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101combatvet
Posted

Gregory Peck was OSS in Greece. At least he claims that. hapy0004.gif

 

Remember Frank Sutton? He was US Army in the South Pacific.

 

here

El Bibliotecario
Posted
Gregory Peck was OSS in Greece. At least he claims that. think.gifhere

 

Didn't him and David Niven blow up a German coast artillery position on some island in the Aegan?

 

Sorry--I just HAD to say it.

El Bibliotecario
Posted
...( Yes, Yes I know I live a sad life wanting to see the manufacture details of a Jeep, and I have seen plenty in real life and owned as well but there's never been a chance to see one that has not been through the mill )

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

 

If it makes you feel any better, Milton Caniff acquired all manner of items to use as models when drawing TERRY AND THE PIRATES and STEVE CANYON...including a jeep.

101combatvet
Posted

Funny how the movies are so realistic. Yup.... saw him say it in an interview once.... of course he played it down. dunno.gif

 

Lucille Ball was a radio intercept operator.... using a dental cavity filling. w00t.gif

 

Didn't him and David Niven blow up a German coast artillery position on some island in the Aegan?

 

Sorry--I just HAD to say it.

dogfacedsoldier
Posted

Hey,

 

 

George Kennedy was in the 99th Div in WWII. Paul Newman was a gunner in some Navy aviation unit. Sam Fuller, 16th Inf. Big Red One. Niven, a British Commando, it was rumored that he enjoyed using the knife in combat. William Windom 508th, 82nd Ab. James Doohan Canadian Art. landed at D-Day, lost a finger in combat. James Arness, 7th Inf. 3rd Div. Wia Anzio. Peter Graves, OSS Burma. Ted Williams, Navy WWII & Korea. Hank Greenberg OSS. Hank Bauer Infantry in Wia ETO. Gil Hodges infantry, Wia ETO. Jason Robards Navy, on duty Dec. 7 at Pearl Harbor, U.S.S. Honolulu. Bob Barker supposedly OSS. Johnny Stompanato, Marines Pacific (Hugh O'Brian knew him). William Manchester, Marines Pacific. Jonathan Winters, Marines Battleship detail. James Jones 27th Inf. 25th Div. Jack Warden 101st AB, broke his leg just before D-Day. Norman Mailer, 112th Cav. Pacific. William Holden, Navy. Tony Curtis, Navy. James Garner Army, Korea. Bruce Cabot, Army. Russell Johnson AFF B-25 Bombadier, Pacific. Joseph Heller AAF B-25 Pilot, Italy. Kurt Vonnegut, Army ETO. James Roosevelt, Major 2nd Marine Raider Bn., Pacific. Col. Elliott Roosevelt AAF Eto and Wash. DC. I can't think of anymore.

 

Jon

Posted

I believe Ted Williams and Bob (The Price is Right)Barker are both Pilots

Barker was in the Navy

Williams USMC

Want to add there is a good picture odf Williams in the book Hell Bent for Leather.The book details leather flight jackets.

RD

Posted

1. George C. Scott: I recall reading a letter/article (maybe in Leatherneck magazine) from a Marine who served with Scott and was his bunkmate. This stated Scott never went overseas, was stationed in Washington in 1945 (maybe into 1946), at the Marine Corps Institute (a correspondence course outfit, which still (?) exists) as a preparer of texts and tests, especially on Drama and Radio Announcer subjects. The writer also stated that George was angry that he could not get a commission, which he mostly wanted for his resume'. Being angry, Scott would never volunteer for anything ...at the time there were more Arlington burials due to battlefield remains being repatriated and everythign was very buy so trcuka nd sedan drivers were always needed. The bunkmate signed on for these things, Scott refused, feeling the Corps had insulted him.

 

2. Ernest Borgnine had been a career navy man, years before Pearl Harbor. IIRC he got out after V-J because his rank would have been rolled back and because he was in ill health and fatigued. He got the acting bug taking drama classes just for the heck of it -- then discovered there WERE roles for ugly guys that PAID money.

 

3. Ronald Reagan joined the Organized Reserve Corps (later the USAR) in Illinois, as a Cavalry private. He thought it was great to be provided horse(s) and riding expereince at govt expense, and the socializing with "respected community leaders". He pulled his two-week camps several years (one at Ft. Rileyowone at Ft Bliss with the 1st Cav Div, out in the desert looking for bandidos and undocumented visitors) before being commissioned (in 1940 IIRC) and may have spent a few months as a supervisor of a CCC camp. He was on full-time active duty a year before Pearl Harbor, and was stationed at the San Francisco harbor forts, as a Courts and Boards Officer (the HQ not knwoing what else to do with reservists of the horse cav). To thumb his nose at the Col. Blimps, he made a point of wearing breeches, boots, spurs and campaign hat, and having his sabre checked at the O club. He also played polo at the Presidion and coached/managed baseball. He did not do anything to get reassigned to the AAF Motion Picture Unit; it was someone else's idea. He had put in papers for intelligence, flying and armor, but to no avail.

 

4. Jimmi Hendrix: NOT in WWII !! He was in a FA Bn of the 101st at Ft Campbell circa 1961-1964.

 

5. Sterling Holloway: He served under the name John Hamilton because that was his LEGAL NAME. Sterling Hayden was his STAGE name. he played COL Jack D. Ripper in Dr. Strangelove (with a .30 MG in his golf bag).

ItemCo16527
Posted
Hey,

George Kennedy was in the 99th Div in WWII. Paul Newman was a gunner in some Navy aviation unit. Sam Fuller, 16th Inf. Big Red One. Niven, a British Commando, it was rumored that he enjoyed using the knife in combat. William Windom 508th, 82nd Ab. James Doohan Canadian Art. landed at D-Day, lost a finger in combat. James Arness, 7th Inf. 3rd Div. Wia Anzio. Peter Graves, OSS Burma. Ted Williams, Navy WWII & Korea. Hank Greenberg OSS. Hank Bauer Infantry in Wia ETO. Gil Hodges infantry, Wia ETO. Jason Robards Navy, on duty Dec. 7 at Pearl Harbor, U.S.S. Honolulu. Bob Barker supposedly OSS. Johnny Stompanato, Marines Pacific (Hugh O'Brian knew him). William Manchester, Marines Pacific. Jonathan Winters, Marines Battleship detail. James Jones 27th Inf. 25th Div. Jack Warden 101st AB, broke his leg just before D-Day. Norman Mailer, 112th Cav. Pacific. William Holden, Navy. Tony Curtis, Navy. James Garner Army, Korea. Bruce Cabot, Army. Russell Johnson AFF B-25 Bombadier, Pacific. Joseph Heller AAF B-25 Pilot, Italy. Kurt Vonnegut, Army ETO. James Roosevelt, Major 2nd Marine Raider Bn., Pacific. Col. Elliott Roosevelt AAF Eto and Wash. DC. I can't think of anymore.

 

Jon

Just a quick note on James Garner. He was a rifleman with the 5th Regimental Combat Team in Korea, and received two Purple Hearts and the CIB. I've read that one of his Purple Hearts was for being wounded by friendly fire.

 

Also, the great Yogi Berra served in the Navy and was present at the D-Day landings. Can't remember which ship he was stationed on though.

dogfacedsoldier
Posted

Hello,

 

A few corrections:

 

Jason Robards U.S.S. Northhampton, was at sea with the Enterprise. on Dec. 7. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the Battle of Tassafronga, where the Northhampton was sunk. He later served on the Honolulu.

 

Peter Graves AAF. Moe Berg Oss. Peter Falk Merchant Marine. Bob Barker Marine Pilot. Tony Curtis sub tender U.S.S. Proteus.

 

Art Carney 28th Inf. Div. a 30 cqal. gunner, he was wounded in his first action in Aug 1944. He never returned to combat. Carl Reiner Army signal corps. Ted Knight Special Engineer on D-Day and other campaigns in Eto. Mel Brokks Combat engineers in Eto.

 

Don Adams Marines, Guadalcanal he was the only survivor in his platoon. Almost died of Blackwater fever, then a D.I.

 

Robert Montgomery, Navy Lt. Commander in PT Boats in Eto.

 

Jon

ItemCo16527
Posted

How could I forget Carl Reiner? My friend's grandfather was his drill instructor at basic. D'oh!

Posted

Robert Preston http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0696481/

 

Enlisted in 1942. Stationed in England as a Captain in Intelligence for 9th Air Force. Planned mission routes and briefed and debriefed combat air crews. Discharged in 1945.

Posted
I have read somewhere (and I can't remember where), that the story about Charles Bronson being a B-29 tail gunner is false. The story said he was a truck driver in the AAF stationed at one of the bases in Arizona. Can anyone confirm which story is correct?

 

I've heard this, too. According to the book "Stars in Khaki, Movie Actors in the Army and the Air Services":

He was assigned to the 760th Mess Squadron in Kingman, AZ. Hollywood biographies and press releases stated that after his Arizona tour he was attached to a B-29 Superfortress squadron in the Pacific, where he completed 25 missions as a gunner and received a Purple Heart. The data could not be confirmed because his service records were destroyed in the fire at the St. Louis National Personnel Records Center.

101combatvet
Posted

I never heard that Steven Segal attended sniper training. I do know that his first job was at a Burger King. w00t.gif

I heard him say that he worked for the CIA in an interview.... someone did a little checking and disputed his claim.

Later he clarified that he was a consultant for the CIA..... okay.... w00t.gif sure.

 

master of none

 

One that you don't hear about much and might surprise you is Steven Segal is a qualified USMC sniper. This info is from Marine Corp Sniping - Death From Afar Volume 4 by Chandler & Chandler. When the Chandler brothers were making their version of the sniper rifle one of the first went to Segal. He is bad news up close and far away.
craig_pickrall
Posted

COL Chandler that wrote the Death From Afar series of books was CO of the Sniper School so I can't imagine he would give him the credit unless it was earned.

Posted

Warren Buffett, was ironically, in finance, in the Nebraska National Guard. If anyone is from Nebraska, go to the Guard museum during the state fair in Lincoln and buy one of their old yearbooks. He is in there (as a Sergeant I believe).

 

Mike

101combatvet
Posted

You never know.... The Ultimate Sniper Book by Plaster has a few errors along with his SOG book.

 

COL Chandler that wrote the Death From Afar series of books was CO of the Sniper School so I can't imagine he would give him the credit unless it was earned.
Camp_Kearny
Posted

L Ron Hubbard was in the US Naval Reserve in WWII and commanded a patrol boat off San Diego. He is famous for accidently attacking one of the Coronados Islands off the coast of San Diego. This was a bit of an embarrassment for the US Navy as the Coronados are Mexican Territory.

Posted

Gregory---nice mention---when I was kid growing up in Germany as an Air Force Brat 1959-63, we stayed at the RAF recereation center one time and made friends with a British (really Welsh) couple who were also stationed in Germany; Arthur had been a Chindit in WW2 until injured and then transferred to the RAF---He told me his glider pilot was the "famous Hollywood Star Jackie Coogan" and when they landed roughly after tearing the wings off, jackie turned to the brits in the back and in his best Porky Pig voice said"""TTHHHats allll folks." Now thats cojones grandes....

 

btw, we corresponded and shared visits with them until they passed away in the mid 90s, I even received nice letters from them in the middle of the desert during Desert Storm---to the very end he was fascinated by the American Civil war and "American Football"...his favorite team was the Dallas cowboys....A chindit rooting for the cowboys...go figure

 

 

:rolleyes:

 

Jackie Coogan -- the best actor in the midst of glider pilots; the best glider pilot in the midst of actors. CBI vet.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Coogan

 

:)

dogfacedsoldier
Posted

One I almost forgot Dan Rowan, Lt., 49th FG 5th AF. He had 2 kills, and he flew P-40's. He was wounded and shot down over New Guinea. PH, DFC, Air medal.

 

Jon

Posted

Johnny Carson served in the Navy toward the end of WWII; Doc Severinson also served (I remember him saying so once on the show); Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer, served in the Army during the Korean War (not sure if he went overseas); Tommy LaSorda and Joe Paterno served toward the end of WWII.

 

Here are a couple of great reference books covering this exact subject:

 

Baron, Scott. They Also Served: Military Biographies of Uncommon Americans. Foreword by General William C. Westmoreland. Spartanburg, SC: MIE Publishing, 1998.

 

Van Osdol, William R. Famous Americans in World War II: A Pictorial History. St. Paul, MN: Phalanx Publishing Co., Ltd., 1994.

 

My copy of Van Osdol's book is inscribed and autographed -- he was on a PBS show once, and I wrote to him for a copy.

Pete B.

Posted

post-795-1236993490.gif

 

 

How about this one, Charles Bronson! He was drafted in 1942, served as a tail gunner, flew 25 missions on B-29's in the south Pacific, and earning a Purple Heart. Was discharged from Camp Atterbury, Indiana, in February 1946....

Posted
yeah...they'll PLAY soldier, but they won't actually do it pinch.gif

 

Like John Wayne......and please, no whining about his "football injury".

 

The recently late James Whitmore had football injuries to both knees at Yale, which dropped him from the team. He joined the Marines in WW II, served as an officer, and saw a great deal of combat.

 

I'll bet we all know vets who joined the service, and hid their maladies from the military doctors. I know of at a least one who was blind in one eye, and simply memorized the eye chart (he was a locomotive engineer in a railway battalion).

Posted
L Ron Hubbard was in the US Naval Reserve in WWII and commanded a patrol boat off San Diego. He is famous for accidently attacking one of the Coronados Islands off the coast of San Diego. This was a bit of an embarrassment for the US Navy as the Coronados are Mexican Territory.

 

He probably thought the Thetans had taken them over.................

 

and Sterlng Hayden, as mentoined, used the nomme de guerre of John Hamilton. As a member of the USN, he served in the OSS in Yugoslavia.

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