Editing Jesse Ventura (section)

==Early life==
[[File:Jesse Ventura Roosevelt Yearbook 1969; Sagamore 69 - DPLA - 5b67f348dbfaed8efd3b3a0dbad17932 (page 184) (cropped).jpg|thumb|180px|High school yearbook portrait]]
Ventura was born James George Janos on July 15, 1951, in [[Minneapolis|Minneapolis, Minnesota]],<ref name="National Governors Association">{{cite web |url=http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_minnesota/col2-content/main-content-list/title_ventura_jesse.html |title=National Governors Association Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura biography |publisher=National Governors Association |access-date=August 27, 2015 |archive-date=August 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811133022/https://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_minnesota/col2-content/main-content-list/title_ventura_jesse.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=A&E>{{cite web|title=Jesse Ventura Biography|url=http://www.biography.com/people/jesse-ventura-9542225|access-date=January 22, 2015|agency=Bio.|publisher=A&E Television Networks, LLC|archive-date=February 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204185047/https://www.biography.com/people/jesse-ventura-9542225|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=CohenAmazon>Cohen, Daniel. ''Jesse Ventura''. 2001. Brookfield, CT: Twenty-first Century Books. p. 26. Retrieved December 21, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-7613-1905-4}}</ref> the son of George William Janos and his wife, Bernice Martha (née Lenz). Both his parents were [[World War II]] veterans. His mother was the chief nurse anesthetist at North Memorial Hospital and his father worked for the Minneapolis Street Department.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Interview with Jesse Ventura |url=https://www.maxraskin.com/interviews/jesse-ventura |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Interviews with Max Raskin |language=en-US |archive-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702221359/https://www.maxraskin.com/interviews/jesse-ventura |url-status=live }}</ref>

Ventura has an older brother, Jan, who similarly served in the [[Vietnam War]] as a [[Underwater Demolition Team|UDT]]. Jan and Jesse graduated as members of [[United States Navy SEAL selection and training|BUD/S]] classes 49 and 58, respectively. Ventura has described himself as Slovak since his father's parents were from [[Slovakia]]; his mother was of [[German-American|German descent]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wargs.com/political/ventura.html |title=Ancestry of Jesse Ventura |publisher=Wargs.com |access-date=October 20, 2008 |archive-date=April 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417170655/http://www.wargs.com/political/ventura.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>April 1, 2008, in Larry King interview with Ventura on NBC<!-- Bot generated title --></ref> Ventura was raised as a [[Lutheran]]. Born in [[South Minneapolis]] "by the [[Lake Street (Minneapolis)|Lake Street]] bridge", he attended Cooper Elementary School, Sanford Junior High School, and graduated from [[Roosevelt High School (Minnesota)|Roosevelt High School]] in 1969. Roosevelt High School inducted Ventura into its first hall of fame in September 2014.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

Ventura served in the [[United States Navy]] from December 1, 1969, to September 10, 1975, during the Vietnam War, but did not see combat. He graduated in [[BUD/S]] class 58 in December 1970 and was part of [[Underwater Demolition Team]] 12.<ref name="Military People: Jesse Ventura"/><ref name="http">{{cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/1130195.html |title=Ventura discloses he didn't see combat in Vietnam War |work=Star Tribune|location=Minneapolis|date=January 29, 2002|agency=Associated Press |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020203035901/http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/1130195.html |archive-date = February 3, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://navyseals.com/ns-overview/notable-seals/jesse-ventura/|title=Jesse Ventura|work=Navy SEALs|access-date=November 27, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072122/http://navyseals.com/ns-overview/notable-seals/jesse-ventura/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.militaryhub.com/military-people?id=42|title=Military People|website=www.militaryhub.com|access-date=May 3, 2019|archive-date=December 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224125801/https://www.militaryhub.com/military-people?id=42|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Ventura has frequently referred to his military career in public statements and debates.<ref name="news.minnesota.publicradio.org"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/31/us/the-1998-campaign-minnesota-candidates-are-neck-neck-and-neck-in-governor-s-race.html?pagewanted=1 |work=The New York Times |title=The 1998 Campaign: Minnesota; Candidates Are Neck, Neck and Neck in Governor's Race |first=Pam |last=Belluck |date=October 31, 1998 |access-date=May 6, 2010 |archive-date=July 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730143938/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/31/us/the-1998-campaign-minnesota-candidates-are-neck-neck-and-neck-in-governor-s-race.html?pagewanted=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="web.archive.org">{{cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/st/qview.cgi?template=metro_a_cache&slug=text05&online_date=05-April-2001 |title=Ventura-Anderson transcript |work=Star Tribune|location=Minneapolis|date=April 5, 2001 |access-date=June 13, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020210172032/http://www.startribune.com/st/qview.cgi?template=metro_a_cache&slug=text05&online_date=05-April-2001 |archive-date = February 10, 2002}}</ref> He was criticized by hunters and conservationists for saying in a 2001 interview with the Minneapolis ''[[Star Tribune]]'', "Until you have hunted men, you haven't hunted yet."<ref name="web.archive.org"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=93626&page=1 |title=Jesse Ventura Hunting Remarks Draw Fire |work=ABC News |access-date=June 13, 2010 |archive-date=January 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129233215/http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=93626&page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Post-Navy===
Near the end of his Navy service, Ventura began to spend time with the "South Bay" chapter of the [[Mongols Motorcycle Club]] in [[San Diego]]. He would ride onto [[Naval Base Coronado]] on his [[Harley-Davidson]] wearing his Mongol "[[Colors (motorcycling)|colors]]". According to Ventura, he was a "full-patch" member of the club and third-in-command of his chapter, but never had any problems with the authorities.<ref name="Cohen">{{cite book |title=Jesse Ventura |last=Cohen |first=Daniel |year=2001 |publisher=Lerner Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-7613-1905-4 |pages=30–32 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e2UxwnHvNMAC&q=jesse%20ventura%20mongols&pg=PT18 |access-date=December 12, 2010 |archive-date=July 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730141431/https://books.google.com/books?id=e2UxwnHvNMAC&q=jesse%20ventura%20mongols&pg=PT18#v=snippet&q=jesse%20ventura%20mongols&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2002/May-12-Sun-2002/news/18724079.html |title=Outlaw Gangs: Northern Nevada eyes biker enmity |publisher=Reviewjournal.com |date=May 12, 2002 |access-date=June 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Labar |first=Justin |url=http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/181959-complete-interview-transcript-with-jesse-ventura |title=Complete Interview Transcript With Jesse Ventura |publisher=Wrestlezone.com |date=May 14, 2010 |access-date=June 13, 2010 |archive-date=December 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121210063247/http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/181959-complete-interview-transcript-with-jesse-ventura |url-status=live }}</ref> His biker nickname was "Superman".<ref name="Marks of Mayhem & Murder">[https://digitalcommons.law.buffalo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1075&context=buffaloipjournal Marks of Mayhem & Murder: When a Few Bad "Mongols" Spoil the Bunch, Should the Go Bunch, Should the Government Seize a Motorcycle Association Association's Registered Trademark?] (January 1, 2009) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027175446/https://digitalcommons.law.buffalo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1075&context=buffaloipjournal |date=October 27, 2020 }}</ref> In the fall of 1974, Ventura left the bike club to return to the [[Twin Cities]]. Shortly after that, the Mongols entered into open warfare with their biker rivals, the [[Hells Angels]].<ref name="Cohen"/> In November 2018, Ventura testified as an expert witness on behalf of the Mongols in a federal racketeering trial in [[Santa Ana, California]], defending the club against the government's allegations characterizing the Mongols as a criminal enterprise. He testified that he remained an inactive member of the Mongols and called his time as an active member of the club's San Diego chapter "a stepping stone I needed to make the transition from military life back to civilian life. I owe them for being there for me when the rest of the world wasn't".<ref name="Ventura defends Mongols">[https://www.ocregister.com/2018/11/28/former-minnesota-gov-jesse-ventura-defends-mongols-motorcycle-club-in-federal-court-in-orange-county/ Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura defends Mongols Motorcycle Club in federal court in Orange County] Sean Emery, ''[[Orange County Register]]'' (November 28, 2018) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129112844/https://www.ocregister.com/2018/11/28/former-minnesota-gov-jesse-ventura-defends-mongols-motorcycle-club-in-federal-court-in-orange-county/ |date=November 29, 2018 }}</ref>

Ventura attended [[North Hennepin Community College]] in [[Brooklyn Park, Minnesota]], during the mid-1970s on the [[G.I. Bill]].<ref name="Cohen"/><ref name=":2" /> At the same time, he began weightlifting and wrestling and became a member of the Japan Karate Association.<ref name=":2" /> He was a bodyguard for [[The Rolling Stones]] and [[Grateful Dead]] for a time before entering professional wrestling and adopting the wrestling name Jesse Ventura.<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/on2/elections/ventura.html Jesse Ventura] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821130917/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/on2/elections/ventura.html |date=August 21, 2013}} PBS</ref><ref name=":2" />