Over the course of his military career, Rambo was credited with 59 confirmed kills, and he earned four Bronze Stars, two Silver Stars, four Purple Hearts, the Distinguished Service Cross, and a Congressional Medal of Honor for his service to his country. When he returned home, though, he found America less than hospitable to Vietnam veterans, and he spent the next five years struggling as his post-traumatic stress disorder from the war went untreated.
In December 1981, Rambo traveled to Washington State to visit Delmar Barry, a friend from Baker Team, only to be told by Barry's family that he'd died as a result of Agent Orange exposure. This made Rambo the last surviving member of Baker Team.
Rambo moved on, and wandered into the nearby town of Hope, where the local sheriff Will Teasle tried to quickly usher him out of town for fear that he'd cause trouble. Rambo, who was just looking for something to eat, went back into Hope anyway, leading Teasle to arrest him. Teasle's deputies began harassing and threatening Rambo at the station, causing him to have flashbacks to his time as a prisoner of war. And then suddenly, the man just snapped, going into Vietnam War mode. Using his Green Beret skills, Rambo fought his way out of the station before making his getaway on a stolen motorcycle.
In the ensuing search, Teasle's deputy, Art Galt, began firing at Rambo from a helicopter. Desperate, Rambo jumped from a cliff face to a tree, injuring himself in the process. With Galt bearing down on him, Rambo retaliated by hurling a rock at the chopper. As a result, the helicopter pilot lost control, and Galt fell to his death. Yeah, Rambo hand't meant to kill the guy, and yeah, it was self-defense, but now he was wanted for killing a cop.
