James Henry Webb Jr. (born in St. Joseph, February 9, 1946) is a politician and  author. He has served as a United States Senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Council for the United States Committee on Veterans Affairs and Marine Corps officer.

In the private sector he has been an Emmy Award winning journalist, a filmmaker and the author of 10 books. As a member of the Democratic Party he announced that he would be running for President in the 2016 Presidential election, but stepped down from running in the primaries stating that he was “not comfortable” with many of the parties political positions.”

Webb’s military service is extensive. He was a U.S. Marine and served in the Vietnam War. He has received several awards and decorations including: Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart. He began his military training and career attending the University of Southern California on a Navel Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship from 1963 to 1964.

In 1964 Webb earned appointment to the United States Navy Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated in 1968 and received the Superintendent’s Letter for Outstanding Leadership. After his medical retirement from the Marine Corps due to injuries in Vietnam, Webb enrolled in law school at Georgetown University where he earned a Juris Doctor.

In addition to the books and articles he has written, he wrote the story and was executive producer for the 2000 movie Rules of Engagement, which starred Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson.