Saw it on the history channel...

[Doomsday101]

I was never a Steelers fans but always admired Rocky Bleier.

Rocky Bleier was not very big and not very fast, but he was an incredibly determined athlete when the Steelers picked him late in the 1968 draft. Before he could prove himself as a rookie, he was drafted again - this time, for combat duty in Vietnam.

A few months later, crippled by enemy rifle fire and grenade wounds in both legs, Bleier faced his biggest challenge. He could barely walk... he certainly couldn't run. To ever play professional football seemed impossible.

http://www.speakersbureau.com/speakers/bleier/bio.htm

 

[Hostile]

I was never a Steelers fans but always admired Rocky Bleier.

Rocky Bleier was not very big and not very fast, but he was an incredibly determined athlete when the Steelers picked him late in the 1968 draft. Before he could prove himself as a rookie, he was drafted again - this time, for combat duty in Vietnam.

A few months later, crippled by enemy rifle fire and grenade wounds in both legs, Bleier faced his biggest challenge. He could barely walk... he certainly couldn't run. To ever play professional football seemed impossible.

http://www.speakersbureau.com/speakers/bleier/bio.htm

I remember the movie starring Robert Urich.

 

[Aikbach]

There's actually a fascinating movie in the pre-stages of production and with a more polished script in the works titled "The Swashbucklers" in reference to the actors in the Golden Age of Hollywood who put it all on the line for country.

Included in the storyline is the stranger than fiction accounts of Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable flying missions over **** Germany and a 21 year old Lt. named Tom Landry is briefly cameoed as well.

Back on the homefront the script explores how a Hollywood actor turned Army captain with poor eye sight had to remain stateside because of his vision, his name was Ronald Reagan. His good friend Errol Flynn told him to be the SAG president which steered him towards politics.

It also goes into the fascinating subplots of how the Soviets planted the seeds of their own worst enemy in Reagan by trying to infiltrate Hollywood unions with communist sympathizers and because Stalin twice tried to assassinate Reagan's dear friend John Wayne who he considered an enemy of the state!

On one such occasion a KGB sniper had Wayne in his cross hairs and the bullet jammed and exploded in the chamber killing the spy. Unknown to the Soviets was the fact that the future president of the United States was standing right beside John Wayne at that very moment.

This sounds like a fascinating movie, I am anxious to see it myself.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

There's actually a fascinating movie in the pre-stages of production and with a more polished script in the works titled "The Swashbucklers" in reference to the actors in the Golden Age of Hollywood who put it all on the line for country.

Included in the storyline is the stranger than fiction accounts of Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable flying missions over **** Germany and a 21 year old Lt. named Tom Landry is briefly cameoed as well.

Back on the homefront the script explores how a Hollywood actor turned Army captain with poor eye sight had to remain stateside because of his vision, his name was Ronald Reagan. His good friend Errol Flynn told him to be the SAG president which steered him towards politics.

It also goes into the fascinating subplots of how the Soviets planted the seeds of their own worst enemy in Reagan by trying to infiltrate Hollywood unions with communist sympathizers and because Stalin twice tried to assassinate Reagan's dear friend John Wayne who he considered an enemy of the state!

On one such occasion a KGB sniper had Wayne in his cross hairs and the bullet jammed and exploded in the chamber killing the spy. Unknown to the Soviets was the fact that the future president of the United States was standing right beside John Wayne at that very moment.

This sounds like a fascinating movie, I am anxious to see it myself.

Wow, that's cool. Thks for the heads-up.

 

[Hostile]

There's actually a fascinating movie in the pre-stages of production and with a more polished script in the works titled "The Swashbucklers" in reference to the actors in the Golden Age of Hollywood who put it all on the line for country.

Included in the storyline is the stranger than fiction accounts of Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable flying missions over **** Germany and a 21 year old Lt. named Tom Landry is briefly cameoed as well.

Back on the homefront the script explores how a Hollywood actor turned Army captain with poor eye sight had to remain stateside because of his vision, his name was Ronald Reagan. His good friend Errol Flynn told him to be the SAG president which steered him towards politics.

It also goes into the fascinating subplots of how the Soviets planted the seeds of their own worst enemy in Reagan by trying to infiltrate Hollywood unions with communist sympathizers and because Stalin twice tried to assassinate Reagan's dear friend John Wayne who he considered an enemy of the state!

On one such occasion a KGB sniper had Wayne in his cross hairs and the bullet jammed and exploded in the chamber killing the spy. Unknown to the Soviets was the fact that the future president of the United States was standing right beside John Wayne at that very moment.

This sounds like a fascinating movie, I am anxious to see it myself.

This is good info. Know the name of this production yet? I am already interested in seeing it just by your description.

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

Let me tell ya fellas, I had the opportunity as the military reporter for our local newspaper to interview several WWII veterans and veterans of other wars. Fantastic guys who thought they were doing what anyone would do and didn't think twice about it.

There was an old gunny who was a flame thrower on Iwo Jima who was everything you'd think a model American should be. I also interviewed a guy, who as a young lieutenant in WWII, accepted the Japanese surrender after the U.S. re-took the Philippines. I've talked to a guy who was on the USS Indianapolis when it was sunk in shark-infested waters after the crew had dropped off the atomic bombs.

Seriously, that is the greatest generation ever.

Thanks for keeping this thread going. It kinda puts everything else into perspective.

 

[Aikbach]

This is good info. Know the name of this production yet? I am already interested in seeing it just by your description.

"The Swashbucklers" George Clooney is rumored to be in negotiations to play Clark Gable. That is all I know so far, I go to film school in Hollywood so I hear things and meet people but sometimes they don't materialize.

This sounds like a promising project however.

 

[Hostile]

"The Swashbucklers" George Clooney is rumored to be in negotiations to play Clark Gable. That is all I know so far, I go to film school in Hollywood so I hear things and meet people but sometimes they don't materialize.

This sounds like a promising project however.

Dang, got so caught up in the description I didn't notice you did say the name. Sorry for asking a dumb question.

 

[Jarv]

Let me tell ya fellas, I had the opportunity as the military reporter for our local newspaper to interview several WWII veterans and veterans of other wars. Fantastic guys who thought they were doing what anyone would do and didn't think twice about it.

There was an old gunny who was a flame thrower on Iwo Jima who was everything you'd think a model American should be. I also interviewed a guy, who as a young lieutenant in WWII, accepted the Japanese surrender after the U.S. re-took the Philippines. I've talked to a guy who was on the USS Indianapolis when it was sunk in shark-infested waters after the crew had dropped off the atomic bombs.

Seriously, that is the greatest generation ever.

Thanks for keeping this thread going. It kinda puts everything else into perspective.

Its so true what you said about that generation. This is really a great thread.

My father was on the beach the 1st day in Normandy. He's my hero, he grew up fatherless and poor in a paper mill town in the adirondacks. I hear worse stories about having hot water as soup on Thursday nights before payday and 50 below temperatures with no indoor plumbing...The depression.

One of the Normandy stories I always hear is that his squad (He was the Sargent) got seperated from their platoon on D-Day and ended up, for two weeks, with Monty's English army. He said they ate much better in the field than our army did...lol. He got blown up and disabled at the battle of the Rhine, but I never heard him complain about his army life.

He enlisted, ran a crap game for a while in England while stationed there and sent a good chunk of change home to his mom. He always said never bet against the house.

I wish I were half the man he was/is.

 

[AdamJT13]

There were several famous comabt pilots or airmen in addition to Landry and Stewart.

Deforest Kelley
Walter Mathau
Tom Poston
Charles Bronson
Charlton Heston
Ted Williams
William Holden
William Conrad
Clark Gable
Barry Goldwater
Mario Puzo

For some reason, I found the order of those names to be hilarious. Tell me they didn't just come to mind in that order!

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

Here's one for you guys. Did you know Captain Kangaroo was actually a Marine on Iwo Jima before he was on TV? Lee Marvin credits him for saving his life on the island. Crazy stuff. I think Mr. Rogers was also in the Marines. I kid you not. I know it sounds funny. I'll have to research that now and hopefuly post a link.

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

Scratch that. Lee Marvin was a Marine and received a Purple Heart. But, Captain Kangaroo never achieved a rank other than the one he had on the program and Mr. Rogers was never anybody's foxhole neighbor.

 

[Doomsday101]

Here's one for you guys. Did you know Captain Kangaroo was actually a Marine on Iwo Jima before he was on TV? Lee Marvin credits him for saving his life on the island. Crazy stuff. I think Mr. Rogers was also in the Marines. I kid you not. I know it sounds funny. I'll have to research that now and hopefuly post a link.

Did not know that.

How about Eddie Alberts from the TV show Green Acres
Eddie Albert served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy in the Pacific during World War II. A genuine war hero, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during the Battle of Tarawa in 1943, when he rescued 70 wounded Marines while under heavy enemy fire. He later described some of these events during a short interview in a segment of a program about the war, which appeared on the History Channel.

 

[Hostile]

For some reason, I found the order of those names to be hilarious. Tell me they didn't just come to mind in that order!

Yeah, I was scrambling to remember the different names I had heard of as far as pilots or airmen. I was trying not to add those who were in the Navy, Army or Marines such as Audie Murphy, who was the most decorated soldier of WWII. I am pretty sure there are lots more. These are just a few that I remembered. In fact, as pointed out earlier I did forget John Glenn, though I did not know Ted Williams was his wing man.

I also know that Butch O'Hare for whom O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named was a Navy pilot and the 1st ever Navy ace. I also happen to know that the day he became an Ace he was under hack for drunk & disorderly and disobeyed an order by leaving his bunk to join the dogfight. He was aboard the USS Lexington with a contractor friend of mine in the Pacific theater along with a pitcher for the Indians, Johnny Sain (sp?).

 

[Hostile]

Here's one for you guys. Did you know Captain Kangaroo was actually a Marine on Iwo Jima before he was on TV? Lee Marvin credits him for saving his life on the island. Crazy stuff. I think Mr. Rogers was also in the Marines. I kid you not. I know it sounds funny. I'll have to research that now and hopefuly post a link.

Only partially true. Snopes.com debunks part of that e-mail that made the rounds.

 

[Hostile]

Did not know that.

How about Eddie Alberts from the TV show Green Acres
Eddie Albert served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy in the Pacific during World War II. A genuine war hero, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during the Battle of Tarawa in 1943, when he rescued 70 wounded Marines while under heavy enemy fire. He later described some of these events during a short interview in a segment of a program about the war, which appeared on the History Channel.

I did not know any of this about Eddie Alberts.

I like this thread.

 

[Doomsday101]

I did not know any of this about Eddie Alberts.

I like this thread.

Mr Douglas was a war Hero, how bout that.

 

[AdamJT13]

Yeah, I was scrambling to remember the different names I had heard of as far as pilots or airmen.

Well, then I'm not sure what remembering Deforest Kelly and Tom Poston before Ted Williams, Clark Gable, Charles Bronson and Charlton Heston says about you, but I'm sure it's not good!

 

[arglebargle]

There were several famous comabt pilots or airmen in addition to Landry and Stewart.

Deforest Kelley
Walter Mathau
Tom Poston
Charles Bronson
Charlton Heston
Ted Williams
William Holden
William Conrad
Clark Gable
Barry Goldwater
Mario Puzo


And I am sure I am forgetting many more. Not counting guys who were combat soldiers or sailors. WWII vets are still the great generation IMO.

Oddly enough, Mr. Rogers was WWII Navy demolitions frogman. Captain Kangaroo was a combat Marine Sargeant. Strange, hunh?

edit: OK, the Kangaroo thing is shakey. Now I have to check up on Mr. Rogers as well....

 

[burmafrd]

I am not sure about this but I seem to remember Lee Marvin saying that he actually coached John Wayne on his charactor in "Sands of Iwo Jima"