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From: BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: Re: Jimmy Stewart
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2025 02:39:41 -0000 (UTC)
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On Jan 23, 2025 at 4:41:03 PM PST, "anim8rfsk" <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:

> BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:
>>  On Jan 23, 2025 at 2:39:06 PM PST, "Rhino" <no_offline_contact@example.com>
>>  wrote:
>>  
>>>  On 2025-01-23 4:11 PM, BTR1701 wrote:
>>>>  On Jan 23, 2025 at 12:57:36 PM PST, "Rhino" <no_offline_contact@example.com>
>>>>  wrote:
>>>>  
>>>>>  On 2025-01-23 3:11 PM, BTR1701 wrote:
>>>>>>  I just learned something I never knew:
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>  Jimmy Stewart (the actor) was a soldier in WWII and rose from the rank of
>>>>>>  private to colonel during the war and retired in 1968 as a 2-star general.
>>>>>>  He’s only one of a handful of soldiers who have accomplished that
>>>>>>  dramatic a
>>>>>>  rise through the ranks of the Army. And he wasn’t just doing “celebrity
>>>>>>  duty”
>>>>>>  in the Army, either. During the war, he flew dozens of B-52 combat sorties
>>>>>>  over Nazi Germany.
>>>>>>  
>>>>>>  
>>>>>  I knew most of that but not that he had started as a private; for some
>>>>>  reason, I thought pilots started higher up the food chain. I don't think
>>>>>  he finally retired for the Air Force Reserve in 1968 when he reached the
>>>>>  mandatory retirement age of 60. He was even on a flight during the
>>>>>  Vietnam War as an observer.
>>>>>  
>>>>>  You're slightly wrong about his final rank: he was a brigadier general.
>>>>>  Or so says Wikipedia anyway. A brigadier general is a 1-star general,
>>>>>  not a 2-star. But he did reach the highest rank of any actor in American
>>>>>  military history.
>>>>  
>>>>  He was a brigadier when he retired but they promoted him to major general on
>>>>  his retirement date so the official record shows him at the higher rank
>>>>  (which
>>>>  also means a higher military pension). This is not uncommon for officers who
>>>>  retire in good standing. My own father retired at one rank higher than he
>>>>  was
>>>>  when he put in his papers.
>>>>  
>>>  Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that practice.
>>>  
>>>>>  Many other actors served in the world wars. Humphrey Bogart served in
>>>>>  WWI in the Navy and a bit of shrapnel hit him in the face during an
>>>>>  enemy bombardment causing his speech to change slightly to what we all
>>>>>  know from his films. However, Wikipedia says this account is disputed
>>>>>  and several other incidents are cited as possible sources of the scar on
>>>>>  his lip.
>>>>>  
>>>>>  Eddie Albert (Oliver from Green Acres) served in the Navy in WWII and
>>>>>  earned a Bronze Star for actions in the Pacific.
>>>>>  
>>>>>  Clark Gable served on bombers over Europe during WWII as a gunner.
>>>>>  Hitler valued Gable above all other actors and offered a reward to
>>>>>  anyone who could bring him Gable unscathed if he happened to crash or
>>>>>  jump from a plane during a mission. Apparently, Hitler was fascinated by
>>>>>  Gable's EARS and wanted to study them closely. As I understand it,
>>>>>  Gable's ears raised some interesting questions about Hitler's racial
>>>>>  theories but I don't know any further details.
>>>>>  
>>>>>  This is only a very few of the actors who served in war. There was a lot
>>>>>  of social pressure on all men, including actors, to serve in WWII. A few
>>>>>  actors escaped military service when their studios deemed them too
>>>>>  valuable to risk and got exemptions for them but most served if they
>>>>>  were physically able.
>>>>  
>>>>  And of course Elvis was drafted and served two years in Germany.
>>>>  
>>>>  
>>>  Ditto for Johnny Cash, who was in the Air Force, also in Germany.
>>>  Jimi Hendrix served in the 101st Airborne during his military service, 
>>>  although he was discharged early(?) because he was a lousy shot and was 
>>>  not thought to have the makings of a good soldier.
>>  
>>  Can you imagine any of our current crop of celebrities going willingly to
>> war
>>  to fight for the nation? There may be some but none leap readily to mind.
>> The
>>  only ones I can think of are now too old to serve.
> 
> I’m sure Alec Baldwin would be only too happy to accidentally murder a few
> of the enemy, especially some unarmed female soldiers.

Without even pulling the trigger!