Fred Ludwig Rexer, Jr. (November 30, 1946 - August 27, 2021) was a U.S. Army Vietnam combat veteran and Hollywood actor and screenwriter.

Biography

He was best known as the military advisor for ''

Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella ''Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph Conr ...

'' and as Spiritual Advisor for ''

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

''. ( Rexor, the

Ben Davidson Benjamin Earl Davidson (June 14, 1940 – July 2, 2012) was an American football player, a defensive end best known for his play with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League (AFL). Earlier in his career, he was with the Green Bay ...

character in ''Conan'', was named after Fred.) In the opening scenes of ''

Red Dawn ''Red Dawn'' is a 1984 American action drama film directed by John Milius with a screenplay by Milius and Kevin Reynolds. The film depicts a fictional World War III centering on a land invasion of the continental United States by an alliance o ...

'', he played the paratroop commander, and later the knife-wielding Russian tank commander gunned down at the service station. Rexer contributed numerous passages to the screenplay of that film and other films written or directed by

John Milius John Frederick Milius (; born April 11, 1944) is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer. He was a writer for the first two ''Dirty Harry'' films, received an Academy Award nomination as screenwriter of ''Apocalypse Now'' (1979), a ...

and

Walter Hill Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

. Milius has named Rexer as the real-life prototype of Captain Willard, the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

of ''Apocalypse Now''. Rexer was a federally licensed machine gun dealer, who held a Class 3 Dealer's license from the BATFE (of the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury at the time), selling items listed under the National Firearms Act of 1934, from his Texas business, and he engaged in that business through at least through the 1970s. Rexer died August 27, 2021, in Texas. His obituary cited the following military service: 38 months in Vietnam from 1965 to 1968, including two tours with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), as well as a tour with the 120th Assault Helicopter Company (AHC), "Razorbacks." His awards included the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star with Valor and oak leaf cluster, 21 Air Medals, and 6 Purple Hearts.

Publications

*Fred L. Rexer, Jr., ''Machine Guns: Silencers and Counterinsurgency Weapons'', Illustrated Catalogs & Reference Guides Nos. 1, 2, and 3, Houston, TX, 1974 *Fred L. Rexer, Jr., ''Submachine Guns, Calibre 9mm & .45 ACP, Ingram M10 '', Houston, TX: Anubis Press, 1977 *Fred L. Rexer, Jr., ''Dead or Alive: A Textbook on Self-Defense with the .45 Automatic'', Houston, TX: IDHAC Publishing, 1977 *Fred L. Rexer, Jr., ''Brass Knuckle Bible: A Manual of Concealed Weapons'', Shreveport, LA: Delta Press, 1978 *Fred L. Rexer, Jr., ''Bridge City'', Shreveport, LA: Delta Press, 1978 *Fred L. Rexer, Jr., ''U.S.A. The Urban Survival Arsenal'', Shreveport, LA: Delta Press, 1980 *Richard Dobbins, Evan Slawson, Deric Washburn, and Harry Kleiner (screenplay); John Milius, Fred Rexer (story), ''Extreme Prejudice'', Pocket Books, New York NY, 1987, ()

References

External links

*

A personal tribute to Fred Rexer, explaining and quoting his tactical and cinematic contributions
''Gunship Mission''
by John A. Cash in '

,

Office of the Chief of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

- an account that illustrates some of the methods used by the gunship fire teams, featuring Fred Rexer 1946 births 2021 deaths United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War American male film actors United States Army soldiers {{US-army-bio-stub