HollyWonks
BACK
I just wish to share something that was sent to me and too
good to keep in my computer files - - it makes you recall that there was a time when you
had no Streisands, Baldwins, Fondas, Dixie Chicks, Madonna, Sarandons, Robbins.
On The Flip Side of Hollywood
In contrast to the ideals, opinions and feelings of today's "Hollywonk" the real actors of yester-year loved the United States. They had both class and integrity. With the advent of World War many of our actors went to fight rather than stand and rant against this country we all love. They gave up their wealth, position and fame to become service men &women, many as simple "enlisted men". This page lists but a few, but from this group of only 18 men came over 70 medals in honor of their valor, spanning from Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Distinguish Service Cross', Purple Hearts and one Congressional Medal of Honor. So remember; while the "Entertainers of 2003" have been in all of the news media lately (for it seems News Paper, Television and Radio has been more than ready to put them and their anti-American, anti-Bush message before the public) I would like to remind the people of what the entertainers of 1943 were doing, (60 years ago). Most of these brave men have since passed on.
Hollywonk! Real Hollywood Heros
Alec Guinness (Star Wars) operated a British Royal Navy landing craft on D-Day.
James Doohan ("Scotty" on Star Trek) landed in Normandy with the U. S. Army on D-Day.
Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was an R. A. F. pilot who was shot down, held prisoner and tortured by the Germans.
David Niven was a Sandhurst graduate and Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos in Normandy.
James Stewart Entered the Army Air Force as a private and worked his way to the rank of Colonel. During World War II, Stewart served as a bomber pilot, his service record crediting him with leading more than 20 missions over Germany, and taking part in hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty. Stewart earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, France's Croix de Guerre, and 7 Battle Stars during World War II. In peace time, Stewart continued to be an active member of the Air Force as a reservist, reaching the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in the late 1950s.
Clark Gable (Mega-Movie Star when war broke out) Although he was beyond the draft age at the time the U.S. entered WW II, Clark Gable enlisted as a private in the AAF on Aug. 12, 1942 at Los Angeles. He attended the Officers' Candidate School at Miami Beach, Fla. and graduated as a second lieutenant on Oct. 28, 1942. He then attended aerial gunnery school and in Feb. 1943 he was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group at Polebrook where flew operational missions over Europe in B-17s. Capt. Gable returned to the U.S. in Oct. 1943 and was relieved from active duty as a major on Jun. 12, 1944 at his own request, since he was over-age for combat.
Charlton Heston was an Army Air Corps Sergeant in Kodiak.
Earnest Borgnine was a U. S. Navy Gunners Mate 1935-1945.
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.
Charles Bronson was a tail gunner in the Army Air Corps, more specifically on B-29s in the 20th Air Force out of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan
George C. Scott was a decorated U. S. Marine.
Eddie Albert (Green Acres TV) was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic action as a U. S. Naval officer aiding Marines at the horrific battle on the island of Tarawa in the Pacific Nov. 1943.
Brian Keith served as a U.S. Marine rear gunner in several actions against the Japanese on Rabal in the Pacific.
Lee Marvin was a U.S. Marine on Saipan during the Marianas campaign when he was wounded earning the Purple Heart.
John Russell: In 1942, he enlisted in the Marine Corps where he received a battlefield commission and was wounded and highly decorated for valor at Guadalcanal.
Robert Ryan was a U. S. Marine who served with the O. S. S. in Yugoslavia.
Tyrone Power (an established movie star when Pearl Harbor was bombed) joined the U.S. Marines , was a pilot flying supplies into, and wounded Marines out of, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Audie Murphy, little 5'5" tall 110 pound guy from Texas who played cowboy parts? Most Decorated serviceman of WWII and earned: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of Liberated France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.
Gene Autry - Flight Officer, Air Transport Command, 1942-1946
James Arness - US Army, Wounded at Anzio. Purple Heart and Bronze Star----- Marshall Dillon
Martin Balsam - US Army.
Richard Boone - US Navy.
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'
Richard Burton - Royal Navy
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.
Julia Child - Served with the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) in Ceylon and China during WWII
Robert Clary - In a Nazi concentration camp----Le Beau from Hogan's Heroes
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
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
Glenn Ford - US Navy. In addition to his WWII service, he served in the reserves during the Korean War and the Viet Nam War. He retired as a Captain in the US Naval Reserve
Frank Gorshin - US Army ---The Riddler
Shecky Greene - US Navy
Alan Hale - US Coast Guard during WWII--_Teh Skipper from Gilligan's Island
Sterling Hayden - USMC
Audrey Hepburn, as a child she was a courier for World War II resistance fighters in Holland
Benny Hill - British Army
Werner Klemperer - US Army ---Col Klink From Hogan's Heroes
George Kennedy - US Army, served 16 Years
Don Knotts - USA 1943 ---Barney Fife!!!
Burt Lancaster - US Army
Patrick MacNee - British Royal Navy
Jan Merlin - Enlisted in US Navy April, 1942, served as a destroyer torpedoman until April 1946, honorably discharged. Played Roger Manning, Space Cadet!
Burgess Meredith - US Army Air Corps ---The Penguin
Caroll O’Connor - Merchant Marines 1942
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.
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.
Carl Reiner - Entered army In 1942 and trained as a radio operator. He later studied French on assignment at Georgetown University to become an interpreter, but became a teletype operator in the Signal Corps where, on the way to Iwo Jima from Hawaii, was assigned to Maurice Evans' Special Entertainment Unit. For 18 months, he toured the South Pacific as a comedian in GI reviews
Don Rickles - US Navy. Destroyer duty. He has said of one deployment, "It was so hot and humid, the crew rotted."
Andy Rooney - (okay, not an actor, but he is a TV personality) Sergeant, US Army. Early in war served with artillery regiment assigned to England. Joined Stars And Stripes in London. In 1943, Rooney is among first correspondents allowed aboard B-17 bombers attacking Germany. He wrote of his war experiences in the book My War.
Charles Schultz (cartoonist) - US Army. Staff sergeant and leader of machine gun squad.--_The guy who created Charlie Brown
Rod Serling - US Army paratroopers ___the host of the Twilight Zone
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
Eli Wallich (Magnificent Seven) was an admin clerk/Sgt in WWII. The Skipper on Gilligan's Island served with the Coast Guard during WWII.
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
Jack Warden - Served in the 101st Airborne during WWII
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
Alan Bates - Royal Air Force, Humphrey Bogart - US Navy, wounded in World War One, tried to enlist in WWII but was turned down because of his age, Michael Caine - Royal Fusiliers, Sean Connery - Royal Navy
Don Adams - USMC, Contracted malaria on Guadalcanal---Maxwell Smart agent 86!!!
Basil Rathbone - Served in World War I with the London Scottish & Liverpool Scottish regiments. He was awarded the Military Cross on 1918.
Maurice Chevalier - Served in W.W.I. He was wounded and captured and repatriated in 1916 when he used his skills as an actor to con the Germans into believing that he was a medic. In W.W.II he lived in France and because he had a Jewish girlfriend the Nazis threatened to send her to a concentration camp if he did not entertain the troops. He did this whilst spying for the French resistance and after the war was called a collaborator for his work for the Germans, but has recently been cleared of all charges when his secret work came to light.
Trevor Howard - Served in the British Airborne Division and saw action in W.W.II. He was medically discharged after he received the Military Cross for Valour in the field.
Glenn Ford - Director of a film crew that landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-day. He also filmed at Dachau Concentration camp and this was seen all over the world.
Richard Attenborough - Served for 3 years in the RAF during WWII.
Raymond Burr - Served in the US navy. Perry Mason & Ironsides
Walter Mathau - A gunner and radio operator over the skies of Europe and he was awarded 6 battle stars.
Dale A. Dye - USMC, combat correspondent at Hue, et al, usually in small roles, technical advisor, script writer, training actors. Worked on Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, Casualties of War, Wag the Dog and others. Books, "Run Between The Raindrops" and "Platoon".
Kris Kristofferson - U.S. Army Ranger and also taught at West Point.
Van Heflin - Already a star. Entered the US Army at age 32. Artillery officer.
Stan Musial - Baseball star. Entered USN at age 24.Paul Newman - Not yet a star. USN at age 17.
Sidney Poitier - Not yet a star. Entered (under age) USN
Robert Preston - Already a star. Entered US Air Corps at age 25. Became a Combat Intelligence officer.
Peter Falk - Tried to join the Army by cheating on the eye exam chart which he memorized because he had lost an eye as a youth. The Doctor noticed his eye didn't move while reading the chart and took a closer look. Falk then joined the Merchant Marines for the duration of WW IIChuck Norris - US Air Force Security Police
R. LEE ERMEY - Marines D. I. VN Vet
Richard Todd - (Lt., British 6th Airbourne). Part of the Ox&Bucks glider landing at Pegasus bridge, he starred in "The Longest Day", in the recreation of the glider landing at Pegausus bridge. He was playing the part of Major John Howard - his CO at the time of the Pegasus Bridge landings
Johnny Cash - Air Force Air Police.
President Ronald Regan - Army Air Corps his eyes were to bad to fly so he work in training films.
Clint Eastwood - Army swimming instructor.
Michael Caine - Served in Korea.
- Pat Tillman - Safety, Arizona. Gave up 4 million a year to put himself in for Ranger School.
Dirk Bogarde - Played LGEN Fredrick Browning in the movie A Bridge to Far, served in Arnhem during OP MARKET GARDEN. He was 24 and working in intelligence at the CORP level for Montgomery.
James Dohaan - Did not land in Normandy with the American Army, but served in the Canadian Army and landed with the Canadians at Juno Beach if I remeber correctly. He either served with the "MUDDIES" or the RCA, I can't recall which unit
Jimmy Stewart - Commanded a B-17 over Europe. Retired as Brig Gen, USAFR
So how do you feel the
real heroes of the silver screen acted when
compared to the "hollywonks" today who spew out
anti-American drivel as they bite the hand that feeds them?
Can you
imagine these stars of yester-year saying they hate our flag, making anti-war speeches,
marching in anti-American parades and saying they hate our President? I thought not,
neither did I!
If you liked the story please send it on. Copy & Paste this URL into an email and pass it on: http://www.rolandvia.com/hollywonks.htm
This has been appended with the help of the posters at Lightfighter Tactical