Army Sgt. Says He Was ‘Locker’ Inspiration

A U.S. Army Master Sergeant is suing the makers of “The Hurt Locker” for allegedly basing the film’s main character and plot points on his experiences. The Iraq war movie has been winning awards all season and is up for several Oscars this Sunday. A law firm claims Sarver “is, in fact, the film’s main character, ‘Will James,’ or ‘Blaster One,’ which was Master Sgt. Sarver’s ‘call signal’ during his tours of duty in Iraq.” The suit said screenwriter Mark Boal was allowed, as part of an armed services press program, to be embedded in Sarver’s unit. The suit also claims the movie’s screenwriter and makers intentionally cheated Sarver out of financial participation in the film and any acknowledgment of his heroic actions in Iraq.