Re: Jimmy Stewart

BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

I just learned something I never knew:

Jimmy Stewart (the actor) was a soldier in WWII and rose from the rank of
private to colonel during the war and retired in 1968 as a 2-star general.
He's only one of a handful of soldiers who have accomplished that dramatic a
rise through the ranks of the Army. And he wasn't just doing "celebrity duty"
in the Army, either. During the war, he flew dozens of B-52 combat sorties
over Nazi Germany.

He remained in the reserves for two decades after the war and kept up
his pilot's credentials.

We always heard of a number of British actors who served in combat.

Looking it up, here's actors who served in WWI, of course this predates
Hollywood.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/classic-movie-actors-who-served-during-world-war-i.html

James Garner served in Korea, but didn't become an actor till relatively
late, his mid 30s, after the war.

I'm not thinking of any Viet Nam war era actors.