Full Metal Jacket Star Kevyn Major Howard dies at 69
Kevyn Major Howard, best known for his unforgettable role as Rafterman in the iconic war film Full Metal Jacket, has passed away at the age of 69.
Personally, I believe Full Metal Jacket is one of the best war movies I’ve ever seen. It stands out because it doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of both the U.S. military and the Vietnam War, unlike typical U.S. propaganda films.
It gives an unfiltered look at the brutality and dehumanization of war, making it all the more impactful and impressive.
Breakthrough in Hollywood
Released in 1987, the film explores the harsh realities of the Vietnam War, following a group of Marines from their brutal training at boot camp to the front lines of battle. And Kevyn Major Howard’s portrayal of the eager yet disillusioned Private First Class Rafterman – a combat photographer, tagging along with Matthew Modine’s character, Joker, to document the war.
Kevyn’s performance remains one of the standout moments of the film, if you ask me. For Howard, the film left a lasting mark on his career, and he once described director Stanley Kubrick as an all-knowing father figure and even compared him to the Dalai Lama.
After his memorable role in Full Metal Jacket, Kevyn Major Howard made a brief return to television, appearing in the 1988 episode “Line of Fire” of the cult classic Miami Vice. His other film credits included Sudden Impact with Clint Eastwood and Death Wish II with Charles Bronson. However, by 1999, the Montreal-born Canadian chose to retire from acting, with his final credit being an appearance on Crusade.
In the years that followed, Howard found a new passion—headshot photography. He quickly became known as one of the best in the business, earning the title of ”King of the Hollywood headshot” in the BBC show The Human Face. His transition from actor to photographer proved to be a successful one, cementing his legacy in an entirely different arena. Kevyn also became a founder of a charity for veterans and first responders and their families.
“Although I haven’t been in a war, I have a much clearer understanding of patriotism, and the pride and courage it takes to serve your country,” Howard said and added:
“Many of the Marines that I have met have seen ‘Full Metal Jacket’ and I believe that although I have never been to war, my work on this film continues to serve as a bridge that allows them to come face to face with the personal sacrifices they have made. It also allows me to stand in silence beside them and bear witness to their own personal tribute to their fallen comrades.”
Cause of death
Kevyn Major Howard’s family shared with TMZ that he passed away at a Las Vegas hospital on Friday, February 14, surrounded by loved ones. He was 69.
Howard had been in the hospital for several weeks leading up to his death due to respiratory issues, though his official cause of death has not been confirmed.
”Kevyn was a loving family man who left a legacy that extends beyond his film career. His efforts to advocate for remembering our fallen heroes and his ongoing support dedicated to our military, law enforcement, and those affected by the 9/11 attacks will live on through his foundation, Fueled By The Fallen,” Howard’s family said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
He is survived by his wife Tiffanie, stepdaughter Kayla, and siblings Kim and Kelsey, as reported by The Daily Mail.
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
R.I.P Kevyn Major Howard, very sad about this, sending condolences to his loved ones and friends ❤️
4th daughter dies after mom’s alleged murder-suicide
Credit / GoFundMe
A fourth child from the same family has passed away days following an apparent murder-suicide involving Wyoming mother Tranyelle Harshman.
Tragic reports previously detailed how Harshman allegedly shot her four daughters before turning the gun on herself on February 10, 2025.
Brailey Blackmer, 9, Brooke and Jordan Harshman, both 2, and Tranyelle herself died from their injuries. 7-year-old Olivia Blackmer was airlifted to a hospital in Salt Lake City, with people all over the world praying for her recovery when the story gained international attention.
Sadly, father Quinn Blackmer posted to Facebook on Sunday, February 16, that Olivia had lost the battle for her life.
“I know this isn’t the update people were hoping for and we are absolutely gutted to make it, but we needed time to process what had happened before we let the world know of the tragic passing of Olivia yesterday (February 15) afternoon at 3:44 pm,” Quinn wrote.
“The amount of devastation we feel and are going through is so much. Please give all famlies involved our time time and space during this extremely difficult time in our life.”
Quinn added that he was taking some small amount of solace in the fact that his daughters are together.
“The peace I find is knowing that my babies don’t have to be apart from each other and they can also be with their other sisters,” he said.
According to reports, Tranyelle Harshan, 32, was suffering from postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. On the day of the alleged murders, she called the police to confess to having shot her daughters, warning them that she planned to then do the same to herself.
Tranyelle’s partner, Cliff Harshman, told the Cowboy State Daily that she had been suffering greatly.
Credit: Tranyelle Harshman – GoFundMe
“My wife was not a monster,” he said.
Of her health battles, he shared: “Most people don’t understand how that affects the brain. It’s a chemical imbalance. And it can be exacerbated by trying to fix it with medication.”
Rest in peace to the poor children taken from this world too soon.
Father charged with murder after wife gives birth to twins
There is nothing more exciting for a young couple than to welcome a child they have been waiting months for. This young couple outwardly did not seem any different.
They were expecting twins and had one child already. No one suspected the parents were anything but over-the-moon. But then when the father was left alone with the newborn, he did something unthinkable. Keep reading to learn about his heinous actions.
The mother Savannah Bliss talked to the media and explained that her newborn son was injured while he was in his father’s care. According to Savannah, her husband was watching little Gunner and their older one year old child while she was visiting Gunner’s twin sister in the NICU at WakeMed.
The mother shared that Gunner and his twin Madelyn were both born premature at 34 weeks. The babies had not yet been released from the hospital when Gunner was injured.
22-year-old Noah Benjamin Bliss from Harnett County was arrested at WakeMed in Raleigh. He was charged with the first-degree murder of his 3-week-old son Gunner Bliss. He also faced charges of child abuse and inflicting serious bodily injury on the baby, from the incident that occurred on October 6, this year.
“I want justice for my son,” Savannah Bliss said. “I trusted my husband to watch Gunner while I was taking care of his sister in the ICU. He was sweetest boy with most beautiful blue eyes … he was the best baby [and] for him to be taken so soon is so wrong.”
The family was living temporarily at the WakeMed’s Heart Center Inn. The place is a hotel-like space for families who have loved ones receiving care downstairs in the hospital.
According to the mother Savannah Bliss, nursing staff said the injuries Gunner had indicated that he had been shaken vigorously by his father.
The staff told Savannah Bliss that Gunner had no external injuries or any broken bones, but that the infant had suffered from head trauma, in particular brain bleeding and swelling which deprived him of oxygen.
On Monday night, the newborn was taken off life support.
Shutterstock
Noah Bliss appeared in front of a court on Tuesday where he was sent to jail with no bond. His next court date is scheduled for the coming month.
As for Savannah, she is still trying to piece together what happened. The young mother said, “He seemed happy … like a proud father,” adding, “I never thought this would have happened … I trusted him, that was his daddy … he loved his babies.”
This is such an unfortunate situation to have happened. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to Savannah as she grieves this heartbreaking loss.
All 6,000 residents in town live on the same street
There’s a quaint, charming element to life when you reside in a village or small town.
I mean the sort of place where almost everyone knows almost everyone else. First-name greetings are considered the norm, there’s a local watering hole for people to gather, and probably a handful of other buildings including a post office, a funeral directors, and some sort of store.
My point is, sometimes it’s nice to share the sense of a tight-knit community with others. It’s not for everyone, mind, but as humans there appear to be quite a lot of us who enjoy living as part of a flock as opposed to being out in the sticks on our own.
That said, I wonder how many people can honestly say they’d like to live in a town where all of the residents live on the same street!
Well, that’s the case for the residents of a village in Europe that achieved viral status on Twitter earlier this month after an aerial photo was uploaded to social media.
Incredibly, all of the 6,000 residents of the village of Sułoszowa, located in southern Poland, live along a single nine kilometer stretch of street.
The village has reportedly been dubbed “Little Tuscany” due to its layout, and as of 2017 had a population of 5,819, according to CSO Poland.
It’s said that each house on the street has a long strip of land that comes with it, which inhabitants use for a range of different things including farming and the housing of animals.
After people took notice of the strange, yet definitely beautiful aerial shots, residents of Sułoszowa responded by explaining what it was like to live there.
“I wouldn’t trade this place for anything else. It has its own charm and atmosphere. As the saying goes, there’s something about it,” one said.
“The whole place looks the same: there is a house and then a strip of field, hence the beauty of the photos. One has grain, the other has rapeseed, and the third has something else. The colors look beautiful from above.”
A second image was reportedly posted on Reddit, accompanied by a question regarding whether the strips of land that fan out from the village are the property of each house on the street.
Someone responded: “I just showed this to my Polish friend and he said yes!”
They continued: “Each house has that strip of land to do whatever on, hence different colours and they are using the land for different purposes. Some grow crops on it, others have animals, some just leave it.
“I said I didn’t believe him but he says it’s true.”
What an incredibly peculiar arrangement. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a town like this before.
Have you? Let us know in the comments box if you have.
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