Sergeant James Oliver Rigney Jr., A Soldier's Story

Sergeant James Oliver Rigney Jr.,  A Soldier's Story

Sergeant James Oliver Rigney Jr.

Born October 17, 1948 - Died 

Sergeant James Oliver Rigney Jr. was born on October 17, 1948, in Charleston, South Carolina. After graduating from high school, he attended Clemson University, where he played collegiate football. After one year, he chose to leave college and enlist in the United States Army.

Trained as a helicopter door gunner, Sergeant Rigney deployed twice to Vietnam with the 68th Assault Helicopter Squadron. His service placed him in some of the most dangerous conditions of the war, where survival depended on skill, vigilance, and resolve.

Returning to the United States in 1970, Sergeant Rigney resumed his education at The Citadel, enrolling as a physics major. He graduated in 1974 and began civilian service with the U.S. Navy at the Charleston Naval Shipyard.

In 1977, Rigney suffered a catastrophic injury when he fell from a submarine in drydock, severely damaging his knee and requiring extensive reconstruction. His recovery was long and complicated by life-threatening blood clots. During this period of forced stillness, he made a pivotal decision: he would become a writer.

Writing under multiple pseudonyms, Rigney produced historical fiction as Reagan O’Neal, Western novels as Jackson O’Reilly, and cultural criticism as Chang Lung. He would ultimately become world-famous under the name Robert Jordan, author of several Conan the Barbarian novels and the fourteen-book Wheel of Time series, first published in 1990.

In 2006, Sergeant James Oliver Rigney Jr. was diagnosed with amyloidosis. He died on September 16, 2007. He is laid to rest at St. James Church Cemetery in Goose Creek, South Carolina.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

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