Gustav Hasford

Jerry Gustave Hasford, also known as Gustav Hasford, was a journalist, poet, and author, who was widely recognized for his novel, The Short-Timers, which was adapted into the critically acclaimed film, Full Metal Jacket. Hasford was a United States Marine veteran who served in the Vietnam War and was born in Haleyville, Winston County, Alabama. He was a recipient of the Navy and Marine Corp medal with the Valor Device in 1968 during the battle of Hue.

Hasford's career as an author began in the 1970s when he was associated with various science fiction authors. He contributed to several anthologies and magazines, including the Orbit Series and Space and Time magazines. Hasford also published a poem, Bedtime Story, in the 1972 edition of Winning Hearts. In 1978, he attended the Milford Writer's Workshop and met renowned author, Fredrick Pohl. Hasford is best known for his novels of the Vietnam War, The Short-Timers, The Phantom Blooper, and A Gypsy Good Time. The Short-Timers, his debut novel, was published in 1979 and tells the story of Private Joker, a character based on Hasford himself, from basic training through the Tet offensive in Vietnam. The Phantom Blooper, published in 1990, features Joker as he comes to terms with the death of many of his friends and his own survival. A Gypsy Good Time, published in 1992, is a parody of the hard-boiled detective novel genre.

Hasford's time in Vietnam as a combat correspondent with the First Marine Division significantly influenced his writing. After leaving high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Vietnam. Upon his return to the United States, he attended Lower Columbia Community College and published his first story, which would later serve as the basis for The Short-Timers, in the school newspaper. Hasford's military service and anti-war activism shaped his perspective and contributed to his unique voice as an author.

Hasford came into conflict with director Stanley Kubrick over writing credits for the screenplay of Full Metal Jacket, which is based on The Short-Timers. The financial bonanza that Hasford expected from the film never materialized. He also gained notoriety as a literary eccentric, having been arrested in 1988 for possessing stolen property after allegedly secretly hoarding more than 700 books from libraries in the United States and Great Britain. Hasford was active in anti-war veterans' activities and was residing in Greece at the time of his death from untreated diabetes at the age of 45. He is buried in Winston Memorial Cemetery in Haleyville, Alabama.
Standalone Novels
# Title Year
1 The Short-Timers 1979
2 The Phantom Blooper 1990
3 A Gypsy Good Time 1992