Actors in WWII

[ronmahony]

Got to looking at some of this last night, real interesting stuff, some of i knew about. Kinda curious how many went to Vietnam.

http://www.valdezlink.com/pages/actorheros-more.htm

http://www.heroeswest.com/page6.htm

http://ww2history.suite101.com/article.cfm/hollywood_heroes_in_world_war_two

http://www.military.com/features/0,,78603,00.html

[Tejano Jawg]

Interesting lists. The actors I always heard about (getting significant WWII combat time) were Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin, Eddie Albert and Clark Cable. But there were so many I never knew about, including Brits Alec Guinness, Donald Pleasance and David Niven.

Also interesting...I didn't know about James Arness (Marshal Dillon). He suffered a serious leg wound at Anzio beachhead in Italy. I had an uncle (First Special Forces) who was also at Anzio, also got a severe leg would—which would have to be amputated at the hip.

Just wondered if they ever crossed paths. That kind of thing happened all the time (off the subject)...2 guys from my hometown, who hadn't seen each other in years, ended up in nearby foxholes (in the Philippines I think). It was nighttime, but they found out because one recognized the other's voice.

[ronmahony]

Just wondered if they ever crossed paths. That kind of thing happened all the time (off the subject)...2 guys from my hometown, who hadn't seen each other in years, ended up in nearby foxholes (in the Philippines I think). It was nighttime, but they found out because one recognized the other's voice.

Ha that made me remember something. When I went home for leave after Boot Camp, I was sitting down town talking to my Recruiter when a buddy of mine showed up. We grew up together lived down the road from each other, played ball together all through school. I was telling him about the Marines bootcamp and stuff. Well about 3 years later I was stationed at Camp Pendleton getting out,I'd been to town and was hitchhiking back when these two Marines picked me up. Course we got to talking about where we were from, when I told them one of them said to the other one, isn't that Rick is from? Well sure enough it wasw the same guy, I never knew he went in, he was walking guard duty that night so I walked around the outside of the fence and shot the bull all night. It is a small world.

[moley_russells_wart_hog]

hogans heroes actors during world war 2


Werner Klemperer  aka colonel Klink - His father being Jewish, Klemperer fled the Nazis from his home in Cologne Germany with his family in 1935; they made their way to Los Angeles, where his father had a conducting post. Klemperer began acting in high school and enrolled in acting courses in Pasadena before joining the United States Army to fight in World War II.  Klemperer, conscious that he would be playing the role of a German officer during the Nazi regime, agreed to the part only on the condition that Klink would be portrayed as a fool who never succeeded.

John Banner  aka Sgt Schultz -  In 1938, Banner, worked with an acting troupe in Switzerland and found he could not return to his native Austria because he was a Jew. He emigrated to the United States and, though unable to speak a word of English, was hired as a Master of Ceremonies. Banner learned his words phonetically and soon mastered the English language. From 1942 to 1945, Banner served in the U. S. Army Air Force.

Robert Clary aka LeBeau -  Clary was the youngest of 14 children. At the age of 12, he began a career singing professionally. In 1942, as a result of his Jewish heritage, he was deported to the Nazi concentration camp, Buchenwald with 12 other members of his immediate family. Clary was the only survivor When he returned to Paris after the war, he was ecstatic when he found that some of his siblings had not been taken away and had survived the Nazi occupation of France.

Leon Askin  aka General Burkhalter - Askin was born Leon Aschkenasy into a Jewish family in Vienna, the son of Malvine (Susman) and Samuel Aschkenazy.[1] Askin already wanted to be an actor as a child. His dream came true, and in the 1930s he worked as a cabaret artist and director at the "ABC Theatre" in Vienna: in this position he also helped the career of the writer Jura Soyfer get off the ground in 1935. As a highly versatile stage actor, he was well-known as "the man of a thousand faces."  Persecuted by the Nazis, Askin escaped to the United States via France, arriving in New York in 1940 with no money and less than a basic knowledge of English. When the U.S. entered the Second World War Askin joined the U.S. Army. While serving in the military he learned that his parents had been killed at Treblinka extermination camp.

[ronmahony]

hogans heroes actors during world war 2


Werner Klemperer  aka colonel Klink - His father being Jewish, Klemperer fled the Nazis from his home in Cologne Germany with his family in 1935; they made their way to Los Angeles, where his father had a conducting post. Klemperer began acting in high school and enrolled in acting courses in Pasadena before joining the United States Army to fight in World War II.  Klemperer, conscious that he would be playing the role of a German officer during the Nazi regime, agreed to the part only on the condition that Klink would be portrayed as a fool who never succeeded.

John Banner  aka Sgt Schultz -  In 1938, Banner, worked with an acting troupe in Switzerland and found he could not return to his native Austria because he was a Jew. He emigrated to the United States and, though unable to speak a word of English, was hired as a Master of Ceremonies. Banner learned his words phonetically and soon mastered the English language. From 1942 to 1945, Banner served in the U. S. Army Air Force.

Robert Clary aka LeBeau -  Clary was the youngest of 14 children. At the age of 12, he began a career singing professionally. In 1942, as a result of his Jewish heritage, he was deported to the Nazi concentration camp, Buchenwald with 12 other members of his immediate family. Clary was the only survivor When he returned to Paris after the war, he was ecstatic when he found that some of his siblings had not been taken away and had survived the Nazi occupation of France.

Leon Askin  aka General Burkhalter - Askin was born Leon Aschkenasy into a Jewish family in Vienna, the son of Malvine (Susman) and Samuel Aschkenazy.[1] Askin already wanted to be an actor as a child. His dream came true, and in the 1930s he worked as a cabaret artist and director at the "ABC Theatre" in Vienna: in this position he also helped the career of the writer Jura Soyfer get off the ground in 1935. As a highly versatile stage actor, he was well-known as "the man of a thousand faces."  Persecuted by the Nazis, Askin escaped to the United States via France, arriving in New York in 1940 with no money and less than a basic knowledge of English. When the U.S. entered the Second World War Askin joined the U.S. Army. While serving in the military he learned that his parents had been killed at Treblinka extermination camp.

That's good stuff right there, I had no idea.+1

[moley_russells_wart_hog]

ran across another one not on the list ,neville brand , who was in stalag 17, tora tora tora and the tv show laredo, was a highly decorated sargent in the thunderbolt division saw action in europe incuding the battle of the bulge, was wounded in april of 1945 and nearly bled to death

[BrooklynRoss]

Ed McMahon flew 85 combat missions? Hey-ooo!

[ErieHog]

People often forget athletes, too.

Ted Williams and Bob Feller come to mind;  Williams had 39 combat missions in Korea, and Feller served as a Gun Captain on the USS Alabama and earned 5 campaign ribbons and 8 battle stars.

Feller remains the only Chief Petty Officer in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

[old hog]

People often forget athletes, too.

Ted Williams and Bob Feller come to mind;  Williams had 39 combat missions in Korea, and Feller served as a Gun Captain on the USS Alabama and earned 5 campaign ribbons and 8 battle stars.

Feller remains the only Chief Petty Officer in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

This I did not know. Good stuff.