He retired from the Army Reserves with the rank of brigadier general. His service as a squadron commander flying more than fifty daylight bombing runs over Germany during WWII is truly heroic. The pilots under his command knew he would get them back to England safely. He was a stickler for making sure the planes maintained close formation and the pilots under his command followed his orders. He flew so often and in such horrific anti-aircraft bombing raids that he developed PTSD and was re-assigned to other duty. (Stewart was older than many others in the service; he volunteered for duty.)
Stewart was a direct descendent of a soldier in the American Revolution (Fergus Moorhead) who was the first permanent settler in the Indiana, Pennsylvania, area and captain of the Kittanning militia which Moorhead’s brother founded. Stewart’s ancestors also fought in the Civil War. Indiana, Pa., was Stewart’s birthplace and hometown. There’s a statue of Stewart in Indiana.
Jimmy was a staunch Republican and Presbyterian. He was married to one woman and was faithful to her until her death many years later. Compare this man to the scum now in Hollyweird—anti-American, drugged out crackpots; immoral people of meager talent who are contributing to the pollution of the American culture and its politics. A sad reflection of the decline of this country.
When Jimmy returned from Europe after the war ended he was still a mess. All he could eat was ice cream.
His first movie was Frank Capra's classic It's a Wonderful Life, with Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore. It was Barrymore who supported Jimmy throughout, saying repeatedly that if he could do what he'd done over Germany, then he could do this.
The famous scene in Donna's house with her and Jimmy cheek-to-cheek on the same phone, which none of them thought Jimmy could do, took just a single take. Somehow, he improved and lived several more productive and happy decades.