What did they do - Actors & Presidents in WW 2

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Alec Guinness served in Royal Navy as an officer.

Rock Hudson in the US Navy. Aircraft mechanic?

Walter Matthau (Matthow) was a SSgt in US Army Airforce.

[John McGillivray]

Captain James Doohan who played Scotty on the original Star Trek series, had joined the Canadian Army at the age of 19. He was commissioned from the ranks and became an Artillery officer and landed in Normandy on D-day as a Forward Observation Officer (What Regt?). He lost the middle finger of his right hand to machine gun fire. Five weeks later he volunteered to start training to become a pilot- observer in an Air-OP squadron.

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Gene Roddenberry served with US Army Air Corps in the Pacific. Bomber pilot?

Telly Savalas (Aristotle Savalas) was a Medic in US Army.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

http://www.geocities.com/audie1052/

Historical Information

Audie Murphy

He wanted to join the Marines, but he was too short. The paratroopers wouldn't have him either. Reluctantly, he settled on the infantry, enlisting to become nothing less than one of the most-decorated heroes of World War II. He was Audie Murphy, the baby-faced Texas farmboy who became an American Legend. Murphy grew up on a sharecropper's farm in Hunt County, Texas. Left at a very young age to help raise 10 brothers and sisters when his father deserted their mother, Audie was only 16 when his mother died. He watched as his brothers and sisters were doled out to an orphanage or to relatives.

Seeking an escape from that life in 1942, he looked to the Marines. War had just been declared and, like so many other young men, Murphy lied about his age in his attempt to enlist. But it was not his age that kept him out of the Marines; it was his size. Not tall enough to meet the minimum requirements, he tried to enlist in the paratroopers, but again was denied entrance. Despondent, he chose the infantry.

First Lt. Audie Murphy

Following basic training Murphy was assigned to the 15th Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division in North Africa preparing to invade Sicily. It was there in 1943 that he first saw combat, proving himself to be a proficient marksman and highly skilled soldier, consistently his performance demonstrated how well he understood the techniques of small-unit action. He landed at Salerno to fight in the Voltuno river campaign and then at Anzio to be part of the Allied force that fought its way to Rome. Throughout these campaigns, Murphy's skills earned him advancements in rank, because many of his superior officers were being transferred, wounded or killed. After the capture of Rome, Murphy earned his first decoration for gallantry.

Shortly thereafter his unit was withdrawn from Italy to train for Operation Anvil-Dragoon, the invasion of southern France. During seven weeks of fighting in that successful campaign, Murphy's division suffered 4,500 casualties, and he became one of the most decorated men in his company. But his biggest test was yet to come.

On Jan. 26, 1945, near the village of Holtzwihr in eastern France, Lt. Murphy's forward positions came under fierce attack by the Germans. Against the onslaught of six Panzer tanks and 250 infantrymen, Murphy ordered his men to fall back to better their defenses. Alone, he mounted an abandoned burning tank destroyer and, with a single machine gun, contested the enemy's advance. Wounded in the leg during the heavy fire, Murphy remained there for nearly an hour, repelling the attack of German soldiers on three side and single-handedly killing 50 of them. His courageous performance stalled the German advance and allowed him to lead his men in the counterattack which ultimately drove the enemy from Holtzwihr. For this Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for gallantry in action.

By the war's end, Murphy had become the nation's most-decorated soldier, earning an unparalleled 28 medals, including three from France and one from Belgium. Murphy had been wounded three times during the war, yet, in May 1945, when victory was declared in Europe, he had still not reached his 21st birthday.

Audie Murphy returned to a hero's welcome in the United States. His photograph appeared on the cover of Life magazine and he was persuaded by actor James Cagney to embark on an acting career. Still very shy and unassuming, Murphy arrived in Hollywood with only his good looks and — by his own account — "no talent." Nevertheless, he went on to make more than 40 films. His first part was just a small one in Beyond Glory in 1948. The following year he published his wartime memoirs, To Hell and Back, which received good reviews. Later he portrayed himself in the 1955 movie version of the book. Many film critics, however, believe his best performance was in Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane's Civil War epic.

After nearly 20 years he retired from acting and started a career in private business. But the venture was unsuccessful, eventually forcing him into bankruptcy in 1968. Murphy, who once said that he could only sleep with a loaded pistol under his pillow, was haunted by nightmares of his wartime experiences throughout his adult life. In 1971, at the age of 46, he died in the crash of a private plane near Roanoke, Va.

Audie Murphy is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, just across Memorial Drive from the Memorial Amphitheater. A special flagstone walkway has been constructed to accommodate the large number of people who stop to pay their respects to this hero. At the end of a row of graves, his tomb is marked by a simple, white, government-issue tombstone, which lists only a few of his many military decorations. The stone is, as he was, too small.


http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/his...ie_murphy.html

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Yes, that was a good one Alex!

I remember seeing his movies and also swapping movie-star cards when i was a boy. So now i remembered another one:

Josephine Baker was in 1945 awarded the Freedom Medal and the Lorraine Cross for her work with the Resistance.

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally posted by Alex Blair
Audie Murphy is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, just across Memorial Drive from the Memorial Amphitheater. A special flagstone walkway has been constructed to accommodate the large number of people who stop to pay their respects to this hero. At the end of a row of graves, his tomb is marked by a simple, white, government-issue tombstone, which lists only a few of his many military decorations. The stone is, as he was, too small.

Alex: as a sidebar to your comments about Audie Murphy, I was an escort officer in Washington DC in 2002.

Part of my itinerary was the obligatory tour of Arlington cemetary.

As I listened to the tour guide describing some features of the gravesites, I glanced down...damned if I wasn't standing right beside Audie Murphy's grave! It's an awesome experience just being in Arlington, looking at Murphy's grave, JFK's grave and many others including the Tomb of the Unknowns and its attendant ceremonies.

Upon leaving, I noticed a funeral cortege approaching...there were also two P51D Mustang WW II fighters circling overhead.

What going on here, I wondered. I instructed my group to stand to attention as the funeral procession passed by, since I felt that something important was happening.

Later, after picking up a copy of the Washington Post, dated Thursday 18 Jul 2002, it was reported that the funeral was for General Benjamin O. Davis Jr, the first black General Officer in the US Air Force.

He was the Commanding Officer of the "Tuskegee Airmen" (q.v.), a P51 equipped fighter aircraft unit based in Europe during WW II.

Incredible experience!

[Rod Diery]

Lyndon Baines Johnson served in the US Navy Reserve during WW2 although he remained a Congressman. He flew as an observer on a bombing mission over New Guinea in 1942 and shortly after was a passenger on a B17 which force landed in north Queensland due to lack of fuel whilst returning from New Guinea.
Read more here

http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/tow9.htm

Cheers
Rod

[Tony Smith]

The only Australian actors I can recall with any war service are Peter Finch who was a Naval Gunner, and Charles "Bud" Tingwell a RAAF pilot. They also starred in WW2 movies (must have been released from active service) such as "The 40,000 horsemen" and "The Desert Rats" along side Aussie greats of the period such as Chips Rafferty and Errol Flynn.
Despite his reputation as a daring and adventurous leading man, Errol Flynn could not enlist due to health problems, much like John Wayne, who never joined up I believe due to his isolationist political views. Does anyone know more re John Wayne?

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Audrey Hepburn (Andrey Kathleen Ruston) aged 13 joined the resistance in the Netherlands as a message-runner.

This weekends paper had a small article about Deanna Durbin who is now 83 and lives in Paris:

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/A...228/ddbio.html

[Tony Smith]

I believe that Leslie Neilsen is ex-RCAF, but I don't think he's old enough to have served in WW2, or is he?

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

The late seperatist Prenier so detested anything Canadian,he became a US Army reporter.There's a pcture of him in the book,"Korea,Canada's Forgotten War",wearing a US Army uniform,interviewing some members of the "VanDoos",our French Canadian regiment,in Korea,during that action.

[Keith Webb]

That Canadian actor who moved to California when he was 8 joined the Marines and was in Europe during the war.
He was related to our own (as in a founding member of this forum) Peter Ford who is fondly remembered as a CMP expert.

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Keefie,
Ford was born in Shannon,Quebec,near Quebec City,& the Valcartier military base of Irish Canadian parents whose records are still recorded at the local church.His mother is my grandmother, Rebecca Molloy's cousin.His parents moved to the USA when he was a toddler.So,I guess I'm his cousin,thrice removed,in the scheme of things.What more can you find on his military record??

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

IIRC, Peter was born and raised in Montreal, so that history jives, especially given that the Quebec Anglos were a fairly tight group back then (and even more so now).

[Keith Webb]

I found a mini biography here.

"Legendary actor Glenn Ford was discovered in 1939 by Tom Moore, a talent scout for 20th Century Fox and then consequently signed a contract with Columbia Pictures the same year. Glenn made his official debut in Heaven With A Barbed Wired Fence and continued working in various small roles throughout the 1940s until his movie career was interrupted to join the Marines in World War II. During his service, he helped build safe houses in France for those hiding from the Nazis. In 1943, Glenn married legendary tap dancer, Eleanor Powell and had one son, Peter Ford. After the war, Glenn was able to resume his movie career with the help of Bette Davis who gave Glenn his first break in the 1946 movie "A Stolen Life." However, it was not until his acclaimed performance in the 1946 classic film noir, GILDA with Rita Hayworth that Glenn became a star and the most popular actor of his time. Glenn made many notable films during his prestigious 50 year movie career, but he is best known for his fine westerns such as 3:10 to Yuma, The Rounders, Sheepman and many more fine films. In the 1970s, Glenn made his television debut in the controversial Brotherhood of the Bell and appeared in two fondly-remembered television series: Cade's County and The Family Holvak. During the 1980s and 1990s, Glenn limited his appearance to documentaries and occasional films. To this date, Glenn Ford is remembered fondly by his fans for his more than 100 excellent films and his charismatic silver screen presence."

[Jon Skagfeld]

So, is "our" Peter J. Ford, in fact, the son of Glenn Ford?

[Keith Webb]

I think Peter was his nephew.

[Bob Potter]

Neville Brand, US B-movie and TV actor, was the fourth most highly decorated US service person of World War II. I think he was a Marine.

James (?) Durning was on Omaha Beach.

FYI, Sir Alec Guinness based his character, Jock Sinclair, in "Tunes of Glory," on an Argyll officer he encountered on Sicily.

Up the Argylls!

Bob Potter

[Bob Potter]

Wasn't Dirk Bogarde an aide to "Boy" Browning?

Me again.

Bob

[John McGillivray]

If I remember correctly, Richard Rohmer served in the same unit as Dirk Bogarde in Normandy. In his book “Patton’s Gap” he mentions Dirk Bogarde several times. Rohmer was a reconnaissance pilot flying P-51’s while Bogarde was the person who processed the films and did the interpretations.

[Al Nickolson]

Birth Name: Robert Allan Clothier
Birthday: October 21, 1921
Birth Place: Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada
Date of death: February 10, 1999

Robert Clothier was known to television audiences across Canada and around the world for his long-running role as "Relic," the log-pilfering curmudgeon, in the hit CBC series The Beachcombers. But he was also a highly accomplished classical stage actor.

When he wasn't acting, Clothier pursued his other passion, sculpture.

Born in Prince Rupert, Clotheir lived in England for a time before returning to B.C. He served in the Royal Air Force in World War II and was seriously injured in 1945 and went on to study architecture at the University of British Columbia. He then returned to England for theatre and art studies before resettling in Vancouver where he became a well-established figure on many local stages.

Clothier spent his final days embroiled in a dispute with CBC-TV over what he believed were royalties owed to him for reruns and overseas sales of The Beachcombers.

In 1996 he suffered a stroke and was in poor health until his death.

info found on the following web page.
http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsabc/clothier.html

[John McGillivray]

“during the Second World War served as a combat infantry officer in Italy; was wounded twice and hospitalized for thirty-nine months; awarded two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star with an Oak Cluster for military service;”

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts...?index=D000401

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Check out this Hollywood actor.A commando no less in the OSS in Croatia.I know from an intervieww,that he hated war.Log on to his name to view more.

Originally posted by Art Johnson
Ther were not too many Canadian Actors involved with Hollywood durinf WW II.
Raymond Massey:
Raymond Hart Massey was born on August 30, 1896 in Toronto. His father was Hart Massey, the owner of the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company. Young Raymond grew up in comfort, as a member of one of Canada’s wealthiest families of the time.
......... After running the family business for a number of years, Massey’s brother Vincent went on to be the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada, serving from 1952 to 1959. The family name graces Toronto's Massey Hall, a historic concert hall bought by his grandfather in 1894 for $150,000.

Hi Art,

I found this post of yours extra interesting on personal levels ... "MASSEY-FERGUSON" I know well from starting out my life on a farm ... I had many rides on M-F tractors! Also combines and such, but don't recall if the combines were M-F ...

2nd personal level ... is the Toronto history! Since you haven't described the MASSEY HALL is "past tense" I'll assume it still stands and will find out its location. I've yet to "explore" the points-of-interest (including military history/signifigant sites) of this mega-city. I hope I start "seeing things" soon! (be quiet Marko! )

What an interesting thread this is too ... amazing all the tidbits of info that people would otherwise NEVER come across. Keep it all coming from you-all please

Karmen

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Vets Dottir
(be quiet Marko! )

Ok.....Bye.......

Originally posted by Mark W. Tonner
Ok.....Bye.......

Bye bye

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

The late Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox flew combat missians in Korea.Log on to his sight by using his name.