Posted on 05/29/2017 10:34:29 AM PDT by LS
Hardly anyone thinks of "heroes" when you say "Hollywood" today. But not long ago, most of Hollywood's leading men--or those who would later go on to be stars---fought and many died in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
Of course Jimmy Stewart always is among the first mentioned, flying missions in B-24s over Europe and remaining in the Air Force Reserve after the war to become a general. But did you know these stars also served in the USAAF?
Charles Bronson, Gene Autry, Gene Roddenberry, Burgess Meredith, Cameron Mitchell, Kevin McCarthy, Dale Robertson, George (Superman) Reeves, Jackie Coogan (gliders), Martin Balsam, Robert ("Music Man") Preston, George Goebel, Karl Maulden, Gene Raymond, Red Buttons, Robert Taylor, and Russell ("The Professor" on Gilligan's Island) Johnson.
Humphrey Bogart, who had served in WW I and was too old, still tried to get in. Jason Robards was aboard the USS Northampton when the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor. Henry Fonda was on a destroyer in the Pacific. Ernest Borgnine, already in the Navy, served in the South Pacific. Eddie Albert was awarded a bronze star landing airplanes at Tarawa. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. was a navy officer during the war. Others who served in the navy included Bob Barker, Jackie Cooper, Rock Hudson, a very young Tony Curtis (who was moved from base to base until old enough to be deployed), Rod Steiger, Kirk Douglas, Tom Poston, Cliff Robertson, Dennis Weaver, and Robert Stack.
Jack Lemmon, already in Harvard's officer training program, was assigned to a ship sailing to the west coast to be decommissioned. Because he was a Communications major, they named him the radio officer---on a ship with no radio. Crossing through Panama, Lemmon's ship was in the path of an oncoming ship and Lemmon's captain told him to warn the other ship off (with no radio). He raced to the locker containing the flags and found only one---which he raised, not knowing what it said. Whatever it was, it worked and Lemmon was promoted.
Victor Mature, Arthur Godfrey, Dennis Hopper, and Alan Hale all served in WW II in the USCG.
Many joined the Marines, including George C. Scott, Glenn Ford, Brian Keith, Tyrone Power, and Ed McMahon (who later fought in Korea as well). Captain Kangaroo Bob Keeshan did NOT fight alongside Lee Marvin, who was one of only a handful of men out of almost 250 in his unit who landed to survive the first wave at Saipan. John Russell, Robert Reed, Sterling Hayden, and James Whitmore were fellow Marines, as was the first Lone Ranger, Lee Powell who was killed at Tinian.
Rod Serling was in the 11th Airborne, Jack Warden with the 101st. James Arness was wounded at Anzio. The whiny "Ted Baxter" (Ted Knight) cleared land mines as an engineer and received five battle stars. Burt Lancaster was with the Army in N. Africa, George Kennedy with Patton in France. Art Carney was wounded invading Normandy. Charles Durning received a Silver Star at Normandy, then three Purple Hearts. He was one of the few American POWs to escape the "Malmady Massacre."
Others in the US Army were John Agar, Ossie Davis, Carl Reiner, and Jeff Chandler as well as impressionist Frank Gorshin ("the Riddler" in the "Batman" TV series). Charleton Heston was assigned to Kodiak, Alaska. Telly "Kojak" Savalas received a Purple Heart in action, but then was in a near-fatal Jeep accident and was released, told he'd never walk again. Rick Jason, the "Lieutenant" in the longest running wartime TV series ever (excluding "MASH" as not truly a war show), "Combat," was the son of a wealthy stockbroker before the war and had a seat on the NY Stock Exchange.
Werner Klemperer, "Col. Klink" on "Hogan's Heroes", was in real life an MP in Hawaii. Desi Arnaz, "Ricky Ricardo," was a Cuban national and offered a safe slot in the Cuban Navy as an officer in WW II, but he tried to enlist in the US Navy. He was turned down because he wasn't a citizen, but was drafted by the Army. He then saw his knees go out, and finished the war entertaining troops.
Directors Sam Peckinpah (China) and George Roy Hill (a Korean fighter pilot), and Robert Altman (B-24 pilot) all served. Other directors, such as John Ford, Daryl Zanuck, Frank Capra, William Wyler, and producer Jack Warner and actors William Holden, Joseph Cotton, Lee J. Cobb, Van Helflin, and Ronald Reagan were assigned to the Army's film unit. Reagan had to be reassigned from his existing US Cavalry assignment.
Writers Norman Mailer, Louis L'Amour, and Alex Haley all served. William Manchester was lying on a beach wounded when ANOTHER bullet hit him near the heart. The triage medics missed the second bullet, which nearly killed him.
Later, sports heroes served: Ted Williams (who was John Glenn's wingman in Korea); Roger Staubach (Navy, Vietnam), Chad Hennings (A-10s in Gulf War), and David Robinson (USN) served, as well, of course, as Pat Tillman.
Vietnam vets include "Dallas's" Patrick Duffy and Steve Kanaly, plus Dennis Franz and Pat Sajak. From 1981-86 comedian Drew Carey served in the Marines.
Oh, and among rock and rollers, Ray Manzarek (The Doors) was in the USAF, Vinny Martell (USN) of Vanilla Fudge was on a ship in the blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Jimi Hendrix was a paratrooper. There are multiple stories of how Hendrix got out---he says he broke his ankle and it didn't heal. Others said he just wanted out, but the record isn't clear. Right up until his death, Hendrix spoke positively of his time in Airborne, calling it "the best outfit in the world." While in Europe in 1969 he was harassed about the US role in Vietnam and he said, "Did you send Americans away when we invaded Normandy? No, but that war was concerning your skin!" He added, "of course war is horrible, but at present it's the only guarantee to maintain peace." He insisted his iteration of the "Star Spangled Banner" was a tribute.
In WW I, Charlie Chaplain, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks headed WAR BOND drives. Hard to imagine anyone in Hollywood except Gary Sinese and James Woods doing that today. But back then, there were real heroes in Hollywood.
Could you possibly imagine today’s male stars enlisting?
Dennis Hopper served in WWII? As what? A little drummer boy?
Fake news. His dad was in the OSS
No wonder movies used to be so much better and now suck.
Dennis Hopper was one of the elderly members of the 60s left youth movement - along with Jane Fonda. I think he turned Republican later in life. Arthur Godfrey was in the Naval Reserves prior to WWII but was too old to serve. He did serve in the 20s, though.
AWESOME post!
Great info regarding patriot faves - heartwarming, on this Memorial Day.
Hope your book sells well!
Melvin Kaminsky (aka Mel Brooks) was an Army combat engineer in the Battle of the Bulge. He deactivated enemy landmines.
http://www.usace.army.mil/About/History/Historical-Vignettes/Sports-Entertainment/109-Mel-Brooks/
bookmark
Could you please delete my previous post, please
Please delete above post of mine, meant for mail
Setting aside the matter of former Hollywood heroes for a second, it was a time when Hollywood seemed to comprise Americans with brains as well as patriotic spirit.
Glenn Ford in the Naval Reserve.
I thought I put him in. And I think he flew 18, shot at everytime. Can’t remember everyone.
I re-watched many WW II films this weekend and there wasn’t a sex scene or F-bomb in any of them. Who knew they could do that?
Maybe he meant William Hopper? Played detective Drake on Perry Mason.
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