Farewell Mickey Rooney. RIP "sir" ;-)

Humm I always found him to be incredibly annoying, but he was a fine actor and a good person, RIP.

Thats a good movie too. Fonderie Miniature (warning) sold a kit of the H-5 with a fig wearing that silly hat.

While checking my facts, I came across this nice page:

en.wikipedia.org/.../Aircraft_in_fiction

I enjoy seeing Rooney entertaining the troops in WW2.  Man was he short!  I had read that he was in the Army during the war but did he have other duties besides entertaining the troops?  One of my favorite pictures of him is when he's in a flight suit with a P-61 nearby.

Eric

echolmberg

I enjoy seeing Rooney entertaining the troops in WW2.  Man was he short!  I had read that he was in the Army during the war but did he have other duties besides entertaining the troops?  

Eric

Many thanks for posting those photos, Stikpusher. 

Mr. Rooney in that very memorable role was the first thing I thought of upon hearing of his death.

Glenn ford was a rear admiral  if I'm not mistaken

Stik, I was going to mention him too in my favorite war flick but you beat me to it! I never get tired of watching that movie. Back in the mid 1970's I worked for a police Sergeant who served on the Oriskany when The Bridges at Toko Ri was filmed. He got to meet some of the cast. Sadly, he recently passed away. RIP Sgt. Jay Cuthbert, a sweetheart of a guy and a great cop. RIP Mickey, one heck of a fine actor.

Read an article this morning that said his entire estate was valued at 18,000. Combination of bad investments and too many ex wives

Raualduke

Read an article this morning that said his entire estate was valued at 18,000. Combination of bad investments and too many ex wives

Raualduke

Glenn ford was a rear admiral  if I'm not mistaken

Yep,I looked up after I posted, don't remember where I heard that.shoulda done my homework first

Sprue-ce Goose

echolmberg

I enjoy seeing Rooney entertaining the troops in WW2.  Man was he short!  I had read that he was in the Army during the war but did he have other duties besides entertaining the troops?  

Eric

It is my understanding that many US entertainers were in the service wearing a uniform but only entertained US troops.

Some entertainers did, in fact, see combat. The two that come to mind are Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable with both flying in bombers over Germany. I am unclear about how many other entertainers saw actual combat.

What floored me was when I found out just a couple of days ago that Normal Fell was a tail gunner in the Pacific.  I grew up watching him as "Mr'. Roper" from "Three's Company".

I'd love to see a picture of him and Charles Bronson in their gear standing next to their respective bombers.  I know Bronson was in B-29s and I think Fell was in B-25s.

Eric

James Doohan was wounded at Normandy- lost a finger on his hand which was always out of the shot in Star Trek. Future people are perfect after all.

Gene Roddenberry was a pilot.

Don Adams was a Marine who fought on Guadalcanal, was wounded, contracted blackwater fever and almost died in the hospital.

Thats right, Doohan actually was in the assault landing on June 6th. I want to say at Juno Beach. He based his Mr Scott accent off of somebody that he served with.

Charles Durning was another WWII vet, who fought in the Bulge.

Jimi Hendrix was in the 101st...

for about ten minutes.

Long enough to get his wings ;-)

Indeed no disrespect intended.

Didn't see combat but who can forget Bob Hope and Glenn Miller

Tony Bennett

GMorrison

Indeed no disrespect intended.

Not at all my friend. I love his music. And I know that there is a back story there as well.

Sadly, Mickey's personal life was a bit messed up.  He had eight wives and divorces, one of them was Ava Gardner.  But he was a heck of an actor whom I always enjoyed watching.

stikpusher

Thats right, Doohan actually was in the assault landing on June 6th. I want to say at Juno Beach. He based his Mr Scott accent off of somebody that he served with.

Oh yes, Aldo Ray was a UDT Frogman who was at Okinawa or Iwo Jima. Talk about a real life tough guy.

just about all the movie stars and future stars served in WWII.  Brian Keith was a US  Marine air gunner. Deforest Kelley was in the Air Corps in WWII. Gene Kelly was in the Navy, so was Ernest Borgnine who was a Gunner's mate. George Kennedy was in the US Army and served under Patton. Even Werner Klemperer served in the US Army in WWII. See more here: www.wonderfulworldofimages.com/.../wwii-movie-stars.html

And how many of TODAY'S popular entertainers have served in any capacity at all in defending our country?  I can't think of any one.  (A pro football player, who left the NFL and gave his life, comes to mind, but that's all.)

Remember though- the entertainment industry has shifted its market to kids, funded by their parents.

More to the point though, there's so darn much money coming to those who succeed that they dont seem to be able to see beyond the ends of their noses.

Where you do get more veterans is in the community service organizations, including interestingly the priesthood, from where I  interact with them in my own social efforts like Saint V de P.

All that really matters is service, not fame.

Frankly someone like Lohan or Beiber could use a little structure.

And...thank the Lord we generally live in a time of peace.

Interesting point CC.

Yup, a whole different breed today. I can only think of a handful of postwar entertainers who served in any capacity, and only one who has been to war. And AFIK, he has not done any on screen work in years.

GMorrison

stikpusher

Thats right, Doohan actually was in the assault landing on June 6th. I want to say at Juno Beach. He based his Mr Scott accent off of somebody that he served with.

Mr. Doohan was missing part of a finger after D-Day.................a German MG put a bullet in his leg and shot off the finger, IIRC