Hollywood Stars - Veteran Patriots

Dolly Howard | November 11, 2005 | DollyCali

[DollyCali]

With "JAG," "Navy CIS," "MASH," and other military television shows being quite popular, one might consider with how military service has enhanced the fame of veteran actors in Hollywood or vice versa.

During our distinguished history, some Hollywood actors have taken a break from their careers while they defended our country oftentimes to battle in war.

These hereos include Charles Bronson, Gary Cooper, Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda, Clarke Gable, Lee Marvin, Elvis Presley, and Jimmy Stewart.

More recent editions of entertainment veterans include "Limp Bizkit" lead singer Fred Durst who did service with the United States Navy.

Up until just recently, we could find James Reynolds on NBC's afternoon soap opera "Days of Our Lives." He starred as "Abe Carver" on the show from October, 1982 through September, 2003. Reynolds served for the U.S. Marine Corps and was wounded while in the Vietnam War ending his military career. Upon returning from the war and enrolling in Topeka's Washburn University, he was advised that the theatre department was the best place on campus to meet girls. Many of you might agree that this inducement is still true today. Reynolds listened and his career was off and running.

Dennis Franz, who portrayed detective "Andy Sipowicz" on "NYPD Blue," served in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Army's 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Says Franz of his tormenting 11 months over in Vietnam, "it was one of those experiences that you never want to experience again, but it was life altering. It was a very maturing time for me. I came back a much different person than when I left, maybe much more serious. I was very frivilous before I left. I left my youth over there. I left it behind." Remembering the friends that he made over there, he said, "I had seen many friends get wounded or lose their lives." He added that in this environment, "they become all important to you. So when something happens to them, it really hurts."

Chuck Norris performed as the lead character "Walker" for many years on "Walker, Texas Ranger." Norris served in the U.S. Air Force as a military policeman. He said that, "my years in the military changed my life. It helped me to get my focus." While in the service, he also took up Judo.

Don Bellisario, producer of "JAG," "Navy CIS," and "Magnum P.I," is himself formerly of the U.S. Marine Corps.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has military experience as well. He served his native country in the Austrian Army working with armored tanks. This well known action hero and body builder explains that he joined up to receive fresh meat for his rigorous training appetite.

A further review will find additional celebrity actors who have donned the uniform of the U.S. armed forces. Briefly naming a few, Charleton Heston was a Sergeant with the Army Air Corps during World War II. JesseVentura saw action in the Vietnam War as a Navy SEAL. Clint Eastwood served in the U.S. Army while being stationed at Ft. Ord, CA. Montel Williams first enlisted into the Marine Corps and later attended the U.S. Naval Academy. He consequently earned a commission and became a Navy Intelligence Officer. Alan Alda was a combat officer with the Army while fighting in the Korean War. Jay North from "Dennis The Menace" served in the Navy. Drew Carey was with the Marine Corps for 5 years.

Women are now getting into the act more and more. Robin Quivers, longtime a sidekick of Howard Stern, was a Captain and nurse in the military. T.J. Myers served in Operation Desert Storm with the Army. Darva Conger, who was briefly married to Rick Rockwell after "earning the opportunity" on the reality TV show "Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire," was a nurse Staff Sergeant with the Air Force. Former Navy petty officer Sherry Lynne White's career includes appearing on several episodes of "Baywatch Hawaii." Coincidentially, both Conger and White have posed for Playboy." Speaking of Playboy, Editor-in-Chief Hugh Hefner was in the Army as an infantry clerk from 1944 - 1946.

J. Scott Davis, enlisted into the Navy, held the Gunner's Mate- Guns petty officer rating, specialty of Surface Rescue Swimmer, and served in the Persian Gulf War aboard a naval destroyer.He has built a very interesting web page listing those famous Hollywood celebrities who are veterans of the military. Please take a moment to view it enclosed below:

http://www.geocities.com/entertainmentveterans/chiseled.html

Remember to never take for granted your freedom.
Always appreciate the contribution those provide you
in the armed forces year around 24 hours per day.

[DollyCali]

That is a wonderful page you developed. My profile page is under construction & I will be having a set of links to great web pages. I will include yours!!!!

thank you!

[DollyCali]

I didn't know that about Carole Lombard. thanks

[Victoria Delsoul]

You're welcome. He was a great guy.

[Liberty Valance]

Julia Child worked for Wild Bill Donovan in the OSS...

Though Julia would later say, modestly, "I was just a file clerk," she had a high security clearance for her work, which included all classified papers for the invasion of the Malaysian peninsula. She tracked sensitive documents, dispatches, and espionage/sabotage under the South East Asia Command, then headed by Mountbatten. A colleague in Air Force Intelligence, Byron Martin, stated that Julia "was privy to every top secret ... which required a person of unquestioned loyalty, of rock-solid integrity, of unblemished lifestyle, of keen intelligence." And Betty MacDonald McIntosh, who later wrote a book about the women of the OSS, Sisterhood of Spies (United States Naval Institute, 1998), reported, "Morale in her section could not be higher."

http://www.moaa.org/magazine/January2003/f_juliachild.asp

[Freebird Forever]

Ice T

U.S. Army Rangers (1979 - 1981)

[Beth528]

Here is your picture..

[Darksheare]

Hmm.. not sure.
All of my sketches are of different subjects, and i haven't written poetry that would fit.
*hmm*

[Buffettfan]

This is when Hollywood was inhabitated by REAL people.

[Eaker]

Thanks!

I was amazed at all of it.

It really makes it personal that they are all my pictures.

[DollyCali]

I had over a thousand pix from DC/monument area that I want to work up. As you well know it takes time to do this, then post to server & then put into decent HTML form. I have spent more time than usual at the computer recovering from bike spill.. Have done quite a few big projects but so many remain. Thanks for sharing Eaker!

[DollyCali]

that is okay. Just checking. Never know what "artists" have in their stash

[DollyCali]

any poetry????

[Darksheare]

True.
I do have an aimage of a rabbit holding a shotgun.. which is a reference to artillery.
("Gun Bunny" to be precise.. it is supposed to be an 'insult' to 13B's, but I always thought it was funny personally. So I made the sketch.)

[DollyCali]

pretty good huh? many uses.. My pledge, 2nd Amendment advocates, military, hollywood... thanks for posting in "whole" form Beth!

[lysie]

Excellent, Dolly. Thanks.

[Dr Stormfist]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but most of the Hollywood stars during WWII were out selling War Bonds and leading drives for supplies for the war effort.

I doubt you will ever see anything like that again, coming out of Hollywood.

[NicknamedBob]

"any poetry????"

Just the one. But I learned only recently that Jimmy Stewart, (yes the Jimmy Stewart), flew a mission in Viet Nam!

Okay, you wanted poetry...




Scotty’s Beam-Up

Scotty got his beam-up. I’m sure it went quite well.
There’s just no way an engineer would ever end in He!!.
Oh, my, the consternation! The divvils would be glum,
As after only minutes there, the broken things would Hum!

That AC that was useful just for making He!!ish noise,
Would soon be working smoothly, and no Freon it employs.
The water taps would flow again, and fevered thirsts would slake,
And Charon’s boat could cruise about, out on a gentle lake.

The lifts would be put in order, and commerce could resume,
That backlog of requests for ice was reaching to the moon!
The problem this engenders, (and who the devil cares?)
Is that the engineer might then check out the stuff upstairs.

I’m sure that he’d be welcome, and glad to see his mates,
But I just know he’d soon be putting oil upon those Gates!
He’d want to swing them wide, I think, to bring a truck though there.
‘Cause with his eye for trouble, even Heaven needs repair!

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . . . . . July 20, 2005

[Aquamarine]

Wow Dolly, where did you find the time to do this? It's very inspiring, thanks.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Nice!

[NicknamedBob]

"any poetry???? "

Hey! Guess what I found!

Veteran’s Day

On Veteran’s Day, we celebrate,
In quiet moments, contemplate.
A holiday for civil workers,
Government folks, and other shirkers,

Ask them yourself, about the con,
“Are you essential?” Mais oui, non?
When evil storms blow into town,
The government offices all shut down.

So they’re off from work upon this day,
While all the Veterans still earn pay,
Having finished the job they were given to do.
They have different work now, that they must see through.

In trenches, on beaches, and planes in the air,
They went off to fight with scarcely a care,
At least so it seemed for they smiled all the while,
And they finished their work with admirable style.

Not once did they ask for much more than their smokes,
And they tell the old stories as if they were jokes,
Although we don't know what the day is about,
Today, while they work, they’re still sorting things out.

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November 9, 2004