Interesting site

[Bret4207]

Ran across this looking for some other info.

http://www.angelfire.com/film/humble/actors.html

[Bret4207]

A few others.

Stars who see their names in lights once saw their names on the breast pocket of their military uniform. As America engages in war, many performers have already served.

Tony Curtis during his Navy days
Las Vegas resident Tony Curtis, currently on tour in Some Like It Hot, appearing April 26-May 4 in Seattle at the Paramount Theatre, enlisted in the US Navy in 1943 at age 17. He received the Purple Heart after being wounded in action during the invasion of Guam in 1944. In Tokyo Bay he watched the surrender ceremonies from the Signal Bridge of the USS Proteus.

Ed Mc Mahon, who recently celebrated his birthday in Las Vegas, enlisted in the US Marines. He earned his wings at the Pensacola Naval Base and later trained fighter pilots. He served six years of active military service in both World War II and during the Korean conflict as well as 28 years in the reserves. McMahon flew on 85 combat missions and rose to the rank of colonel. He received the Yellow Ribbon Medal of Freedom Patriot Award along with former US President Gerald Ford. His former sidekick, Johnny Carson, was a Navy officer.

Norm Crosby
Comedian Norm Crosby, who was honored Friday by the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Hollywood, suffered a severe hearing loss while serving in a military on a sub-chaser in the North Atlantic. The depth charges "made a terrific sound, it was very loud and you could feel it through your bones. The hearing loss came about slowly, it was not that one day I was suddenly deaf, it was a gradual thing that came on slowly over time."

Barely twenty years old Crosby was fitted with awkward, big hearing aides called " a body aid." Today he wears two small behind-the-ear aids. Without them he hears "absolutely nothing." Crosby was the first spokesperson for the Better Hearing Institute in Washington and the first celebrity to discuss being hearing impaired.

Oscar nominee Paul Newman, who has said he won't be attending the Academy Awards because he is racing a car in Mexico, enlisted in the Navy during World War II to become an aviator, but those famous blue eyes turned out to be color blind, so he spent the duration as a radio operator.

1953 piano sheet music of April in Portugal featured Vic Damone on the cover in his Army uniform.
Vic Damone joined the Army in 1951. Upon discharge Damone teamed up with a piano player/composer named Burt Bacharach who had also just finished his Army duty. The first place they performed was a 1953 engagement at the Riviera Hotel. Damone traded in his Army khakis for a pearl grey tuxedo with black lapels and cuffs. He acknowledged the fine piano accompaniment of Bacharach and Walter Nye's band, then offered a toast to his Army life by singing I Never Had It So Good. Also on the bill was opening act Joey Bishop and dancers Marge and Gower Champion.

Mel Brooks' career began in the forties in the military, while serving as a combat engineer in the US Army clearing 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 known to have responded to German propaganda broadcasts by doing an Al Jolson imitation of Toot Toot Tootsie.

Leon Spinks was in the Marine Corps before becoming Heavyweight Champion of the World

Kirk Douglas who made his Broadway debut in 1941, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943, and he served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare during World War II.

Frank Gorshin who is currently starring off-Broadway in Say Goodnight, Gracie was in the U.S. Army.

Don Adams was a Marine and contracted malaria on Guadalcanal.

Tim Conway on McHales Navy served in the US Army
Tim Conway, a five-time Emmy Award winner, is a Korean War-Era veteran, serving in the US Army from 1956 through 1958. He received the 1998-99 Veteran of the Year award for his impressive record of charitable service, as well as, for his outstanding success as a veteran entertainer. Conway was also designated the national Take A.I.M. spokesman. Take A.I.M., focuses on awareness, image and morale issues in an on-going effort to instruct our nation's youth on the honorable history, sacrifice and important peacetime responsibilities of the US. Armed Forces.

"Because of the patriotic men and women that elect to wear a military uniform of a branch of the United States Armed Forces, we are a free nation and we will remain so," said Conway. "Their willingness to stand ready to stave off the aggression and to protect the freedom so many have risked their lives to preserve, makes us forever thankful to those that have served and to those yet to serve. I, together with VFI, encourage all civilians to show their admirable respect and uplifting support of our Armed Forces not only during times of conflict but also during times of peace."

Conway and Harvey Korman, also a veteran, bring their Together Again show to the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas April 2-5.

Drew Carey turned his military haircut into a trademark
Drew Carey served in the Marine Reserves. His military buzz cut and black, wide-rim glasses became part of his trademark look.

Composer Hal David, a former journalist and wartime entertainment unit soldier, shared army digs with Carl Reiner. David credits the Army as his song writing launch pad. "I always wanted to write songs. The army was where I had the opportunity."

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.


Bobby Vinton, who performs March 25-30 at the Drury Lane Theatre in Evergreen Park, Ill served in the Army where he played trumpet in a military band. His Army experiences served as inspiration for one of his biggest hits, Mr. Lonely.

Navy veteran Eddie Albert drove Amtracks in several Pacific invasions. He served in the landings at Saipan in 1943, where he rescued wounded and stranded Marines from the beachhead. At Tarawa, he was wounded and lost most of his hearing and earned the Bronze Star.

Army veteran James Arness was wounded at Anzio. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine served in the U.S. Navy for twelve years, joining before WWII.

Williams Daniels was a staff sergeant with Armed Forces Radio.

Pat Sajak during his Army years
Also having experience with Armed Forces Radio is Pat Sajak, the Wheel of Fortune host who has just launched his own informative and interesting talk show on Fox. He joined the U.S. Army, in 1968 and was promptly sent to Vietnam. After a few months as a finance clerk, he was transferred into Armed Forces Radio and given the morning show on AFVN in Saigon where he yelled, Good Morning, Vietnam! for a year and a half. He finished his military career at the Pentagon in 1970.

Ossie Davis did his stint in the Army, where he penned and performed shows for the troops.

Don Knotts served in the military during World War II, assigned to a special entertainment unit for the Army. World War II veteran Cliff Robertson was a merchant marine.

Bob Newhart turned Army experiences into a nightclub routine
Bob Newhart, winner of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, turned his experiences in the Army into a comedy routine. Stationed behind a desk, he jokes about the seriousness of paper cuts. Newhart brings his button down mind to the Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado on April 14.

Army veteran Art Carney went to Normandy in July of 1944 as a replacement to the 28th Division in position around St Lo. He was part of a 30 caliber machine gun squad. On August 15, 1944 he had just taken up his position when he was hit in the right leg by mortar shrapnel. After receiving field treatment, he was sent back to Britain and then the US. He once said of his military career, "Never fired a shot and maybe never wanted to. I really cost the government money."

Before he became an actor, Charles Durning, the son of an Army officer, continued in his fathers footsteps. 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.

Mickey Rooney was a private first class in the Army. Awarded the Bronze Star, he served 21 months with a unit that entertained the troops.

Eli Wallach did his World War II tour of duty as a sergeant stationed with the US Army Medical Corps.

Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine was called up to do his National Service with the Royal Fusiliers, which took him to Korea. A contender for an Oscar this year, he was nominated for his starring role in the adaptation of Graham Greene's The Quiet American, the first foreign movie to be given permission to be filmed in Vietnam. The movie tells the story about the last days of French colonial rule in Vietnam and the beginning of US involvement there.

Caine's fellow Brits - Sean Connery served in the Royal Navy and Roger Moore was a first lieutenant with the British Army in occupied West Germany after WWII.

Glenn Ford is a Navy veteran. In addition to his World War II 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. Also serving in the Navy were Shecky Greene and Don Rickles, who was on destroyer duty. Rickles has said of one deployment, "It was so hot and humid, the crew rotted." Mr. Warmth returns to the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas on May 29.

Andy Rooney was a sergeant in the Army. Early in war he served with an artillery regiment assigned to England. While there he joined Stars And Stripes. In 1943 Rooney became one of the first correspondents allowed aboard B-17 bombers attacking Germany. He wrote of his war experiences in the book My War.

Skitch Henderson served in both the British and American Air Force
During World War II, Skitch Henderson who was born in Birmingham, England, flew for both the Royal Air Force and, after becoming an American citizen, the United States Army Air Corp USAAF service. In 1983 Henderson founded the New York Pops which is the largest independent symphonic pops orchestra in the United States, and the only symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular American music.

Las Vegas resident Steve Lawrence served in the U.S. Army concert band during his tour of military service as did Eddie Fisher and announcer Charles Osgood.

Charlton Heston was a radio operator in B-52 bombers and served in the Aleutians.

Montel Williams is a retired Lieutenant Commander in the Navy. The actor/talk show host graduated from the Naval Academy in 1980 with a degree in general engineering and a minor in international security affairs. He was commissioned an ensign and assigned to serve aboard submarines.

Marty Allen - his hair helped a solider feel better
Wild haired comedian Marty Allen, who calls Las Vegas home, was in the Army Air Corps, stationed with the 15th Air Force in the province of Foggia, Italy. The 15th was a legendary unit whose B-17 bombers flew raids from bases in Southern Italy into Southern France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Balkans. It is best known for destroying German oil fields at Ploesti, Rumania, in the summer of 1944. Because of a perforated eardrum he was a member of the ground crew, doing duty as a security guard.

In early 1945 a fuel truck, containing 4,000 gallons of gasoline, was refueling a B-17 filled with bombs when a motor on the back of the truck ignited gas fumes and started a fire on the nose turret of the aircraft.

On board were two men who, instead of fighting the fire or moving the vehicle to a safer location, jumped off and ran. Not Allen. Instead of running away Allen ran towards the problem, jumped into the cab of the fuel truck and drove it away, preventing an explosion. He then raced back to the plane, crawled into the bomb bay and rolled on the flames to extinguish the fire.

He became a decorated war hero. In addition to the medal, his heroism earned him a full-dress parade.

Since then Allen has done what he could to help the troops. From 1968 through 1972 Allen made an annual tour of military hospitals in the United States, paying for his own transportation and hotel costs.

In that 1968 tour of military hospitals Allen went bed to bed attempting to cheer up the Vietnam wounded. In one bed was a soldier depressed because his prosthetic leg didn't look real. "That can be fixed," chirped Allen, who asked the nurse for some scissors and tape. Then the comic cut off some of his hair and taped it to the prosthetic leg. The soldier started laughing - and getting better. A commendation for Allen's generosity was read into the Congressional Record.

Red Buttons and Karl Malden were corporals in the United States Army Air Force and Tom Poston was a Navy pilot.

[Bret4207]

This one is even better! How times have changed.

http://www.palletmastersworkshop.com/flipside.html

[Bret4207]

If this one don't choke ya up, you ain't human.....

http://www.palletmastersworkshop.com/sacrifices.html




Semper Fi!

[SharpsShooter]

If this one don't choke ya up, you ain't human.....

http://www.palletmastersworkshop.com/sacrifices.html




Semper Fi!

That's just plain outstanding!. Thanks for posting it Bret.


SS

[Nueces]

sniff.......jeez......


If this one don't choke ya up, you ain't human.....

http://www.palletmastersworkshop.com/sacrifices.html




Semper Fi!

[9.3X62AL]

If this one don't choke ya up, you ain't human.....

http://www.palletmastersworkshop.com/sacrifices.html




Semper Fi!

I don't have words, but I do have tears.

[Crash_Corrigan]

Some of the most memorable Police Officers I ever served with were former Marines. They were not always perfect but they did get the job done. If I gave an order I had the sense not to dictate exactly how to get it done but I did expect it to be followed and I expected results. One time we had a shooting where a rookie officer during a rain storm at night shot a fellow in a back alley. We did not have radios in those days so he left the perp dead and found a phone to call it in. Of course when we returned to the scene it was obvious that the body had been searched by some feral youths and his money and knife were not to be found. My Chauffeur, Charlie was right alongside me and I told him I was going back to the car around the corner to get my pipe and tobacco. When I returned we found 3 knives under the body! I again advised Charlie that I would be back in a minute and one knife would suffice. Upon my return we found one knife under the body and that was how it was written up. The rookie cop later went through the ranks and retired a Deputy Inspector 30 years later. That was the job and Marines made it a lot better.