patches Posted April 14, 2013 Share #1 Posted April 14, 2013 This one almost sliped by us. Jonathan Winters. In WWII he was a Marine, as usual can't find more on him in WWII, I used to have that book Stars in the Service or something like that, Naval Service? if I can remember it had more info, can't remember exactly, he served as Ships Detachment on board a Carrier, can't recall which one, it also had his Marine Corps " Mug Shot" you know the type with the Height Chart behind the man, this photo is apparantly not available online, at least I can't find it. Winters as one of the village policemen Officer Norman Jones in the 1966 movie THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted April 14, 2013 Share #2 Posted April 14, 2013 He always made me laugh! R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted April 14, 2013 Share #3 Posted April 14, 2013 He bummed a cigarette from me when I was covering a celebrity tennis tournament in about 1974 - glad to see he had a nice long life, despite the tobacco. I had been a big fan ever since It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World came out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted April 14, 2013 Share #4 Posted April 14, 2013 A bit more then: "JONATHAN WINTERS, Comedian The real Jonathan Winters was born in Dayton, Ohio on November 11, 1925. After attending public school in Springfield, he joined the Marine Corps at the age of seventeen. After serving two-and-a-half years in the South Pacific, he returned to Ohio and attended Kenyon College. His interest in art led him to Dayton Art Institute where he studied for over two years and met the girl who would become his wife, Eileen. Eileen encouraged Jonathan to enter a local talent contest in Dayton, which he did, and he won a wrist watch, but the performance led him to a job as an early morning disc-jockey on radio station WING in Dayton (1946). This job led him to WBNS-TV in Columbus where he worked for three years. In 1953, Jonathan headed for New York for the "big time" with $56.46 in his pocket. As a performer at Manhattan's Blue Angel nightclub, his reputation as a comic began to grow. Gary Moore, who was substituting for Arthur Godfrey on the TV Show "Talent Scouts", presented Jonathan on the show. Then came the Jack Paar Show, The Steve Allen Show, and The Tonight Show, where Jonathan was able to demonstrate his comic genius and he became a top name in American Comedy. Jonathan and Eileen have two children and five grandchildren. They live in Santa Barbara, where Jonathan paints and writes when he is not performing." Link to: http://www.corpsstories.com/WintersJonathan.htm He was a Corporal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Andrews Posted April 14, 2013 Share #5 Posted April 14, 2013 I recall him ad libbing on Jack Paar (?) and going into an extemporaneous bit about a Marine raid, blowing away them yellow sons of Nee-pon for mother, and his buddy the Grease Gun. "This puppy weighs 8 and a quarter pounds empty, and fires from the open bolt, it's slower firing than them Tommy guns, but it don't quit, sand, seawater, chocolate syrup, whatever -- like a MARINE!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share #6 Posted April 14, 2013 I still can't find his service info, IIRC he was either on Lake Champlain or Shangri La? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fstop61 Posted April 16, 2013 Share #7 Posted April 16, 2013 Recently watched one of his newer specials and a brief reference to Okinawa was made??????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasonK Posted April 16, 2013 Share #8 Posted April 16, 2013 I still can't find his service info, IIRC he was either on Lake Champlain or Shangri La? USS Bon Homme Richard (CV31) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bon_Homme_Richard_(CV-31) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasonK Posted April 16, 2013 Share #9 Posted April 16, 2013 Here is the only photo of Jonathan Winters, during his service, that I could find online. Photo courtesey of the following website: http://plbirnamwood.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasonK Posted April 16, 2013 Share #10 Posted April 16, 2013 I was a child of the 80's, so, to add my own personal memories, the ones that stand out most for me would be his appearances on Scooby Doo as himself and Maude Frickert and his appearances on Mork and Mindy as Mearth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted April 16, 2013 Author Share #11 Posted April 16, 2013 Thank's Mason, Bon Homme Richard it is. I wonder if Winters was a Plank Owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted April 16, 2013 Share #12 Posted April 16, 2013 He was always one of my favorites. He had a bit on an old LP record about the Corps which was hilarious! I had the pleasure of meeting him when he walked up to my table at the Great Western Show in L.A. many moons ago. I got to shake his hand and mentioned the bit on the Corps and he immediately went into character, that's if he ever went out of character! R.I.P. Marine Winters! He was one funny guy!!!! Semper Fi.......Bobgee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMCRECON Posted April 17, 2013 Share #13 Posted April 17, 2013 Jonathan Winters was a good friend of my dear late Marine buddy, Larry Cullen and even more so his brother Peter (the voice of Optimus Prime in al lthe Transformer movies and cartoons). I met him a a few times times and he gave me a couple items of his Marine memorabilia. He was a great comedian but he was a great guy as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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