Saw it on the history channel...

[DipChit]

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

He's a tough guy alright.

Actually he grew up in my home town. But he's 15 years older than me.

Closest I ever got to knowing him was hanging out at Bleier's.. a watering hole run by his family back in the day.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Okay guys, so far in this thread, we've had Captain kangaroo being a dangerous, kill-trained Marine Devil dog, who without the likes of, the world would be deprived of such movies as; Cat Ballou, Paint Your Wagon, or the Man who Shot Liberty Valance... to Fred Rogers being an elite underwater bomb-planter, who surely single-handedly destroyed at least a dozen Japanese warships, swimming through miles of frigid water, in stormy seas.

When do we get the one about Pee Wee Herman, and his covert activity with the Montinyards, just prior to The Tet Offensive, or Carrot Top's an ex Top-Gun graduate?

 

[ologan]

Great thread,and nice to see the younger generation give thought to THAT generation. But it's not enough to just listen to stories and hear as others recount that generations exploits. If you don't know someone from that era who lived the epic struggle,then by all means find somebody who did,and thank them from the bottom of your heart. They are responsible for all you enjoy today,to include the opportunity to be a Cowboy fan....But you better do it quick;They won't be around much longer to thank !

 

[Hostile]

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!

Mostly that I was trying to come up with some that people may not have known. I think Mario Puzo was the most astonishing to me when I learned it.

The 1st one I thought of was Ted Williams. He just wasn't the first I wrote down. I knew I wouldn't forget him. I forgot Glenn instead.

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

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

Yeah, I went back and did a google search. Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Rogers never served. What a great story those two would've been though.

In retrospect, when you look at some of the athletes, movie stars, politicians, etc. (okay, maybe not the politicians), several of them served with honor during several of our nations' wars. I'm not saying everyone should run out and sign up, but the military does wonders for young men and women. I served four years and I thought one of the guys I served with wouldn't make it out of his first year. Now he's been in more than 12 years. It really does put things into perspective.

There's another hero we haven't mentioned. One who gave up pro sports to serve. Pat Tillman. Talk about a class act.

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

Just found a goldmine of "Persons of Exceptional Prominence" who distinguishly served and was honorably dischaged.

Arthur Ashe - Army
Desi Arnez - Army
Spiro Agnew - Army (still can't believe he's a cheat)
Humphrey Bogart - Navy
FRank Capra - Army
Henry Fonda - Navy
Marvin Gay - Air Force
Hank Greenburg - Army (don't know if it's Hammerin' Hank)
Jimi Hendrix - Army (Really can't believe this one)
Rocky Marciano - Army
Steve McQueen - Marines
Jackie Robinson - Navy
Knute Rockne - Army
Roberto Clemente - Marines

A lot of variety on this list

 

[Jarv]

Just saw the end of Cinderella man, you can add James Braddick to the list.

Keep in mind these guys grew in in a depression era that hopefully we will never know.

Funny how such a great generation grew up with little or nothing. Ironic that I admire that generation, which grew up poor and had to work so hard for everything, much more than I admire my own, which didn't. We think we are entitled, they had no such feelings.

Watching that movie people gathered together in the streets, churchs and the like to support their hero. People just don't do that kind of stuff anymore.

We should have had a thread like this on Vetrans day.

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

Just saw the end of Cinderella man, you can add James Braddick to the list.

Keep in mind these guys grew in in a depression era that hopefully we will never know.

Funny how such a great generation grew up with little or nothing. Ironic that I admire that generation, which grew up poor and had to work so hard for everything, much more than I admire my own, which didn't. We think we are entitled, they had no such feelings.

Watching that movie people gathered together in the streets, churchs and the like to support their hero. People just don't do that kind of stuff anymore.

We should have had a thread like this on Vetrans day.

Better late than never. Better to honor late than not honor at all.

Shout out to my boy Chris in Guam!

 

[joseephuss]

Just found a goldmine of "Persons of Exceptional Prominence" who distinguishly served and was honorably dischaged.

Arthur Ashe - Army
Desi Arnez - Army
Spiro Agnew - Army (still can't believe he's a cheat)
Humphrey Bogart - Navy
FRank Capra - Army
Henry Fonda - Navy
Marvin Gay - Air Force
Hank Greenburg - Army (don't know if it's Hammerin' Hank)
Jimi Hendrix - Army (Really can't believe this one)
Rocky Marciano - Army
Steve McQueen - Marines
Jackie Robinson - Navy
Knute Rockne - Army
Roberto Clemente - Marines

A lot of variety on this list

From what I understand, Jackie Robinson was court martialed and dishonorably discharged. He was speaking out against discrimination in the military. I could be wrong, but I had heard that a few times.

 

[scottyb]

Better late than never. Better to honor late than not honor at all.

Shout out to my boy Chris in Guam!

I was in stationed in Guam from 93-96, I loved that place... What's Chris in??, i was Navy stationed on NCTAMS.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Yeah, I went back and did a google search. Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Rogers never served. What a great story those two would've been though.

Bob Keeshan, "Captain Kangaroo" was born 6/27/1927 and enlisted in The Corps after his 18th b-day, too late to see WWII action, but he most certainly did "serve".

"Service" to our county is not limited to, or reserved for, those that actually experienced any form of combat.

 

[Hostile]

Bob Keeshan, "Captain Kangaroo" was born 6/27/1927 and enlisted in The Corps after his 18th b-day, too late to see WWII action, but he most certainly did "serve".

"Service" to our county is not limited to, or reserved for, those that actually experienced any form of combat.

Right, but he did not save Lee Marvin at Iwo Jima, which is the point I was making earlier by pointing out the e-mail that goes around about that are false.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Right, but he did not save Lee Marvin at iwo Jima, which is the point I was making earlier by pointing out the e-mail that goes around about that are false.

Yea, that was a little out there! :

Now, the story about Carrot Top being an Top-Gun, that one has to be true, right!?

 

[Bizwah]

I didn't read through all the posts, but Jimmy Stewart also served in WWII. He was a bomber pilot if I remember correctly.

He was actually in danger of not making weight. He was too thin. He would've felt ashamed to be left behind (wasn't it a different time then?), so he actually taped spaghetti to his legs to add weight.

At least, that's how the old story goes.

Then you have guys like John Wayne...he actually applied for some kind of hardship, and didn't have to serve. That's when his career took off.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

He was actually in danger of not making weight. He was too thin. He would've felt ashamed to be left behind (wasn't it a different time then?), so he actually taped spaghetti to his legs to add weight.

Ok, this thread just gets weirder and weirder!! Some of you guys must be a hoot around a campfire.:laugh1:

 

[sonnyboy]

This is a great thread.

Loved reading all those names. Gives you a different perspective/new found respect for those you didn't know served.

WWII generation is my favorite as well.

One of my personal pet peeves was having to listen to any real scathing critisim of George Bush Sr or Tom Landry.
I'd think to myself, don't these people realize that Landry flew a ton of hazardous bomber missions and Bush was shot down for c----t sake.

I know that shouldn't give them a lifetime pass for all they would go on to do in sports and politics, but it meant/means a lot to me. Show some respect.

I have an 83 year old client who is a WWII vet.
Was pinned down by a sniper in an Italian plaza for 8 hours. He told me the story and how he took his wife back to the spot years later.
He showed her the spot he was hiding and the marks from the bullets that were fired at him still on the wall.

Awesome stuff.

 

[Hostile]

I have a friend here in Tucson whose dad is the nicest person I have ever met. I have told Dan on more than one occasion that I envy him his dad.

Dan's mom passed away a couple of weeks before Christmas. She and Wayne, his dad, had been married for 61 years. They met while he was home recuperating from one of the 3 wounds he received in WWII that earned him Purple Hearts. That's right, wounded 3 times and awarded 3 Purple Hearts.

Two days before Norma passed away my wife and I took dinner to their family. Two hours after she left this life Wayne called my wife. He said he didn't want us to think he was "ungrateful." That took my breath away. I confess, if my wife of 61 years had passed away the last thing I would be thinking about is thanking you for bringing my family some food.

When he was 19 years old Wayne and 9 other soldiers got trapped behind enemy lines in Germany. 3 of them decided to follow Wayne out. The others decided to follow an older soldier. Those 6 soldiers died while Wayne and the 3 who followed him out survived. He asked them why they chose to follow him.

Wayne had shared with them a story about a blessing he had been given before going to war. In the blessing he was told his children would honor him. At 19 years old he wasn't married. The other soldiers told him they felt that was a good omen that he was being protected for greater things.

He certainly was. Wayne is not rich by any wild stretch of the imagination, but you'd never know it by how much he gives. Every thrift store in Tucson knows him. They call him whenever they have Cub Scout or Boy Scout uniforms. He buys them and donates them to underprivileged kids on the south side of Tucson. On several occasions I have taken bicycles to his shop and given them to him. He fixes them up and gives those away to underprivileged kids too.

He's a truly great man, and I believe the depth of his character is defined by his service to this country in WWII. Every one of his sons and grandsons has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. I don't consider that an accident.

 

[THUMPER]

Tyrone Power was one of Hollywood's biggest box office stars and gave it up to join the Marines. He saw action in the South Pacific (Tarawa I believe).

 

[Big Country]

Thanks for sharing everyone... Brightens up a cloudy day. Really does.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Felt like this would be the appropriate thread for this.

Semper Fidelis and R.I.P. to Art Buchwald

From Wiki:
He wanted to join the United States Marine Corps but was too young, so he lied about his age and bribed a drunk with half a pint of whisky to sign as his legal guardian. From October 1942 to October 1945, he served with the Marines as part of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing. He spent two years in the Pacific Theater and was discharged from the service as a sergeant.