Was doing a little reading about a lot of the actors in the 60s, 70s, 80s who served in WW2.
My grandad told us that he knew Chuck Connors when he was stationed at Fort Knox. Connors was a tank warfare instructor, grandad was an MP in the 8th armored division.
So I got to looking up a few others. Some were in rear areas, etc. Some had bullets whipping past their ears. And some had service careers that would make a pretty good movie.
Had to start with Audie Murphy...Wife's distant cousin.
(Audie Murphy Little 5'5" tall 110 pounder from Texas who played cowboy parts. Murphy was the most Decorated serviceman of World War II and earned: Medal of Honor; Distinguished Service Cross; 2 Silver Star Medals; Legion of Merit; 2 Bronze Star Medals with 'V'; 2 Purple Hearts; U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal; Good Conduct Medal; 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems; American Campaign Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star; Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns); and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France); World War II Victory Medal; Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Combat Infantry Badge; Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar; Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar; French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre; French Legion of Honor; Grade of Chevalier; French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star; French Croix de Guerre with Palm; Medal of Liberated France; Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.)
(Art Carney (1918-2003) [The Honeymooners] A World War II veteran, he was stationed in France as an infantryman and wounded in leg by shrapnel. He was hospitalized for nine months and walked with a limp for the rest of his life. )
(Don Adams (1923-2005) [Get Smart, tv] served with the U.S. Marine Corps during WW II in the Pacific. He was wounded during the Battle of Guadalcanal and he contracted malaria, nearly dying of blackwater fever. Upon his recovery and return to the States, he served as a drill instructor. ) ....Can't imagine Maxwell Smart as a drill instructor.
(Eddie Albert (1906-2005) [tv: Green Acres; Film: The Longest Day]. Served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard in the Pacific during WW II. A genuine war hero, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during the Battle of Tarawa in Nov. 1943, when, as a landing ship pilot, he rescued several hundred wounded Marines while under heavy enemy machine-gun fire.)
(Merian C. Coooper (1893-1973) [Producer: King Kong (1933); She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949); Mighty Joe Young (1949)] was born Merian Coldwell Cooper to John C. Cooper and Mary Caldwell in Jacksonville, Florida. He was educated at The Lawrenceville School and entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1912, but resigned in 1915 (his senior year) in a dispute over his belief in air power which the Navy did not share. In 1916, he joined the Georgia National Guard to help chase Pancho Villa in Mexico. Captain Cooper served as a DH-4 bomber pilot with the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I. He was shot down and captured by the Germans, serving out the remainder of the war in a POW camp. From late 1919 until the 1921 Treaty of Riga, Cooper was a member of a volunteer American flight squadron, the Kosciuszko Squadron, which supported the Polish Army in the Polish-Soviet War. On July 26, 1920, his plane was shot down, and he spent nearly 9 months in a Soviet prisoner of war camp. He escaped just before the war was over and made it to Latvia. For valor he was decorated by Polish commander-in-chief Jozef Pilsudski with the highest Polish military decoration, the Virtuti Militari. Cooper was a founding member of the Board of Directors of Pan American Airways, serving on the board for decades. He was a pioneer in the use of aircraft, military and civilian. Cooper was head of production for RKO Radio Pictures from 1933 to 1935. He frequently collaborated with Ernest B. Schoedsack. Cooper was vice president in charge of production for Pioneer Pictures from 1934 to 1936, and vice president of Selznick International Pictures in 1936–1937, before moving to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He re-enlisted for World War II and was commissioned a colonel in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He served with Col. Robert L. Scott in India as a logistics liaison for the Doolittle Raid. They then went to Dinjan Airfield, Assam, and with Col. Caleb V. Haynes, a bomber pilot, set up the Assam-Burma-China Ferrying Command, which was the origin of The Hump Airlift. He later served in China as chief of staff for General Claire Chennault of the China Air Task Force — precursor of the Fourteenth Air Force — then from 1943 to 1945 in the Southwest Pacific as chief of staff for the Fifth Air Force's Bomber Command. Leading many missions and carefully planning them to minimize loss of life, he was known for his hard work and relentless planning. At the end of the war, he was promoted to brigadier general. For his contributions, he was also aboard the USS Missouri to witness Japan's surrender. Cooper and his friend and frequent collaborator, noted director John Ford, formed Argosy Productions in 1947 and produced such notable films as Wagon Master (1950), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), and The Searchers (1956). )
(Tony Curtis (1925-2010) [Trapeze (1956), The Boston Strangler (1968)]. Joined the Navy at age 17 in 1943 and served on a submarine tender during World War II. In Tokyo Bay in 1945 he watched the surrender ceremonies from the signal bridge of the USS Proteus. After the war he enrolled in drama school on the G.I. Bill.)
(Peter Ortiz (1913-1988) [Rio Grande (1950); The Wings of Eagles (1957)] was born of French-Spanish parentage. Colonel Ortiz spoke 5 languages fluently and was the most decorated Marine officer in World War II. He served in the O.S.S. and, before that, was the youngest Sergeant in the French Foreign Legion. In 1940, he was wounded and captured by the German invading army, he escaped and joined the U.S. Marines. Parachuting into France, he became a Maquis (French underground) leader in 1944. He frequented a Lyons nightclub to gain information from the German officers who also frequented the popular club. One night, a German officer damned President Roosevelt, then the USA, and finally the Marine Corps. Ortiz then excused himself, went to his apartment and changed into his Marine Corps uniform. Returning to the club, he ordered a round then removed his raincoat and stood there resplendent in full greens and decorations yelling, "A toast to President Roosevelt!" Pointing his pistol at one German officer then another, they emptied their glasses as he ordered another round to toast the USA then the Marine Corps! The Germans again drained their glasses as he backed out leaving his astonished hosts and disappeared into the night. After the war, Colonel Ortiz worked with director John Ford, also a former OSS member. The films 13 Rue Madeleine (1947) and Operation Secret (1952) were based on his exploits.)
(Bea Arthur (1922-2009) [All in the Family (TV 1971-1972); Mame (1974); Maude (TV 1972-1978); The Golden Girls (TV 1985-1992)] was born Bernice Frankel of a Jewish family in New York City but grew up in Maryland where her parents ran a dress shop. By the time she was 12 she had grown to 5'9" and was the tallest girl in her school. Before she was a successful actress and comedienne, Arthur was one of the first women to become an active-duty United States Marine. She volunteered and served during World War II as a truck driver and a typist in the Marine Corps. She was stationed at Marine Corps and Navy air stations in Virginia and North Carolina. During her military career, Arthur's rank went from private to corporal to sergeant to staff sergeant, the title she held upon her honorable discharge in September 1945.)
My grandad told us that he knew Chuck Connors when he was stationed at Fort Knox. Connors was a tank warfare instructor, grandad was an MP in the 8th armored division.
So I got to looking up a few others. Some were in rear areas, etc. Some had bullets whipping past their ears. And some had service careers that would make a pretty good movie.
Had to start with Audie Murphy...Wife's distant cousin.
(Audie Murphy Little 5'5" tall 110 pounder from Texas who played cowboy parts. Murphy was the most Decorated serviceman of World War II and earned: Medal of Honor; Distinguished Service Cross; 2 Silver Star Medals; Legion of Merit; 2 Bronze Star Medals with 'V'; 2 Purple Hearts; U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal; Good Conduct Medal; 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems; American Campaign Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star; Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns); and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France); World War II Victory Medal; Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Combat Infantry Badge; Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar; Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar; French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre; French Legion of Honor; Grade of Chevalier; French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star; French Croix de Guerre with Palm; Medal of Liberated France; Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.)
(Art Carney (1918-2003) [The Honeymooners] A World War II veteran, he was stationed in France as an infantryman and wounded in leg by shrapnel. He was hospitalized for nine months and walked with a limp for the rest of his life. )
(Don Adams (1923-2005) [Get Smart, tv] served with the U.S. Marine Corps during WW II in the Pacific. He was wounded during the Battle of Guadalcanal and he contracted malaria, nearly dying of blackwater fever. Upon his recovery and return to the States, he served as a drill instructor. ) ....Can't imagine Maxwell Smart as a drill instructor.
(Eddie Albert (1906-2005) [tv: Green Acres; Film: The Longest Day]. Served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard in the Pacific during WW II. A genuine war hero, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during the Battle of Tarawa in Nov. 1943, when, as a landing ship pilot, he rescued several hundred wounded Marines while under heavy enemy machine-gun fire.)
(Merian C. Coooper (1893-1973) [Producer: King Kong (1933); She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949); Mighty Joe Young (1949)] was born Merian Coldwell Cooper to John C. Cooper and Mary Caldwell in Jacksonville, Florida. He was educated at The Lawrenceville School and entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1912, but resigned in 1915 (his senior year) in a dispute over his belief in air power which the Navy did not share. In 1916, he joined the Georgia National Guard to help chase Pancho Villa in Mexico. Captain Cooper served as a DH-4 bomber pilot with the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I. He was shot down and captured by the Germans, serving out the remainder of the war in a POW camp. From late 1919 until the 1921 Treaty of Riga, Cooper was a member of a volunteer American flight squadron, the Kosciuszko Squadron, which supported the Polish Army in the Polish-Soviet War. On July 26, 1920, his plane was shot down, and he spent nearly 9 months in a Soviet prisoner of war camp. He escaped just before the war was over and made it to Latvia. For valor he was decorated by Polish commander-in-chief Jozef Pilsudski with the highest Polish military decoration, the Virtuti Militari. Cooper was a founding member of the Board of Directors of Pan American Airways, serving on the board for decades. He was a pioneer in the use of aircraft, military and civilian. Cooper was head of production for RKO Radio Pictures from 1933 to 1935. He frequently collaborated with Ernest B. Schoedsack. Cooper was vice president in charge of production for Pioneer Pictures from 1934 to 1936, and vice president of Selznick International Pictures in 1936–1937, before moving to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He re-enlisted for World War II and was commissioned a colonel in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He served with Col. Robert L. Scott in India as a logistics liaison for the Doolittle Raid. They then went to Dinjan Airfield, Assam, and with Col. Caleb V. Haynes, a bomber pilot, set up the Assam-Burma-China Ferrying Command, which was the origin of The Hump Airlift. He later served in China as chief of staff for General Claire Chennault of the China Air Task Force — precursor of the Fourteenth Air Force — then from 1943 to 1945 in the Southwest Pacific as chief of staff for the Fifth Air Force's Bomber Command. Leading many missions and carefully planning them to minimize loss of life, he was known for his hard work and relentless planning. At the end of the war, he was promoted to brigadier general. For his contributions, he was also aboard the USS Missouri to witness Japan's surrender. Cooper and his friend and frequent collaborator, noted director John Ford, formed Argosy Productions in 1947 and produced such notable films as Wagon Master (1950), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), and The Searchers (1956). )
(Tony Curtis (1925-2010) [Trapeze (1956), The Boston Strangler (1968)]. Joined the Navy at age 17 in 1943 and served on a submarine tender during World War II. In Tokyo Bay in 1945 he watched the surrender ceremonies from the signal bridge of the USS Proteus. After the war he enrolled in drama school on the G.I. Bill.)
(Peter Ortiz (1913-1988) [Rio Grande (1950); The Wings of Eagles (1957)] was born of French-Spanish parentage. Colonel Ortiz spoke 5 languages fluently and was the most decorated Marine officer in World War II. He served in the O.S.S. and, before that, was the youngest Sergeant in the French Foreign Legion. In 1940, he was wounded and captured by the German invading army, he escaped and joined the U.S. Marines. Parachuting into France, he became a Maquis (French underground) leader in 1944. He frequented a Lyons nightclub to gain information from the German officers who also frequented the popular club. One night, a German officer damned President Roosevelt, then the USA, and finally the Marine Corps. Ortiz then excused himself, went to his apartment and changed into his Marine Corps uniform. Returning to the club, he ordered a round then removed his raincoat and stood there resplendent in full greens and decorations yelling, "A toast to President Roosevelt!" Pointing his pistol at one German officer then another, they emptied their glasses as he ordered another round to toast the USA then the Marine Corps! The Germans again drained their glasses as he backed out leaving his astonished hosts and disappeared into the night. After the war, Colonel Ortiz worked with director John Ford, also a former OSS member. The films 13 Rue Madeleine (1947) and Operation Secret (1952) were based on his exploits.)
(Bea Arthur (1922-2009) [All in the Family (TV 1971-1972); Mame (1974); Maude (TV 1972-1978); The Golden Girls (TV 1985-1992)] was born Bernice Frankel of a Jewish family in New York City but grew up in Maryland where her parents ran a dress shop. By the time she was 12 she had grown to 5'9" and was the tallest girl in her school. Before she was a successful actress and comedienne, Arthur was one of the first women to become an active-duty United States Marine. She volunteered and served during World War II as a truck driver and a typist in the Marine Corps. She was stationed at Marine Corps and Navy air stations in Virginia and North Carolina. During her military career, Arthur's rank went from private to corporal to sergeant to staff sergeant, the title she held upon her honorable discharge in September 1945.)
