Remembering Tom Skerritt: Looking Back at His Military Service, Movies, and Legacy
Tom Skerritt, the U.S. Air Force Veteran whose career included memorable military roles in M*A*S*H and Top Gun, died on October 21, 2026, at age 93. His family confirmed that he died of natural causes.
Over a career spanning more than six decades, Skerritt appeared in films and television shows, portraying military officers, law enforcement officials, and other authority figures. His performance as Navy Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf in Top Gun became one of his most recognizable roles.
Beyond Hollywood, Skerritt remained connected to the Veteran community through his work helping former service members share their stories.
Warren Etheredge, a teaching associate at the University of Washington and a founding faculty member of The Red Badge Project, worked alongside Skerritt through the organization. Etheredge remembered him as someone deeply committed to the people and causes he believed in.
"Tom was tough, in the best of ways. He fought for anything and anyone he cared for," Etheredge said.
Tom Skerritt Served Four Years in the Air Force
Born in Detroit in 1933, Skerritt enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1951 after graduating from high school.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, he served as a classification specialist at Bergstrom Air Force Base near Austin, Texas. His responsibilities included helping determine assignments for Airmen at other installations.
In a 2020 interview with We Are The Mighty, Skerritt explained that he enlisted because he needed direction and discipline. His older brother had served as a World War II fighter pilot, inspiring Skerritt's interest in aviation.
Although Skerritt never became a military pilot, he credited his four years of service with helping him develop focus and a stronger sense of purpose.
After leaving the Air Force, he used the GI Bill to continue his education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where his interest in filmmaking and acting developed.
The Military Movies That Defined His Career
Skerritt's first major film role came in the 1962 Korean War drama War Hunt, where he portrayed Army Sergeant Stan Showalter.
His next major military-film role came in 1970, when director Robert Altman cast him as Army surgeon Captain Duke Forrest in M*A*S*H. The film used dark humor to depict medical personnel treating wounded Soldiers during the Korean War.
Sixteen years later, Skerritt appeared in Top Gun as Viper, a veteran Navy aviator and instructor who mentors younger pilots, including Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.
Skerritt drew on his military experience when developing Viper. In the same 2020 interview with We Are The Mighty, he recalled meeting the actual TOPGUN commander and observing his calm, thoughtful approach to leadership. Rather than portraying Viper as an officer who constantly shouted orders, Skerritt wanted his character to demonstrate authority through experience and judgment.
His film career extended well beyond military stories. He also played Captain Dallas in Alien, appeared in A River Runs Through It, and won a 1993 Emmy Award for his role as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in Picket Fences.
Tom Skerritt's Career and Veteran Advocacy Timeline
Skerritt Helped Veterans Find Their Voices Through the Red Badge Project
Away from Hollywood, Skerritt helped Veterans share their experiences through the Red Badge Project, a storytelling program he co-founded with former Army Captain Evan Bailey in 2012.
According to the Red Badge Project’s founding curriculum documents, the workshops were strictly designed not as clinical therapy, but as an artistic outlet, encouraging Veterans to find 'the profound within the mundane.'
Etheredge, who helped establish the program, said Skerritt was concerned about Veteran suicide and wanted to give former service members a way to process their experiences through storytelling.
He also mentioned Skerritt's Air Force background reinforced his commitment to helping Veterans, although he couldn’t say for certain how that experience influenced his approach to storytelling.
Through workshops, Veterans learn to shape their experiences into personal stories and share them with others.
Humor also had a place in the workshops.
"Tom never took himself terribly seriously and believed that laughter was a great, healing force," Etheredge said.
During Red Badge workshops, Skerritt would encourage Veterans to tell jokes or read from joke books, helping create moments of laughter alongside more serious conversations.
A 2024 CBS News report found that the program had expanded to five Washington communities and served more than 1,000 Veterans.
Warren Etheredge Remembers the Man Behind the Movies
Etheredge recalled watching Skerritt teach acting and directing classes, sometimes demonstrating an exercise himself when students struggled to understand it.
With a small gesture or change in expression, Skerritt could bring a character to life, Etheredge mentioned.
Skerritt had also wanted to write and direct films. Although he sometimes disliked the attention that came with fame, Etheredge also added that Skerritt understood that his public profile could help bring storytelling projects to life.
Although Skerritt's film performances will remain part of his Hollywood legacy, Etheredge believes his greatest contribution came through the Veterans he helped.
"Yet, I believe, the Red Badge Project is his lasting legacy," Etheredge said.
Etheredge continues teaching with the program and has worked with hundreds of Veterans over the years. Some have told him that the experience helped them through difficult periods in their lives. Skerritt will forever be preserved on screen as a commander, pilot, and sheriff. But for the Veterans who found their voice because a famous actor took the time to listen, his impact extends far beyond the credits.
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BY ALLISON KIRSCHBAUM
Veteran, Military History & Culture Writer at VeteranLife
Navy Veteran
Allison Kirschbaum is a Navy Veteran and an experienced historian. She has seven years of experience creating compelling digital content across diverse industries, including Military, Defense, History, SaaS, MarTech, FinTech, financial services, insurance, and manufacturing. She brings this expertis...
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Allison Kirschbaum is a Navy Veteran and an experienced historian. She has seven years of experience creating compelling digital content across diverse industries, including Military, Defense, History, SaaS, MarTech, FinTech, financial services, insurance, and manufacturing. She brings this expertis...
