hollywood movie stars who served in aviation in ww 2

Richard W. · **Posted:** Fri Dec 02, 2005 8:22 am

James Dickey, author of Deliverance and a cameo actor in the film adaptation of that book, was a P-61 radar operator in the 418th Night Fighter Squadron in the Phillipines.

Leslie Nielsen, Canadian-born actor (The Naked Gun, Airplane, etc.) joined the RCAF at the age of seventeen in 1944 and served as an aerial gunner. I could find no other details of his service.

systemofadown1162 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:19 pm

Kind of off topic but, a freind at school told me Fred Rogers, of "Mister Rogers Neighborhood", was at some point in time a Marine sniper.
Anyone know if this is true?

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/mrrogers.asp

Quote:

Fred Rogers served as a sniper or as a Navy Seal during the Vietnam War, with a large number of confirmed kills to his credit.

This same rumor has often been applied to boyish country singer-songwriter John Denver (among others), and it's just as false when told of Fred Rogers. Not only did Fred Rogers never serve in the military, there are no gaps in his career when he could conceivably have served in the military — he went straight into college after high school, he moved directly into TV work after graduating college, and his breaks from television work were devoted to attending the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1963) and the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Child Development. Moreover, Fred Rogers was born in 1928 and was therefore too old to have enlisted in the armed services by the time of America's military involvement in Vietnam.

O.P. · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:12 pm

Paul Newman was a radioman on TBM's or SBD's in the pacific if I remember right.

My favorite hollywood WW2 guys, and their stories, weren't flyers, but were awesome all of the same. Those were,

Eddie Albert- Boat crewman at Tarawa, saw his interview in a Tarawa show on the history channel. I don't think this is the right word, but the only thing I can think of is chiiling.

Rod Serling- Paratrooper in the pacific, unit stranded for days in the jungle in a fight to the finish. I, and I think everyone else, thinks that that colored his view on everything forever after. Some of that desperation seems to come out in his writing/directing/acting.

Mel Brooks- Sergeant ETO, I saw an interview with him where he said that he and the guys found a box of telescoped german sniper rifles and proceded to shoot the ceramic fittings and wires off of the telephone poles within range of where they were sitting. A little bit later they got radio communication from hq saying they were to dig in and prepare for a large attack because all land line comms had been cut for miles around.

systemofadown1162 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:13 pm

Thanks bdk Ill let my friend know. As for Rod Serling several Twilight Zone episodes were based in the pacific during WWII.
Here they are: The Purple Testament, A Quality of Mercy, The Encounter

CWBuff · **Joined:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:14 am **Posts:** 854

There's a photo of Jimmy Stewart and his crew on eekbay right now:

ORIGINAL - WW2 USAAF PHOTO - CAPTAIN JAMES STEWART

'Tis one I'd very much like to add to the collection but I have a feeling it'll eventually go beyond my means. If anyone here picks this up or knows who winds up with it, I'd very much like to have a decent scan...

Fade to Black...

Jiggersfromsphilly · **Joined:** Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:15 pm **Posts:** 951

Jack Lebzelter from Newark NJ served with A Company 501st regiment 101st Airborne.

You may know him better as Jack Warden.

He broke his leg when he landed on a fence during a training jump before D-Day

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Sat Dec 17, 2005 6:51 pm

Rex Harrison served on the staff of Air Vice Marshall Sir Keith Park in the RAF during the Battle of Britain, and he was cast to play Park in the film 'Battle of Britain' but had to pull out due to the schedule changiung and clash with his other work. Trevor Howard took over the role admirably.

Ben Fisz who came up with the idea for 'Battle of Britain' and produced and co-wrote the film was a genuine BofB pilot.

Not aviation related as such but Rod Steiger was a sailor during the Pearl Harbor attack I believe, as was Jason Robards.

systemofadown1162 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:11 pm

Again off topic but I rented "Memphis Belle" today and was wandering how much of the movie is historicaly accurate.

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:16 pm

>Again off topic but I rented "Memphis Belle" today and was wandering >how much of the movie is historicaly accurate.
The name and the fact they flew B-17s

Tim Landers · **Posted:** Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:48 pm

Merian C. Cooper organized a group of volunteer American pilots (none of whom were Polish) and formed an escadrille and fought for Poland in the Polish-Russian War of 1919-1920. After returning to the States he went to Hollywood and is best known for co-writing and producing the hit film King Kong, as well as a long list of other movies. In WWII he went to China and was Chief of Staff for Chennault and the Flying Tigers. and led missions with the C.A.T.F. After the war he returned to the film industry and even hired Tex Hill to work with him for a short period. Interesting guy.

Tim

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