Actors who served

[imjin138]

My post about 'The Shootist' got me thinking, a few years ago I bought a book called Those who served about actors who served in the military. It was quite good with mini biographies of those actors like Clayton Moore, Burt Lancaster and other less well known actors Phil Carey who played the captain on Laredo and as Asa Buchanan on one life to live served in WWII and Korea asa marine officer and went back to acting.

William Windom who played mostly supporting roles was in the 508th PIR and fought during the Battle of the Bulge. Rod Serling served as a paratrooper in the Pacific.

David Niven graduated from Sandhurst and resigned his commission in the mid 30's to become an actor and in 1939 quit acting and took up his commision for the duration. Micheal Caine served as n infantryman in Korea being wounded there.

Niven was a big name when he left acting and took the chance of losing everything to serve his country.

So each person has to make their own decision and live with it, and only they probably know why they did or din't enlist.

 

[cmort666]

Lee Marvin - USMC, Pacific
James Doohan, Canadian Army, Normandy

 

[Texas Star]

James Stewart flew bombers, and Clark Gable flew on them...sans parachute, so that if the plane went down, he'd be killed, and the Germans couldn't use his capture for propaganda.

Audie Murphy went the other direction. He was famous for winning medals as a soldier before becoming an actor.

How old must Michael Caine be, to have served in the Korean War? He looked to be about 30 in, "Zulu", made in 1965.

What is the name of the British actor who played the general's aide in, "Lawrence of Arabia", and who was in, "The Guns of Naverone"? He was an officer fighting the Germans on Crete in WW II, as a commando who led Greek partisan forces. Aha! Anthony Quayle.

T-Star

 

[22dec]

Michael Caine was born in 1933, so Texas Star is right on about his age.

Don

 

[imjin138]

I beleive Anthony Quayle was in the SOE and delivered guns to Yugolsanv partisans and that sort of thing. Caine must be in his 70's by now.

 

[sw44spl]

mel brooks was a combat engineer in the battle of the bulge.ronald regan was in the support corp and made training films.glen ford was in the navy as a officer.tony bennet was a grunt in the army in europe.

 

[Raider]

Jock Mahoney was an enlisted fighter pilot in the Pacific region before becoming an actor. He was commissioned just before the end of the war.

Charlie

 

[bummer]

William Conrad -Fighter Pilot Army
Eddie Albert -USN

 

[feralmerril]

You guys are talking about just war 2. Why not viet nam? I had a friend co-worker that had a few parts on gunsmoke etc. Russ wiggins was in the special forces. I dont know how much acting he did, not much. Saw him on gunsmoke. He might still be at lockheed as a guard, I been gone 10 years.
Russell Wiggins

 

[imjin138]

Wes Studi and Tim Tomerson are Vietnam vets, Tom Selleck was in the California National Guard during the Watts riots.

 

[Ogandydancer]

Don't lets forget Glenn Miller, abrilliant career as musician cut short. I am not sure but I think James Garner also served.

 

[BEARMAN]

Jesse Ventura...aka James George Janos, served from 1969-1973 in the US Navy, Underwater Demolition Team.

Elvis Presley served in Army, however, he never saw any action. IIRC

 

[sw44spl]

ok I know john from chips was a grunt in vietnam dont know if ponch was.

 

[sw44spl]

christopher lee was in the RAF intellingence
charles bronson was a tail gunner flew 25 missions over japan
dale dye was marine in vietnam
hardy kruger was in the SS and captured by the US
kirk douglas was in the navyso was henry fonda eddie albert ernest borgnine rod steiger
clark gable was army air corp gunner
paul newman was air corp gunner
neville brand was a grunt in the army
charles durning grunt in the army
richard todd was british paratrooper

 

[bennettfam]

Jane Fonda was in the army...oh wait, that was on the other side.

 

[jag312]

Steve McQueen was a Marine.

 

[sw44spl]

james arness was wounded at anzio
gene autry flem c47s in burma
ed mcmahan was marine pilot
lee powell was usmc on tarawa and was killed in 1944 on tinan
strylin hayden was usmc but was OSS in yugoslavia training partisans
nancy culp was in the navy as a wave LT
jason robarb was in the navy and was at pearl harbor but his ship missed the attack
tim mccoy was in ww1 and reuped for ww2 and was a COL
harold russel was in the navy and lost both hands. and won a oscar for his role in best years of our lives.{great movie}
robert montgomery drove meat wagons until dunkick then joined the navy.and was on pt boats
wayne morris was in the navy flying F6F hellcats and flem 57 missions shooting 7 japs down

 

[ditrina]

Jimmy Stuart..USAF.. Brig. Gen. RET RES.
Ermes Effron Borgnino.. US Navy (1935-45).. ( Ernest Borgnine )

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

Bob Keeshan, Sgt, USMC
Later on, Sgt. Keeshan became "Captain Kangaroo" on CBS

 

[ElToro]

anybody really think that todayas crop of actors would join up voluntarily?

how about baseball players. and not scrubs, all stars. Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller etc. Ted Williams was late to joing up but he spent the better parts of 5 seasons in his prime flying in WWII and Korea.

Of Course Pat Tilman is an exception