for publishing two novels based on the war. The two novels, “The Short Timers” and “The Phantom Blooper,” follow the story of a fictional Private Joker through basic training, the Vietnam War and his return to the United States. In 1987, director Stanley Kubrick adapted “The Short Timers” into the film “Full Metal Jacket,” which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. The critically acclaimed film is regarded as being one of the best depictions of the Vietnam War.

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