They Served: WW II - Actors in the military

ForrestGump

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Tue Jul-19-05 04:53 AM
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They Served: WW II - Actors in the military

Edited on Tue Jul-19-05 04:54 AM by ForrestGump

In writing a post (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x3675587) based on the Malmedy massacre of 1944's "Battle of the Bulge," I was surprised to find that actor Charles Durning not only narrowly escaped being shot by SS troops that day but was a decorated Ranger. Then I found this site, that's really pretty interesting:

http://www.angelfire.com/film/humble/actors.html

It explains Jack Palance's somewhat 'unique' visage, too.

Here's a sampling...

Don Adams - USMC, Contracted malaria on Guadalcanal

Eddie Albert - US Navy. Drove Amtracks in several Pacific invasions. He served in the landings at Saipan in 1943, where he rescued wounded and stranded Marines from the beachhead. At Tarawa, he was wounded and lost most of his hearing and earned the Bronze Star.

James Arness - US Army, Wounded at Anzio. Purple Heart and Bronze Star

James Best - US Army Air Corps.

Ernest Borgnine he served in the U.S. Navy for twelve years, joining before WWII.

Mel Brooks (Melvin Kaminsky) joined army in WWII and became a combat engineer. Cleared German mines after the Battle of the Bulge. He organized shows for the US troops, and when the German army began transmitting propaganda over loudspeakers Brooks is said to have replied with a version of Al Jolson's 'Toot-toot-tootsie'.

Art Carney - US Army. Carney went to Normandy in July of 1944 as a replacement to the 28th Division in position around St Lô. He was part of a 30 calibre machine gun squad. On 15 August 1944 he had just taken up his position and was hit in the right leg by mortar shrapnel. After receiving field treatment, he was sent back to Britain and then the US. He once said of his military career, "Never fired a shot and maybe never wanted to. I really cost the government money."

Julia Child served with the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) in Ceylon and China during WWII.

Jackie Coogan - US Army Air Corps. Enlisted in Army March 1941. After Pearl Harbor, requested transfer to Air Corps as a glider pilot because of his civilian flying experience. After graduating from Glider School, he was made a Flight Officer and volunteered for hazardous duty with the 1st Air Commando Group. In Dec. 1943, the unit was sent to India where, by using CG-4A gliders, it airlifted crack British troops under Gen. Orde Wingate during the night aerial invasion of Burma (Mar. 5, 1944), landing them in a small jungle clearing 100 miles behind Japanese lines.

Tony Curtis - US Navy joined 1943 at age 17. In Tokyo Bay he watched the surrender ceremonies from the Signal Bridge of the USS Proteus.

Ossie Davis - US Army

Kirk Douglas - US Navy

Charles Durning - US Army. Durning landed at Omaha Beach in the D-Day invasion. He survived the landing, but was wounded in an ambush during the Battle of the Bulge. He was captured, escaped, and narrowly missed assassination at the Malmedy Massacre. He won three Purple Hearts and the Silver Star. He still carries his memories and battle fatigue to this day.

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. - US Navy. He joined the naval reserves before the war. During the war he served on the Battleship Massachuesetts and was a Commando raider sent on several land attack missions. He retired from the reserves, years later, as a full Captain. He wrote about his war years in the book "A Hell of a War" which also covers his duties in helping organize the forerunners of today's Navy Seals.

Henry Fonda - US Navy. Bronze Star for Valor.

Audrey Hepburn, as a child she was a courier for World War II resistance fighters in Holland

Benny Hill - British Army

Bob Keeshan - ("Captain Kangaroo") U.S. Marines, enlisted two weeks before his 18th birthday. He saw no combat because his enlistment was just two months before the bombing of Hiroshima

Werner Klemperer - US Army

Don Knotts - USA 1943

Lee Marvin - US Marines, wounded in the battle of Saipan

Jack Palance US Army Air Corps. 455th bomb group. Required facial reconstruction from terrible injuries received in 1943 when his B17 crash landed in Britain.

Tyrone Power - USMC Pilot in the South Pacific.

Jason Robards Jr - US Navy. He was a radioman on duty at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. He wrote about his experiences in A Hell of a War.

Don Rickles - US Navy. Destroyer duty. He has said of one deployment, "It was so hot and humid, the crew rotted."

Charles Schultz (cartoonist) - US Army. Staff sergeant and leader of machine gun squad.

Rod Serling - US Army paratroopers

Robert Stack - US Navy. Because of his expertise as an Olympic champion skeet shooter, he was assigned to teach anti-aircraft gunnery.

Rod Stieger - Torpedoman, US Navy. Falsified his age to enlist at 16

Judge Wapner of The People's Court was saved from a sniper's bullet when it lodged in a can of tuna he was carrying while an Army officer in the Pacific

James Whitmore - USMC. WWII interrupted his pre-law studies at Yale. He received his degree while at boot camp and served as an officer in the Marine Corps.