Reminder of when Hollywood produced heroes

America's Victories (new edition) ^ | 5/29/2017 | LS

[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.

[miss marmelstein]

I don’t know but it’s a silly mistake to make.

[niteowl77]

Some time ago, I read a book or magazine wherein a medium bomber pilot told why Robert Preston gave him the nickname "The Scourge"… something about said pilot unloading ordnance on a German outhouse when returning from a mission.

Mr. niteowl77

[DoodleBob]

You learn something new everyday. I just bought this and two other books of yours from Amazon. Summer reading!

While on the subject of war and entertainers, I don't know if anyone is aware that Dr Seuss drew about 400 pro-WWII editorial cartoons for a leftist newspaper during the war. I read a book on the subject, "Dr Seuss Goes to War" which was eye-opening. Yes, it was surprising that the author of The Cat in the Hat and The Lorax also was the brains behind this anti-appeasement cartoon (could you imagine this appearing today in the Times?)...

...or these nasty sign of the times pieces of work.

My point is not to pass judgement nor stand up and cheer. Rather, I wish to point out that MANY Americans, from all political persuasions, have stood united against the enemy especially when American blood has been shed and lives lost.

I have first-hand accounts of self-professed Manhattan communists placing American flags in their apartment windows on Sept 12, 2001. On this Memorial Day, I hope and pray against all odds that we can get back to that point, without some horrific event to unify us all.

[Mears]

“-—— Captain Kangaroo Bob Keeshan did NOT fight alongside Lee Marvin———”

—

What does this mean?

.

[LS]

It’s a common myth that the two were in the same unit. Not true.

[LS]

No, you’re right. I used to teach this in my WW II section, showing that when your skin is on the line, all the PC crap disappears.

[LS]

LOL.

[niteowl77]

Dang… almost forgot-

Hughes Rudd, a gravel-voiced newsman of bygone days was an Army observation pilot in WWII, and he wrote a very obscure book about his war exploits. My hometown library had a copy of this book, which was withdrawn because "nobody checked it out," and I have tried to track another copy down for 20 years without success.

Mr. niteowl77

[Mears]

“It’s a common myth that the two were in the same unit. Not true.”

---

Thanks-—I missed that one.

.

[Hugin]

Don’t see Chuck Connors on the list. He served in WWII as an anti-tank instructor.

As for Jimi Hendrix, he did break his ankle. He wanted out by that time, so he told the doctors he also had back pain, which he didn’t, and eventually they let him out for that.

[Joe 6-pack]

Other recent musicians:

Orville Richard Burrell, aka "Shaggy" served as a Marine in Desert Storm.

I went to ROTC advanced camp with Shawn Mullins (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG9C0VwruXE).

[minnesota_bound]

They got Eddie Albert role all wrong.
He was under constant fire bringing in supplies and rescuing men. I read a book on Tarawa in the 1970’s that described his part. It was worse then described below.

Eddie Albert in the battle of Tarawa
http://ss.sites.mtu.edu/mhugl/2016/10/16/eddie-albert-in-the-battle-of-tarawa/

[octex]

Did you miss Audie Murphy?

If I missed his name when reading your very interesting posting, I apologize.

[DMZFrank]

Don’t forget tough guy character actor Neville Brand. Neville Brand participated in the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central European campaigns, and received the Silver star while convalescing at the 21st General Hospital for gallantry in combat. His other awards and decorations are the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Service Ribbon, the European/African/Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with three Battle Stars, one Overseas Service Bar, one Service Stripe, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. In a rare 1966 interview in which he consented to speak of his wartime service, Brand recalled how he earned his Silver Star when his unit came under intense fire from German machine guns located within a hunting lodge. “I must have flipped my lid,” he said, for “I decided to go into that lodge.” Disregarding his own safety, he worked his way around to the rear of the lodge/command post, burst in through the back and single-handedly dispatched the enemy within.

Later, on April 7th, 1945, exactly one month and a day before the official German surrender, Sergeant Brand was wounded in action by the Weser River. Felled by a gunshot to his upper right arm, and pinned down by withering enemy ground fire, Brand lay there slowly bleeding to death. “I knew I was dying,” he said, “It was a lovely feeling, like being half-loaded.” Rescued and treated, Brand was evacuated to a military hospital and, on September 17th, 1945, he departed for the United States. Less than a month later, Staff Sergeant Brand was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army at Fort Sheridan, Illinois.

[21twelve]

“...pilot unloading ordnance on a German outhouse when returning from a mission.”

Too late for the story I’m thinking of, as it was before we were in it. The story goes that the Brit’s bombed something like an outhouse or a barn or something instead of sticking to a “military” target.

Hitler used that as an excuse to bomb civilians in London.

I have no idea if an outhouse was actually bombed, or if Hitler really used it as an excuse. (Or if Hitler was the one that started bombing civilian targets).

[LS]

No, Murphy was the only one to BECOME an actor based on his wartime re ord.

[LS]

Good story. He’s in my book, but not the whole story. I didn’t include everyone.

[LS]

I didn’t include everyone.

There are at least three different versions of the Hendrix discharge. See his latest biography, “A Room Full of Mirrors.”

[Hugin]

I heard that version recently on the 2010 documentary Voodoo Child, I think it was from one of his letters home.

[octex]

Okay. I guess I didn’t realize you were only addressing Hollywood actors who THEN served in the military.