Hunter S. Thompson

July 18th, 1937 – Hunter S Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1956, shortly after enlisting in the Air Force, 19 year old Thompson was transferred to Eglin Air Force Base, just outside of Pensacola, FL. He got his start in journalism when the staff sergeant who was the sports editor of the base paper was arrested for peeing on the side of a building in Pensacola. Airman Hunter Thompson became the new sports editor and gonzo journalism was born shortly after. The next year he was relieved of duty from the paper for exaggerating and embellishing stories and his superiors said of him, “He has little consideration for military bearing or dress and seems to dislike the service and want out as soon as possible.” He was discharged from the service in 1958.

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