Once upon a time....., heros in daily life

Some of you prob.have not even heard of these old moovie stars...
This group of only 18 men came with 70 medals of honour,silver star,purple hearts etc.

1. Alec Guiness (Star wars) operated a navy landing craft on D Day.
2. James Doohan ("Scotty' on Star Treck) landed in Normandy on D day.
3. Donald Pleasance-A RAF pilot. Was shot down and taken pow.
4. David Niven-Lt Col British comando Normandy.

5.James Stuart-Entered the AF as a private and retired as a colonel.
During WW@ over 20 missions over GErmany Air medal,Disting. fly cross,Croix De Guere and 7 Battle Stars.
6.Clark Gable was an air gunner in a B 17 over Europe.
7.Ernest Borgnine,navy gunner.
8. Charles Durning Army ranger in Normandy. Silver Star and Purple Heart.

to be cont....

Why not JFK and Ike?
Kennedy drove a torpedo boat (there is also a movie about that) and Eisenhower - well... we have some stuff, don't we?

You forgot Busch Sr.
The topic is about actors.

Well, perhaps you're talking about BUSH, not Busch - I remember this was a German truck during WW2.
But US presidents are, in a certain measure, actors; and I'm not talking about Reagan, who didn't fight on the frontline.

MMM my dear,I'm not a state empl. like you.
My time in front of the comp. is limited.
[edited by admin]

This post has been edited by Victor on February 18, 2010 08:05 am

In ww2 american movie stars were encouraged to join army as an effort to boost the number of volunteers joining the army, volunteers who followed the examples of these stars. That's why a number of stars were in the army, most of them at air force.

One notable star who didnt joined army and afterwards was greatly ashame of that (because played as military in ww2 subject movies) was John Wayne.

Charles Bronson was a tail gunner in a B 29 20th AF Tinian and Saipan.


George C Scot decorated US marine.


Eddie Albert awarded a Bronze star as a naval officer at the battle of Tarawa 1943.

Brian Keith US marine rear gunner in the Pacific.

Lee Marvin a US marine at Saipan.Wonded and was awarded teh Prple heart.


John Russell decorated for valour at Guadelcanal.

John Ford filmed a lot of the war in the Pacific.

There is a whole list of the actors who were involved in the war
http://www.jodavidsmeyer.com/combat/milita...rs_in_wwii.html

Interestingly, the actor with possibly most appeareances in war movies, John Wayne, did not take part in the war, allegedly on medical grounds.

How about musicians? Glenn Miller was lost while flying a bombing mission over Germany.

Music had a much bigger impact because of the radio, which unlike movies, could not be contained within borders. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_of_music_in_World_War_II

Radu

Audie Murphy!!!!

THE most decorated American serviceman in WWII, became an actor after the war....starred in several movies...his autobiography "To Hell and Back"was a bestseller and he starred in the hit movie made from it!


(Unfortunately he was apparently much better soldier than actor)

I can not think of even ONE actor/serviceman/actor after WWII......unless you count Oliver Stone, director, who dropped out of Yale to go to Vietnam, and made maybe the best Vietnam (or any other) war movie (Platoon).

It seems that due to the fact that he played in such many roles as G.I., but not participating to ww2 as soldier, John Wayne often felt ashamed toward those who were on the front.

John Wayne had flatfoot, which accounted for his very distinctive gait (go to youtube and search for "John Wayne walk").
Ironically, this "walk" that stopped him from serving in the army, is often regarded as a "macho walk". Remember the famous scene from the movie The Birdcage with the "manly man John Wayne walk"? Check the "macho John Wayne walk" on minute 0.59. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7moGlHRNi8&feature=related
Radu

Tyrone power was a us pilot in Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

And like Steave wrote.Audie Murphy.
A small guy 5'5 and 100pound.
Won the Medal of Hon.
2 Silver stars.
Disting service cross.
Legion of merit.
2 Bronze stars.
2 Purple hearts.
US army outrstanding cvivilian service medal.
And many more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppcki5iJ3zU&feature=channel

I found this Bout Clark Gable.
To those who do not know,he had 3 sets of fals teeths.
One for eating,one for talking and one for the famous smile .
If I'm not mistaken,they were made by Peter K Thomas in Hollywood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoY8Cj1larg&feature=channel
And James Steward.....