Could you possibly imagine today’s male stars enlisting?
Dennis Hopper served in WWII? As what? A little drummer boy?
No wonder movies used to be so much better and now suck.
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
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.
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?
Mr. niteowl77
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.
“-—— Captain Kangaroo Bob Keeshan did NOT fight alongside Lee Marvin———”
—
What does this mean?
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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.
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).
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/
Did you miss Audie Murphy?
If I missed his name when reading your very interesting posting, I apologize.
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.