Military Man

Don’t be surprised to find Ramon Franco, the actor who plays gun-toting Pvt. Alberto Ruiz on CBS-TV’s “Tour of Duty,” holding a high military position one day without ever enlisting in the service.

Not only is Franco in his second season with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade on “Tour,” but he has played a grunt in Clint Eastwood’s “Heartbreak Ridge;” was a combat Marine in the play “Wasted” and starred in a National Guard commercial.

“I think I should qualify for the GI Bill or something,” says Franco.

“Everything started for me with that National Guard commercial,” says the 25-year-old New York native. “They told me I could have the part if I cut my hair, which was really long at that point. I did it, got the commercial and a couple of months later I got the call for ‘Heartbreak Ridge.’ That role led to ‘Tour.’ ”

Franco has since become a student of the Vietnam War. Through “Tour” he has developed a platoon of experiences that he calls “some of the most enlightening I could have” as an actor. “I have learned about the Vietnam War more than anything else in my life,” he says.

“I come in contact with a number of vets that have nailed me to the wall with some of the frustration they have. One time, when the cast went to a VA hospital to screen the show, a bunch of the vets got up and applauded us for what we were doing. Then this guy stands up and shouts, ‘Hey! What are you doing for me? You have your nice cars and homes! What do I get out of this except you exploiting me?’ And he’s right. This led CBS to put a number on the screen after our show so people who are disturbed with what we are doing can call and release their feelings.

“I can’t get much closer to the war than that.”