Posted on 06/30/2018 3:18:25 PM PDT by eastforker
Following is a brief description of an incident encountered by Keith during World War II: 1941-1945 served with USMC - decorated with the Air Medal. "Brian was a Radio-Gunner in the rear cockpit of a two-man Douglass "Dauntless" (SDB) dive-bomber in a U.S. Marine squadron. During an attack on Rabaul, his plane was badly damaged by enemy ground fire. The pilot struggled to keep the plane in the air. Unable to keep up with the others, it fell behind. Two Japanese "Zero" fighters attacked the crippled plane from the rear. Both of Brian's machine guns jammed. He fired red tracer ammunition from his pistol. The Japs broke off the attack, but soon came again. Now completely out of ammunition, Brian reached for the Very pistol and fired a red rocket/flare at the fighters which immediately pulled up to figure out what that was. On the radio, Keith heard a New Zealand pilot saying, "Dont sweat it, Yank, I've got them surrounded up here!"
(Excerpt) Read more at marines.togetherweserved.com ...
My favorite scene is Alan Arkin telling Whittaker Walt, “Don’t do it no more.” Haven’t seen it for a long time...I hope it’s still as funny as I remember. Brian Keith was fun in this film.
Other famous stars and sports figures served. Here’s just a few.
Green Acres’ Eddie Albert while on Tarawa disobeyed his orders to collect reusable supplies from the initial landing and instead rescued over 40 marines who were trapped offshore under heavy machine gun fire.
Jimmy Stewart piloted 25 missions in a B17 over Europe. He was separated years later from the service as a Brigadier General.
James Doohan served in the Canadian Army. Doohan was in the Juno Beach invasion on D-Day. During the invasion, Doohan was shot in the leg, chest and lost his right middle finger.
David Niven: The British actor was a Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos. He also worked in the intelligence branch and was later assigned to the U.S. First Infantry.
Niven was one of the first officers to land at Normandy.
“It’s amazing what that little boat could do, though; that 36-footer,” Yogi Berra recalled of his service at D Day on a rocket boat.
... “We could shoot out rockets. We could shoot one at a time, two at a time, or we could shoot all 24 at a time. We went in on the invasion. We were the first ones in, before the Army come in”
Hardcastle and McCormick!!!
>This photo is from one of my favorite movies, “The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!”
Everybody to get from street!
Fendall Hawkins : I'm holding you responsible! [draws sword]
Fendall Hawkins : As Commander of the Civilian Forces, in this emergency! I'm charging you with treason!
Police Chief Link Mattocks : Gimme that thing! [grabs his sword and breaks it in half]
Fendall Hawkins : [half tearful-half enraged] That's a Dexter F. Meadows Memorial Sword.
Police Chief Link Mattocks : Yeah.
Fendall Hawkins : [enraged] You traitorous fink!
[goes for Mattocks, resulting in a brawl]
This is a reoccurring daily thread, you can search key word famousveteran and find the others.
... I was a kid, virtually every adult man I knew was a vet..
I didn’t learn till years later that my Government teacher in high school, Reserve Major Thomas L. Morning, was a young second lieutenant on D Day when he led his men onto a hot Omaha Beach. He passed away in 2009.
While Eddie Albert's politics were pure liberal, he earned the right to be heard. I respectfully listened to him but then rejected his political arguments.
Back in the early 70s, my kid sister, a new nurse, and my Dad used to watch the Brian Kieth Show. My Dad used to always remark how he liked Mr. Kieth’s Hawaiian shirts. My sister decided to get him one for his birthday but was unable to find one that she felt would be good enough, so she wrote Mr. Keith a letter asking where he got his shirts from and telling him why.
Well, not only did she hear back from him, but he sent her one of his shirts from the show along with a birthday note for Dad.
That man had class.
Great movie.
That guy definitely let the Jap get too close!
Wow - I could have sworn there was only room for the pilot.
Thanks.
Mountain Men (1980), with Charlton Heston and Victoria Racimo...
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