WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WW II MOVIE STARS?

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Cathlete
Hope you find this as informative as I did.

In contrast to the ideals, opinions and feelings of today's "Hollywonk" the real actors of yester-year loved the United States They had both class and integrity. With the advent of World War II many of our actors went to fight rather than stand and rant against this country we all love. They gave up their wealth, position and fame to become service men & women, many as simple "enlisted men". This page lists but a few, but from this group of only 18 men came over 70 medals in honor of their valor, spanning from Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Service Cross', Purple Hearts and one Congressional Medal of Honor. So remember; while the "Entertainers of 2004" have been in all of the news media lately I would like to remind the people of what the entertainers of 1943 were doing, (61 years ago). Most of these brave men have since passed on...... Real Hollywood Heros

Alec Guinness (Star Wars) operated a British Royal Navy landing craft on D-Day.

James Doohan ("Scotty" on Star Trek) landed in Normandy with the U. S. Army on D-Day.

Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was an R. A. F. pilot who was shot down, held prisoner and tortured by the Germans.

David Niven was a Sandhurst graduate and Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos in Normandy.

James Stewart Entered the Army Air Force as a private and worked his way to the rank of Colonel. During World War II, Stewart served as a bomber pilot, his service record crediting him with leading more than 20 missions over Germany, and taking part in hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty. Stewart earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, France's Croix de Guerre, and 7 Battle Stars during World War II. In peace time, Stewart continued to be an active member of the Air Force as a reservist, reaching the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in the late 1950s.

Clark Gable (Mega-Movie Star when war broke out) Although he was beyond the draft age at the time the U.S. entered WW II, Clark Gable enlisted as a private in the AAF on Aug. 12, 1942 at Los Angeles. He attended the Officers' Candidate School at Miami Beach, Fla. and graduated as a second lieutenant on Oct. 28, 1942. He then attended aerial gunnery school and in Feb. 1943 he was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group at Polebrook where flew operational missions over Europe in B-17s. Capt. Gable returned to the U.S. in Oct. 1943 and was relieved! from active duty as a major on Jun. 12, 1944 at his own request, since he was over-age for combat.

Charlton Heston was an Army Air Corps Sergeant in Kodiak.

Earnest Borgnine was a U. S. Navy Gunners Mate 1935-1945.

Charles Durning was a U. S. Army Ranger at Normandy earning a Silver Star and awarded the Purple Heart.

Charles Bronson was a tail gunner in the Army Air Corps, more specifically on B-29s in the 20th Air Force out of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan

George C. Scott was a decorated U. S. Marine.

Eddie Albert (Green Acres TV) was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic action as a U. S. Navy officer aiding Marines at the horrific battle on the island of Tarawa in the Pacific Nov. 1943.

Brian Keith served as a U.S. Marine rear gunner in several actions against the Japanese on Rabal in the Pacific.

Lee Marvin was a U.S. Marine on Saipan during the Marianas campaign when he was wounded earning the Purple Heart.

John Russell: In 1942, he enlisted in the Marine Corps where he received a battlefield commission and was wounded and highly decorated for valor at Guadalcanal.

Robert Ryan was a U. S. Marine who served with the O. S. S. in Yugoslavia.

Tyrone Power (an established movie star when Pearl Harbor was bombed) joined the U.S. Marines, was a pilot flying supplies into, and wounded Marines out of, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Audie Murphy, little 5'5" tall 110 pound guy from Texas who played cowboy parts? Most Decorated serviceman of WWII and earned: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star medals with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chev! alier, french Croix de Guerre With Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of Liberated France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.

So how do you feel the real heroes of the silver screen acted when compared to the hollywonks today who spray out anti-American drivel is they bite the hand that feeds them? Can you imagine these stars of yester-year saying they hate our flag, making anti-war speeches, marching in anti-American parades and saying they hate our president?
 
I love all the old movies. I knew most of what you posted but it's a great reminder.

And..you make a good point. I was annoyed earlier today reading Mel's latest remarks in the news.
 
I used to love TNT when they played all the classic war films on Memorial Day weekend. Do they still do that? I always liked Van Johnson...Caine Mutiny...Go for Boke....Battleground. I would also add Das Boot and Stalingrad to my favorites from the other side. Not all are necessarily accurate but were thought provoking noethelesss. I haven't kept up much on the Hollywood scene today but I can't say I'd balk at a well made film that asked the tough questions...questions that some may label anti american that others would consider our duty to ask when our people are being asked to give their lives in the name of our country.
 
Well I'll probably get flamed for this, but what happened was the WWII "stars" were fighting for a just cause. I suspect if the war in the '40s was today's war, many on the above list would be against it. So yes, I can imagine them making anti-war speeches & marching in anti-war parades. I am not aware of any of today's so-called stars saying they hate our flag or our president. Please back up these remarks with some quotes or at least some kind of evidence.

And I find it extremely offensive to say that if you're anti-war you're anti-American. I love my country but I hate this war. That doesn't mean I'm not a patriot, it doesn't mean I'm anti-American, it doesn't mean I hate our flag, it doesn't mean I hate our president (I don't much like him but I don't hate him either), & it doesn't mean I don't support our troops. It means I think we entered this war under false pretenses by being lied to by our commander in chief & it means I think we're fighting the wrong people & it means I think instead of alleviating terrorism it's done nothing but increase it.

Where did this article come from anyway, Pat Robertson?
 
No flames from me, Laura. Well said.

And as for the charge about so-called "Hollywood types" who "hate our flag, making anti-war speeches, marching in anti-American parades and saying they hate our president?", well, they have the right under the First Amendment to criticize our government. The United States is one of the few nations to freely allow its citizens the right of free speech.

And I completely beg to differ that dissent with the government is unpatriotic or hateful to America. On the contrary, it takes a true patriot to love his or her country enough to take a stand for what they see as right.
 
Anyone who wants to actual read what Hollywood says about Bush and Iraq etc:

http://www.celiberal.com/

This is just one of many sites, and I'm not advocating this one at all, just providing some quotes as Laura quite rightly asked for some back up. Some of the celebs are just expressing opinions, some of them are more vicious. And it's not just Bush. Julia Robers once made the comment that "Republican comes in the dictionary just after reptile and just above repugnant" and George Clooney, after publically making fun of Charlton Heston's Alzheimers, said, and I'm paraphrasing, that he did not care what people said about Heston, since he was the NRA spokesman he deserved "whatever he got."

The problem with 99 percent of the blathering Hollywood stars today is that they have no idea what they are talking about. I'm all for people being involved and having strong opinions - as long as they are informed. The "deep" comments they make are entirely superficial. I truly think many of them get their opinions from bumper stickers. If you ask them to defend their point of view with concrete examples they can't, though they do expertly quote Jon Stewart and that King of Hypocrites, Michael Moore. Soundbites and headlines are all they know. I love too when they go on and on about wonderful socialism/communism. It never seems to dawn on these people that under real socialism or communism they might just have to give away one or two of their mansions, or share their 10,000 pairs of Blahniks with the people. It never dawns on them that basic human rights ALWAYS suffer under these systems. Take Danny Glover hugging Chavez. Chavez is a total crackpot - and a despot. His own people suffer and live under oppression and get shot at when they try to organize protests, yet Danny Glover calls him, "my man" and poses with him because Chavez gives free oil to the poor people in Harlem, many of whom probably have lives that are a thousand times better than the lives of the people who live under Chavez's oppression and violence.

Also wanted to mention that while there were many celebrities who served during WW2 there were also a large number who protested and were against involvement. Many were members of the American Communist Party and did not think the US should be involved. Of course they changed their tune quite rapidly when Hitler strolled into "Mother Russia." All of a sudden it was a just cause. :p So, Hollywood being anti-establishment or whatever you want to call it is really nothing new.

Sparrow



Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
Well, let me just point out that Michael Moore is no more of a hypocrite than Rush Limbaugh. You know, the right wing republican who was so into the war on drugs but...oh wait......was a drug addict himself?

I'm sorry, I just can't give that website much credibility considering The source of the quotes on this particular website is yet another conservative, liberal-bashing website. Also, I'd like to see some quotes from legitimate sources like maybe the NY Times, Washington Post, Time Mag, Newsweek, whatever.

Some of these celebrities, including George Clooney, really do put their money where their mouths are. He's done a lot of great work for Darfur & the horrible genocide happening there (for which our government has done nothing except a little--very little--lip service). Angelina Jolie has certainly stepped up to the plate. Just b/c you're a celebrity doesn't mean you can't be intelligent & well informed too.

So Sparrow, you think members of the Communist Party changed their tune b/c Hitler invaded Russia, & not b/c many of them were Jews & maybe had a problem w/genocide?
 
Thank you for that, Miss Sparrow!

"You can't win them all - but you can try." - Babe Zaharias http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/musik/music-smiley-004.gif[/img]
 
Oh Boy!! I love this stuff--lol! I'm in Bill's, Sparrow's, and HB's camp.

>I'd like to see some quotes from legitimate sources like maybe the NY Times, Washington Post, Time Mag, Newsweek, whatever.<
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

We cancelled our subscription to the NYT years ago!! Oh my word! They were long ago exposed as a biased, left leaning rag with ZERO credibility.
 
>Well, let me just point out that Michael Moore is no more of
>a hypocrite than Rush Limbaugh. You know, the right wing
>republican who was so into the war on drugs but...oh
>wait......was a drug addict himself?
>
>I'm sorry, I just can't give that website much credibility
>considering The source of the quotes on this particular
>website is yet another conservative, liberal-bashing website.
>Also, I'd like to see some quotes from legitimate sources like
>maybe the NY Times, Washington Post, Time Mag, Newsweek,
>whatever.
>
>Some of these celebrities, including George Clooney, really do
>put their money where their mouths are. He's done a lot of
>great work for Darfur & the horrible genocide happening there
>(for which our government has done nothing except a
>little--very little--lip service). Angelina Jolie has
>certainly stepped up to the plate. Just b/c you're a
>celebrity doesn't mean you can't be intelligent & well
>informed too.
>
>So Sparrow, you think members of the Communist Party changed
>their tune b/c Hitler invaded Russia, & not b/c many of them
>were Jews & maybe had a problem w/genocide?

First off all, I never said Rush Limbaugh wasn't a hypocrite. Never been a Rush fan, myself. However, off all the celebrity hypocrites MM truly does take the cake. If anyone is interested I can mention some of the things here. Otherwise I will leave it to a different discussion.

Laura, you don't have to rely on that website. The quotes are public info, go ahead and google. I was simply pointing that there are sources. And, that Hollywood supports (mostly) Liberal views and has a certain hatred towards this administration is no secret. They certainly aren't pretending that it's otherwise. And of course there are intelligent celebrities, and many of them are involved in worthy causes. I do think many of them have lost perspective on things and like, most people, only read materials that support their overall world view. To be a truly learned person on things I believe you need to seek out opinions that are not your own and try to learn why others believe what they do. The things I have read/heard/seen from celelbrities lead me to believe that many of them don't do that. Just my opinion and no one is required to share it.

As for the members of the American Communist Party not supporting WW2 until after Hitler invaded Russia, this is not what *I* think. I'm not sitting in my living room developing theses. I've read a number of books about Hollywood, Communism and WW2 and according to those books, it's a fairly well-documented fact that members of the ACP were vehemently opposed to WW2 - until Russia was invaded. If I remember correctly the quotes/documentation provided on that topic were drawn from ACP newsletters/papers/pamphlets of the day. How many of those folks were Jews, I can't say, though most likely there were some. And if members of the ACP had a problem with mass murder they would have ditched Mother Russia long before WW2. Stalin killed millions of his own people up to (and during) the war.

Sparrow

ETA: correcting my spelling!!

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
Bill,

Thanks for so eloquently conveying how most of us veterans feel. Nothing makes me more angry than when patriotism is attacked. I am proud of my service to my country regardless what the freaks of nature in Hollywood say. All I can say to them is "did you wet the bed? Is that why you were unable to serve?" :0

Sparrow ,
Enjoyed your educated comments.

Have a great day!

Edited to add: If you really do care, then VOTE in November.

Also show your support for the kids who may not have had enough money to go to college and are now fighting for this country all over the world. Remember the kids fighting are not the politicians and do not run the show. They are serving their country...you.
Volunteer yourself at the VA hospital near you. Send care packages. Write your congressmen...do something.
 
I'm not going to post my opinion, but just wanted to say what a wonderfully intelligent articulate and informed group of people you are. I am always very impressed with the quality of answers to some of the hard questions raised here. Thank you.
 
If actors like George Clooney, Barbara Streisand and Michael Moore were around during the beginning of WWII, and they got there way, we all would be speaking German, or Japanese.
 
You seem so sure they would have been opposed to WWII. I doubt that very much, particularly in the case of Barbra Streisand, who is Jewish.
 
Let me guess, Michael Moore is a hypocrite because he made a few bucks off his films. I'm sure his earnings are a mere drop in the bucket compared to say, Wal-Mart.
 
>Let me guess, Michael Moore is a hypocrite because he made a
>few bucks off his films. I'm sure his earnings are a mere
>drop in the bucket compared to say, Wal-Mart.

Good Lord no, I'm all for people making a buck. Why would making money turn him into a hypocrite?

Michael Moore is a hypocrite and liar because:

- he tells people he is working class when in fact he grew up in a well-to-family and attended an exclusive private school.

- because while ranting and raving against defense companies and defense spending he owned thousands of dollars worth of stock in the very same defense companies. Later, he sold the stock for huge profits.

- because while pretending to be "Mr. Union" he has more than once been in trouble with the Writer's Guild of America (the union to which I belong) for hiring union writers and then trying to bully them into working off the union books and off the union wage scale.

- because while pretending to be "one with the common man" he owns homes in exclusive lily-white communities.

- because while living in one of those communities in Michigan he has been in trouble with the locals and local enviromentalists for continually trying to expand his 10 acres, which is causing lakefront erosion, and for cutting down a protected species of tree on his land, because he wants more room. Yet he claims to be an devout enviromentalist.

- because at least one reporter in London has bagged him switching from the cheapo motel ("I'm one with the common man") to the Ritz once the interview had ended and he thought the interviewer had left the neighborhood.

- because he claims that his movies are fact until someone challenges him on certain, glaringly wrong points, then he falls back to the "hey I'm just a satirist take it with a grain of salt" position until OSCAR time, when he insists his movies be put up in the "Best Doumentary" category, despite his five minutes earlier have been "just a satirist."

This stuff is out there, in books, articles (you have to dig to find the articles kind of) and webpages. It amazes me that people would believe what he has to say without actually researching him. (not directed at you, Lefty, I have no idea about you and MM). Talking about people in general.

What does Wal-Mart have to do with it?

Sparrow

ETA: just wanted to add that I don't think Michael Moore is evil, or a rank person or anything of the sort. I actually feel kind of bad for him, sometimes. He strikes me as the unpopular kid on the playground who realized that by saying the right things he could get the cool kids to like him. Now that he's "in" he's going to do whatever it takes to stay there.

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
"he tells people he is working class when in fact he grew up in a well-to-family and attended an exclusive private school."

Because I don't have time, I can only address this, which is 100%, patently false. I grew up in the same town as Michael Moore, attended the same schools, and went to the same church. His dad worked on the line at General Motors, as did mine. He is, indeed, working class.

I can attest that MM graduated from the same high school because he's in my alumni directory, and furthermore I can tell you that Davison High School is far from an exclusive private school. LOL
 
>"he tells people he is working class when in fact he grew up
>in a well-to-family and attended an exclusive private
>school."
>
>Because I don't have time, I can only address this, which is
>100%, patently false. I grew up in the same town as Michael
>Moore, attended the same schools, and went to the same church.
> His dad worked on the line at General Motors, as did mine.
>He is, indeed, working class.
>
>I can attest that MM graduated from the same high school
>because he's in my alumni directory, and furthermore I can
>tell you that Davison High School is far from an exclusive
>private school. LOL

LOL! My sources are wrong! Either that or I have confused him with someone else! I'll have to investigate further. Thanks for the correction, I'd rather not have incorrect info! :D

Sparrow

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
I agree with Lauramax and Greeneyedlefty, who have stated my views eloquently.

There is nothing special about celebrities. Most Americans were behind WWII, and most Americans are opposed to the war in Iraq. Celebrities may get more publicity, but their views are no different from that of other Americans. There is absolutely no question in my mind that all of us who have strong views, whatever they may be, care very deeply about our country.

-Nancy
 

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