The ones from days past.

[RED333]

This is posted on Castboolits, thought it was a great post.

 

"All of these folks put their careers on hold to keep us free.

Yes it was a GREAT GENERATION.

Stewart Hayden, US Marines and OSS. Smuggled guns into Yugoslavia and parachuted into Croatia.

James Stewart, US Army Air Corps. Bomber pilot who rose to the rank of General.

Ernest Borgnine, US Navy. Gunners Mate 1c, destroyer USS Lamberton.

Ed McMahon, US Marines. Fighter Pilot. (Flew OE-1 Bird Dogs over Korea as well.)

Telly Savalas, US Army.

Walter Matthau, US Army Air Corps., B-24 Radioman/Gunner and cryptographer.

Steve Forrest, US Army. Wounded, Battle of the Bulge.

Jonathan Winters, USMC. Battleship USS Wisconsin and Carrier USS Bon Homme Richard. Anti-aircraft gunner, Battle of Okinawa.

Paul Newman, US Navy Rear seat gunner/radioman, torpedo bombers of USS Bunker Hill

Kirk Douglas, US Navy. Sub-chaser in the Pacific. Wounded in action and medically discharged.

Robert Mitchum, US Army.

Dale Robertson, US Army. Tank Commander in North Africa under Patton. Wounded twice. Battlefield Commission.

Henry Fonda, US Navy. Destroyer USS Satterlee.

John Carroll, US Army Air Corps. Pilot in North Africa. Broke his back in a crash.

Lee Marvin US Marines. Sniper. Wounded in action on Saipan. Buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Sec. 7A next to Greg Boyington and Joe Louis.

Art Carney, US Army. Wounded on Normandy beach, D-Day. Limped for the rest of his life.

Wayne Morris, US Navy fighter pilot, USS Essex. Downed seven Japanese fighters.

Rod Steiger, US Navy. Was aboard one of the ships that launched the Doolittle Raid.

Tony Curtis, US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus. In Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan.

Larry Storch. US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus with Tony Curtis.

Forrest Tucker, US Army. Enlisted as a private, rose to Lieutenant.

Robert Montgomery, US Navy.

George Kennedy, US Army. Enlisted after Pearl Harbor, stayed in sixteen years.

Mickey Rooney, US Army under Patton. Bronze Star.

Denver Pyle, US Navy. Wounded in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Medically discharged.

Burgess Meredith, US Army Air Corps.

DeForest Kelley, US Army Air Corps.

Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Officer.

Neville Brand, US Army, Europe. Was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.

Tyrone Power, US Marines. Transport pilot in the Pacific Theater.

Charlton Heston, US Army Air Corps. Radio operator and aerial gunner on a B-25, Aleutians.

Danny Aiello, US Army. Lied about his age to enlist at 16. Served three years.

James Arness, US Army. As an infantryman, he was severely wounded at Anzio, Italy.

Efram Zimbalist, Jr., US Army. Purple Heart for a severe wound received at Huertgen Forest.

Mickey Spillane, US Army Air Corps, Fighter Pilot and later Instructor Pilot.

Rod Serling. US Army. 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific. He jumped at Tagaytay in the Philippines and was later wounded in Manila.

Gene Autry, US Army Air Corps. Crewman on transports that ferried supplies over "The Hump" in the China-Burma-India Theater.

Wiliam Holden, US Army Air Corps.

Alan Hale Jr, US Coast Guard.

Russell Johnson, US Army Air Corps. B-24 crewman who was awarded Purple Heart when his aircraft was shot down by the Japanese in the Philippines.

William Conrad, US Army Air Corps. Fighter Pilot.

Jack Klugman, US Army.

Frank Sutton, US Army. Took part in 14 assault landings, including Leyte, Luzon, Bataan and Corregidor.

Jackie Coogan, US Army Air Corps. Volunteered for gliders and flew troops and materials into Burma behind enemy lines.

Tom Bosley, US Navy.

Claude Akins, US Army. Signal Corps., Burma and the Philippines.

Chuck Connors, US Army. Tank-warfare instructor.

Harry Carey Jr., US Navy.

Mel Brooks, US Army. Combat Engineer. Saw action in the Battle of the Bulge.

Robert Altman, US Army Air Corps. B-24 Co-Pilot.

Pat Hingle, US Navy. Destroyer USS Marshall

Fred Gwynne, US Navy. Radioman.

Karl Malden, US Army Air Corps. 8th Air Force, NCO.

Earl Holliman. US Navy. Lied about his age to enlist. Discharged after a year when they Navy found out.

Rock Hudson, US Navy. Aircraft mechanic, the Philippines.

Harvey Korman, US Navy.

Aldo Ray. US Navy. UDT frogman, Okinawa.

Don Knotts, US Army, Pacific Theater.

Don Rickles, US Navy aboard USS Cyrene.

Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Served aboard an LST in the Battle of Okinawa.

Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Instructor.

Soupy Sales, US Navy. Served on USS Randall in the South Pacific.

Lee Van Cleef, US Navy. Served aboard a sub chaser then a mine sweeper.

Clifton James, US Army, South Pacific. Was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.

Ted Knight, US Army, Combat Engineers.

Jack Warden, US Navy, 1 938-1942, then US Army, 1 942-1945. 101st Airborne Division.

Don Adams. US Marines. Wounded on Guadalcanal, then served as a Drill Instructor.

James Gregory, US Navy and US Marines.

Brian Keith, US Marines. Radioman/Gunner in Dauntless dive-bombers.

Fess Parker, US Navy and US Marines. Booted from pilot training for being too tall, joined Marines as a radio operator.

Charles Durning. US Army. Landed at Normandy on D-Day. Shot multiple times. Awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Survived Malmedy Massacre.

Raymond Burr, US Navy. Shot in the stomach on Okinawa and medically discharged.

Hugh O'Brian, US Marines.

Robert Ryan, US Marines.

Eddie Albert, US Coast Guard. Bronze Star with Combat V for saving several Marines under heavy fire as pilot of a landing craft during the invasion of Tarawa.

Clark Gable, US Army Air Corps. B-17 gunner over Europe.

Charles Bronson, US Army Air Corps. B-29 gunner, wounded in action.

Peter Graves, US Army Air Corps.

Buddy Hackett, US Army anti-aircraft gunner.

Victor Mature, US Coast Guard.

Jack Palance, US Army Air Corps. Severely injured bailing out of a burning B-24 bomber.

Robert Preston, US Army Air Corps. Intelligence Officer

Cesar Romero, US Coast Guard. Coast Guard. Participated in the invasions of Tinian and Saipan on the assault transport USS Cavalier.

Norman Fell, US Army Air Corps., Tail Gunner, Pacific Theater.

Jason Robards, US Navy. was aboard heavy cruiser USS Northampton when it was sunk off Guadalcanal. Also served on the USS Nashville during the invasion of the Philippines, surviving a kamikaze hit that caused 223 casualties.

Steve Reeves, US Army, Philippines.

Dennis Weaver, US Navy. Pilot.

Robert Taylor, US Navy. Instructor Pilot.


Randolph Scott. Tried to enlist in the Marines but was rejected due to injuries sustained in US Army, World War 1.


Ronald Reagan. US Army. Was a 2nd Lt. in the Cavalry Reserves before the war. His poor eyesight kept him from being sent overseas with his unit when war came so he transferred to the Army Air Corps Public Relations Unit where he served for the duration.

John Wayne. Declared "4F medically unfit" due to pre-existing injuries, he nonetheless attempted to volunteer three times (Army, Navy and Film Corps.) so he gets honorable mention.

And of course we have Audie Murphy, America's most-decorated soldier, who became a Hollywood star as a result of his US Army service that included his being awarded the Medal of Honor.


Would someone please remind me again how many of today's Hollywood elite put their careers on hold to enlist in Iraq or Afghanistan?

The only one who even comes close was Pat Tillman, who turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million over three years from the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the US Army after September, 11, 2001 and serve as a Ranger in Afghanistan, where he died in 2004. But rather than being lauded for his choice and his decision to put his country before his career, he was mocked and derided by many of his peers and the Left.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I submit to you that this is not the America today that it was many years ago. And I, for one, am saddened."

[dralarms]

Red,

I fear you may be right.

[Mark@Sea]

Been to a movie recently?  You're putting money in their pockets.

[RED333]

Been to a movie recently?  You're putting money in their pockets.

Nope, pay to much for Direct to send them any more money.

[DaveS]

Good post Redd!

 

Dave

[EMB145]

Reading through that list is an eye opener. I see the commercials with celebrities calling for support of our veterans, but I don't see any of them taking an oath.

 

Don Adams a drill instructor? Rod Serling was a paratrooper? I did not know a lot of these people ever served. Thank you for sharing.

Edited January 25, 2014 by EMB145

[bersaguy]

Great post Red. I'm sure you are very correct about our oh so famous Hollywood group of sissies and wimps that play a good soldier on the make believe screen that makes them wealthy but to actually put their careers on hold to serve their country.........Sorry but that will never happen. By the way he was not an actor but was from a very wealthy family but still serve his country of his own choice and that was John Fitzgerald Kennedy. U.S Navy  P.T. Boat captain that after having his boat cut in half by Japanese destroyer managed to save most all of his crew. I know he was not an actor but later became President.   

[Monkeyman2500]

Great post Red. We sure don't have guys like this today. My Grandfather left his job which the man held for him, married my Grandmother, and three days later was on a ship to North Africa. Didn't see the states for three years. I don't know why but I have to smile when I think of Walter Matthau firing a machine gun out the side of a B-24.

[hipower]

Sadly, the Hollywood types of today are nowhere near the level of these gentlemen. IN any respect.

[runco]

Great post for sure.  Thanks.

[Guest TankerHC]

I sort of derided John Wayne for playing a hero in movies over the years while all of his fellow actors were serving in Combat during WWII. There are several things left out about Marion Morrison and I believe he deserves more than an honorable mention.

 

Some of this I had to relook up, but it is factual because I have seen the documentation. 

 

John Wayne applied to the US Naval Academy on Graduating from High School. He was selected first alternate but did not get in derailing his dreams of becoming a career Naval Officer.

 

While at USC John Wayne tore a shoulder muscle, that cost him his Football Scholarship and it never healed properly, he was not eligable for Military Service based on that Injury but he did attempt to join 3 times during WWII. He was classed 3-A, deferred for family dependency because he had four children to support.

 

he was reclassed 1-A, didnt not fight it, and when drafted was given a deferment at the request of his Studio for "deferment in the National Interest" so he could do war bond drives and that sort of thing. He did not request it, it was requested by the studio before Wayne even knew he had been re-classed. One of the problems was that John Wayne was not only that studios biggest, but ONLY Star and he leaving would have wiped out the studio. The Studio head threatened to sue him if he volunteered for military service.

 

In 1943 John Wayne attempted to get in to John Ford's Marine Corps Photography Unit as a Combat Cameraman and an Officer. According to John Fords son the billets in that unit were frozen for everyone and Ford couldn't get him in even if he wanted to (And this is relevant later) much less an Officer. There is a letter at the Indiana State University from John Wayne to Ford with John Wayne in 1942 begging John Ford to help him some way to be able to get in and serve, he didnt care what it was doing or what rank.

 

According to an article by Breitbart "Ford’s Field Photo Unit was no rear echelon cakewalk either, composed mainly of cameramen, sound men and editors with Ford as the boss. They were often right in the thick of things as they were on June 4, 1942 at the decisive naval battle at Midway where Ford himself was wounded by shrapnel. Two of Ford’s cameramen were killed during the war, Junius Stout and Arthur Meehan, both sons of well-known Hollywood cinematographers."

 

Most of the Stars that were drafted or volunteered made the Officer ranks, and most of them served in Public Affairs positions, plenty as noted above, were in Combat, but the majority were in Public relations. By June of 43 all Officer positions were overfilled, Ford's unit was filled and the only way John Wayne could go into the service was as a Private and they had already told him he would go directly into public relations. John Wayne in an interview after the war stated that he could have gone in as a Private, but felt he could better serve the Country in civilian Public relations selling war bonds and such rather than what he would have been doing, picking up cigarette butts as a Private in a Public Relations Unit. 

 

Then in 2003 a National Archives traveling exhibit brought proof that John Wayne did everything he could to serve. The letter would not have been in the Archives if it were not an Official document. John Wayne had applied to John Fords OSS Unit and Bill Donovan had signed the approval and accepted him as an Officer. Then sent the approval letter to his ex wife's house and she never gave it to him. In '44 he did a USO Tour of the Pacific,  John Ford had John Wayne "Keep an eye on" William Donovan. When John Wayne returned from the USO Tour he wrote his report and submitted it. Then he recieved an award from the OSS. And this is what he said about it.

 

"“I got to go places the average entertainer wouldn’t get to go… but I never did catch up with MacArthur. When I got back to the States I made my report, and they gave me a plaque saying I had served in the O.S.S. But it was a copperhead, something Jack (Ford) had set up. It didn’t mean anything.” When the certificate was sent to Ford’s home to give to Wayne, he didn’t even bother to pick it up and it remained amongst the director’s personal effects until his death. 

That Wayne acknowledged that the recognition was meaningless, says a great deal, given the bloated egos of many actors, especially today, who are more than willing to exaggerate their own perceived accomplishments far beyond the credible. This also seems to raise doubt that there was any connection between Wayne’s O.S.S. application and the organization’s recognition of his “report” to William Donovan. If Wayne didn’t value the recognition in the first place, why bother to go through a formality to receive it."

 

John Wayne came under Kamikazi Attack and since he was not an "entertainer" and didnt know how to sing, dance and tell jokes, he went directly into the Combat Zones on his USO Tour and drank and spent time simply hanging out with and talking to the troops.

 

Last year I read an old interview with his wife. She said after the war he stopped going to parties, because he was too embarrased to be around people like James Stewart and other stars who had seen Combat. She said he often mentioned that not serving and not being able to serve was the biggest regret of his life and he had made a decision to make up for it. He would make as many war movies as he could, in 1944 he made it as an A list actor after spending years doing B movies and he did it so that people would remember. He refused any scripts that would show the Troops in a negative light and was often embarased when serving in war movies with real Combat veterans. When he did the Green Beret's no one else would do it, no "A" listers, because the war was becoming unpopular. He felt he was too old but he knew the troops and wanted to show that what they were seeing on TV was not the truth. 

 

The man did everything he could to get in Combat, he was just too damn famous. Ford knew he would be very, very famous and was big money and later admitted he didnt want to see John Wayne killed so intentionally kept him out of going to Combat, the Studio he worked for threatened to sue him while he was taking care of four children, his ex wife kept his commission from him and William Donovan had no contact with him because he was busy fighting and doing whatever spies did in the Pacific. When he went on USO tours he did everything possible to go into combat zones so he was directly with the troops and he put himself in harms way when he didnt have to.

 

The entire draft dodging story came from a Left Wing liberal and began in 1994. In 94,  Hollywood began a list of the 10 most popular actors, even though he was deceased he went to the top of the list, the only deceased actor on the list. And he has been on that list every year since. I think it was year before last he was ranksed the third most popular actor in America. Gary Wills, a Left Winger wrote a book on John Wayne.  When John Wayne hit that list he wrote several articles, one claimed that "it is funny that the people on the Right have a hero and Patriot who is a draft dodger". Then he wrote several more, one claimed that he applied to Ford's Unit knowing he would be declined. john Ford's son, a career Army Officer and Vietnam Vet says that was not true at all, the billets were filled, it was that simple. 

 

This is only my opinion, but you do not have to serve in the military to be a Patriot or be Patriotic, I have seen copies of the documents, the plaque and award from the OSS he received is a well known fact as is his Commission into the OSS. 

 

I am no fanboy of celebrities, in fact I cant stand most of them. They do not impress me even a little bit. But as far as I am concerned, no he didnt fly bombers, wasnt shot down, didnt land at Normandy or Guadacanal, but he did what he could, he was just too damned famous and plenty of people's money maker. He did what he could, and he was a Patriot,  as far as I am concerned that is enough, and he does deserve to be in that list as much as any and had nothing to apologize for or be embarrassed about.  He does not need an honorable mention, because he is one of them. Just like my grandfathers. 

 

Just my 2 cents. 

[RED333]

John Wayne was and always be one of my Heros.

Younger, I remember thinking about what would the US do when John died,

who is gona fight the bad guys.

[Dustbuster]

Great thread;
I loved watching John Wayne flicks w my dad. Kudos to the duke for trying. When we were kids playing cowboys n Indians there was always a fight over who got to be "the duke". The guys listed above were all great role models and tough guys displaying character and respect. Thanks again!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

[Guest TankerHC]

I tell you what I was surprised about, when Russel Johnson died last week and his obituary said he flew 44 Combat Missions in the Pacific on B-25's. I knew he was a WWII Vet, but didnt know he had done that. He flew on ground attack missions on Tinian and in Burma and was shot down over the Jungle in the Phillipines on a close air support mission.

 

People wont remember that. People will remember "The Professor and Mary Ann".

 

But then who would ever think this guy jumped out of a plane on D-1, and fought through the Normandy and other Campaigns. 

 

Charles Durning, Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. (Stepped on a mine)

 

Here is one thing about Durning though. He lied (Slightly) about his service on D-Day because he wasnt there on D-Day (According to a guy who runs a website). He also was not at Malmedy. (According to a guy who runs a website) After he passed away in 2012, prior to him passing away he had been Honored by the French for helping to Liberate France on the D-Day landings.  So people started taking a look at his records. Turns out he was in several different Units and was an AAA Gunner. He was transferred to Infantry and sent up with the 159th. Durning said he landed at Normandy and the first man out and the third man out of his landing craft were shot and killed and he was second man off. I believe it. And Ill show you why, even though certain WWII Historical sites do not. He said he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, the sites say he did not. I believe him, and again can show why I believe him. He fought in hand to hand Combat and HE SAID he was awarded the Silver Star for his actions. He was in hand to hand Combat, that is proven because he was bayoneted 8 times and killed the German soldier with a rock and there were witnesses. He said he was at Malmedy with the 160th, the 160th wasnt there it was the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. I still believe him. Even though he wasn't in the 285th and the 160th "wasn't there".

 

Here is why I believe him. Even though the invasion began on June 6th, the breakout didnt even occur until july 24th. There was heavy fighting for months and that scene in Saving Private Ryan where Tom Hanks just walks up to the Command Post and in the background everything is running quiet and smooth is a total BS scene. Those guys were fighting their asses off all over the place. By July 24th Allied Air Strikes had cause over 600 friendly fire casualties alone. 

 

But here is why I really believe him and have the proof to show if anyone may be interested. (This is a WWII related post). When I was growing up we talked about my grandfather. WWII Vet, I was always told "he came home, threw his medal (Singular) in a drawer and never spoke about it. He came back a big scar on his left side that went from his armpit to his waist, he said it was where he had to have his appendix taken out, no big deal. Whenever he had his shirt off, it looked ugly so the kids would say something (My mom, Aunt and Uncle) and it would be "Appendix operation". I was told he never did anything in the war, believed because that is what he said. "I was just a clerk". 

 

Sitting one day having coffee with my mother I decided to get some details. He only had one medal? No he had 4 or 5. Well one was a big gold star, the other one was a rifle with feathers around it and he did have a Purple Heart, I remember that. (That is what she told me). He would get mad when they would go into his room to look in his drawer at them). I told my mother, that was not a big gold star, that was a Bronze Star and those are not feathers, those are wreaths and that was the Combat Infantry badge. You only get the Combat Infantry Badge if your an Infantryman in Combat and you dont get a Bronze Star for being a typist., 

 

So I decided to find out more and called my Uncle in Edgemere, MD. What did he know about it. Well, he tells me, he served in the 66th Infantry Division, I still have the pamphlet he brought home and I have a flare gun he brought home that he once said he took off a German soldier he killed. WHAT!? When were clerk typists killing German Soldiers and being awarded a Combat Infantry badge's?! Those are specific to the Infantry, that is their badge of honor basically. No, he wasnt Infantry, he was a clerk typist and basically didnt do anything but type. I made my uncle a little mad when I said "So he typed a German soldier to death and was awarded a Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Star?

 

So I went looking and the first thing I did was contact a friend of mine who makes a living digging through daily reports in St. Louis. I have been conducting Genealogy research for 40 years and he is the guy who does it for me, I had him start looking for my grandfather in the daily reports and waited. Called NARA and of course they said that his records were burned in the 73 fire.  Two weeks later my buddy sends me 200 pages with notations, orders, awards, hospitalizations and everything else on my grandfather. 

 

My grandfather was a clerk, for about three months. I started reading and thought, well at least he served. I read that he was drafted, sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for Basic Training and clerk typis training then off to Camp Howze, Texas where he was assigned to a Military Railroad Operating Battalion as a clerk typist. (I also see where he took passes to tour New Orleans and Houston). 

 

His unit, in it's entirety was sent to New York, boarded ship and shipped off to Ireland, according to the daily reports that was to be their last stop and they would operate from Ireland. The day after they arrived they were transferred to London and the same day put on trucks and sent out to a field Camp for training. The Company Commander noted that they had recieved orders to move but had not recieved the "Why" and would log it in when they arrived. 

 

They arrived at Camp and 60 men were called to meet with a Captain Jamison and their orders would be given when they arrived at his tent (This is according to the Company Commander). In Captain Jamisons report he noted that of the 60 men he ordered to report, 26 did not show up as ordered and they were ordered to report the next day. 15 of them had gone to sick call. My grandfather reported the first day. The second day 21 of them had still failed to show up and Jamison noted that he ordered them again to report and if they failed to do so he would prefer charges.

 

All of them showed up the next day. When they arrived in Ireland they were qualified on the '03 and '17. On the third day when all of them showed up they were re-classed as infantry and on the very same day sent to qualify with the M1 Garand. On D + 21 they landed on Utah Beach with the 4th Infantry Division. Continuing to read through I see my grandfather, wounded the day after he stepped of the ship, fought through the entire Normandy Campaign, the Northern France Campaign where he was wounded , spent 15 days in a field Hospital, returned to duty, fought through Ardennes Campaign wounded twice again, spent 4 then 22 days in a field Hospital, in on through the Rhineland Campaign (Invasion of Germany). The Leopoldville disaster occurred, the 262nd Infantry Battalion was nearly wiped out along with a couple of other Battalions. They began pulling men who were high points men to fill positions in the 66th. My grandfather was pulled, sent to a replacement detachment and on to HQ 262nd Infantry then assigned to K Company, 262nd Infantry in the Nazairre Pocket for the remainder of the war. 

 

I contacted NARA, gave them his Service Number. A month later I receive the separation record. MOS, Clerk Typist. Branch, Infantry. Campaigns, Normandy, Ardennes, Northern France, Rhineleand, Awards Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star with V Device, Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Ribbon with four Campaign Stars, WWII Service Pin. Qualifications, M1903, M1917, M1. No Purple Heart. A month later I receive all of his medals and awards, no Purple Heart.

 

I contacted a friend of mine at the Maryland State Archives. He contacted someone at NARA, a month later, I received his Purple Heart and ANOTHER Bronze Star. The letter on the Bronze Star like the first one was a "Thank you" letter from the Government and an "honored he served" letter.  After the war a study was done on Medals issued, almost every Airman who flew a Combat mission was awarded an Air Medal. Almost no Infantrymen were awarded the Bronze Star and many had been recommended. Nearly every Air Medal recommended was awarded. George C. Marshal took a look at the disparity and the number of Infantry who were recommended and not awarded. by recommendation of General Marshall, and through an act of Congress, in 1947 every soldier who earned either an Combat Infantry Badge or Combat Medic badge was awarded the Bronze Star for their service. Most of them never even knew about it (Or cared) and most of their ancestors have no idea (That is what I find).

 

It is hard to get anything out of my family, except my mother, on my grandfather. Reason being I come from a very religious family on that side. 2 Priests, my Uncle was a Presbyterian Archbishop and the Presbyterian Minister of Gettysburg for years and they are all WWII Veterans. Because of Religion, the absolute worst thing (On that side of the family) you could ever possibly do, including murder, was to commit suicide. Well my grandfather committed suicide. So he was buried in an unmarked grave (Marked only by the cemetery map and a tiny metal block with a number) to be forgotten. 

 

After learning what I learned, I said f'k this, he is not going to be left in an unmarked grave and he is not going to be forgotten. by his kids and me he wasn't, but when we were gone there would be nothing left. So I contacted the VA and in a tiny ceremony 3 years ago on D +21 I had this put on his grave. I added him to the WWII Memorial, added him to the link below and wrote a book for the family on his experiences and later was able to acquire his VA records and was able to answer to the family of exactly why he committed suicide, a question that has come up at every family gethering for over 50 years now. My Uncle paid for the ceremony. 

 

He wont be forgotten, and its the reason I do not question stories told by these Veterans or any other Veteran (unless I ask what unit and they say the 634th Infantry and they trained at Disney World, frauds are easy to spot). If the records prove John Wayne tried, he tried, if Charles Durning says he landed at Normandy and was in a firefight coming off the landing craft, was at Malmedy, then he was. Durning said he was awarded the Silver Star (And he was) for hand to hand combat where he killed a German Soldier with a Rock, the records show it is true, he was bayoneted 8 times, awarded the Silver Star and some person running a WWII website who has never seen the records say he was not being truthful about being awarded the Silver Star. How the F do they know?!

 

The link for findagrave and he is also on the WWII Memorial (Now)

 

Sorry about the long post, but I love History. And here is my grandfather, the WWII Clerk Typist who never did anything and had his appendix taken out. 

 

Edited January 28, 2014 by TankerHC