carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Share #1 Posted May 21, 2011 Greetings all! A lazy Saturday in Arkansas has helped to spawn this topic that I have wanted to do for sometime. My interest in WWII and the history of Hollywood/famous Americans have clashed and I’ve created a little game for everybody to try their hand at! What I’ll give you first is a picture of the well known celebrity during their war years (most of the pictures are of them in their dress uniforms to make it easier) and a brief description of their service. Some were celebrities before or during WWII and some gained their stardom post-war. At the end of the thread, I will post their names and very recognizable/contemporary pictures of the celebrity. I will include clues and hints in the text of the initial posts so keep on the lookout for them! Good Luck to everyone and no scrolling down to the bottom to cheat! Have a good evening everybody! I will be posting 10 of these mystery men so don’t fret, the true identities will be coming up momentarily. Are you ready? Thinking cap on? Here we go!!! Mystery Veteran #1: This man’s education was interrupted by WWII and he was trained to be a fighter pilot in the Navy. However, the war ended before he was assigned to a seagoing squadron. He later went on to be a famous television show host. Will the person who knows the answer to this one please come on down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #2 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran #2: This country entertainer served as a C-47 Skytrain pilot in the United States Army Air Forces, with the rank of flight officer in the Air Transport Command during World War II flying dangerous missions over the Himalayas, nicknamed the Hump, between Burma and China. I wonder if he was nicknamed “The Singing Pilot” by any of his air crew? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran #3: This actor, racecar driver, film director, and culinary entrepreneur served in the United States Navy in World War II in the Pacific theater. He flew from aircraft carriers as a turret gunner in an Avenger torpedo bomber. As a radioman-gunner, he served aboard the USS Bunker Hill during the Battle of Okinawa in the spring of 1945. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #4 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran #4: This bodybuilder/health guru/fruit juicer was in the Navy and served in the South Pacific, Guadalcanal and Suva. We lost this veteran sadly just recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #5 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran #5: This man was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. In addition to being an MGM movie star, he also had a noted military career and was a World War II and Vietnam War veteran, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve. He was one of many recognizable faces to have worked with the USAAF's First Motion Picture Unit. This well known celebrity truly did have a “wonderful life”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #6 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran #6: This man not only served honorably during WWII but was and still is a hero to most every adolescent male and grown man world wide. After graduating high school, he joined the military for a short time at the end of the war. In the Army, he worked as a clerk for the Army newspapers and spent much of his time drawing cartoons to increase morale. Some of his war stories have been heard by a VERY lucky few in “the grotto” . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran #7: When this baseball great turned 18, the year was 1943 and World War II was kicking into high gear. Instead of waiting to being drafted into the armed services, he set aside his dream to play professional baseball and enlisted in the Navy himself. He participated in the D-Day invasion as a gunner's mate on a rocket-launching craft. Could this of been when he coined his famous phrase "Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting." ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran #8: Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, this famous American politician decided to join the US Navy. During the war in the Pacific he was one of the sole surviving members of his aircrew after parachuting to safety into the ocean. I’m not going to give away many hints on this one but he is the last surviving one of “these” to be a WWII veteran. A truly great and admirable man in my eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran #9: This actor is known to many history AND Sci-fy enthusiasts. He was an officer in the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division and his first combat was the invasion of Normandy at Juno Beach on D-Day. Shooting two snipers, he led his men to higher ground through a field of anti-tank mines, where they took defensive positions for the night. I wonder if any of his commanding officers during the invasion were named “Kirk” as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran #10: This funny man could be seen around Hollywood during the 30’s and 40’s not only acting in famous movies but also entertaining our boy’s overseas traveling with USO shows as well! He was lucky enough to date the beautiful “Dorothy Gale” during his younger days and he was awarded a bronze star for his service! He was one of the many acting greats in the movie “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” (One of my personal favorites!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #11 Posted May 21, 2011 AND Here's The answers! How did you do? All comments are welcome! :thumbsup: Mystery Veteran 1: Bob Barker, Host of “The Price is Right” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran 2: Gene Autry, “The Singing Cowboy” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #13 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran 3: Paul Newman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran 4: Jack Lalanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #15 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran 5: Jimmy Stewart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #16 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran 6: Hugh Hefner, (The founder of Playboy Magazine for the foreigners and those living under a rock for the past 50+ years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #17 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran 7: New York Yankee, Yogi Berra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #18 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran 8: President, George H. W. Bush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #19 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran 9: James Doohan ( Beam-me-up “Scotty” off of Star Trek) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share #20 Posted May 21, 2011 Mystery Veteran 10: Mickey Rooney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted May 21, 2011 Share #21 Posted May 21, 2011 NEXT CLUE ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share #22 Posted May 22, 2011 Alright one more...in case there is a tie. Anybody have a guess on this Actor? This mystery man starred in more than 60 films during his career earning 8 Academy Award Nominations! Although he never technically served overseas he was a Navy ROTC student and after graduating Harvard in 1947, joined the Navy, received V-12 training, and served as an ensign. He doesn't seem very grumpy to me at all as he can be seen smiling in most pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted May 22, 2011 Share #23 Posted May 22, 2011 Number eight, James Doohan lost a finger during his war service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted May 22, 2011 Share #24 Posted May 22, 2011 Well I was right on a few of them, but not all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share #25 Posted May 22, 2011 I just couldn't resist another I'm sure you guys won't mind too much! This mystery vet was born on November 10, 1924 in Ashley, Pennsylvania. During the War, he rose to the rank of First Lieutenant. He flew as bombardier in a total of 44 combat missions in a aircraft over the Netherlands, The East Indies, and the Philippines. He earned the Purple Heart when the bomber he was a crewman on was shot down during a bombing run against Japanese targets in the Philippine Islands in March of 1945. After the war he took advantage of the GI Bill to pay for acting school. His major claim to fame came in 1963 when auditioned for a role on a television show and got one of the 7 castaway cast members parts. Any Guesses?? (The photo next to the plane is the only one I could find of him in service...thought I would post it even though it doesn't show him clearly. He is second from left. Mods, sorry about the other three guys expressing err...sign language ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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