Clark Gable flew at least 5 missions as Captain filming 50,000 ft of gunnery combat during 1943. He received the Air Medal for his service.

What did Clark Gable do during World War II?

Gable flew five combat missions, including one to Germany, as an observer-gunner in B-17 Flying Fortresses between May 4 and September 23, 1943, earning the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts.

Who was the most decorated actor in WWII?

Audie Murphy (born June 20, 1925, near Kingston, Texas, U.S.—died May 28, 1971, near Roanoke, Virginia) was an American war hero and actor who was one of the most-decorated U.S. soldiers of World War II.

Did John Wayne serve in World War II?

By then Wayne was Hollywood A-list and was more concerned about being absent from Hollywood would do to his box office appeal. Originally Answered: Why didn't John Wayne serve in WWII, despite his desire to do so? Because he was a draft dodger.

What bomb group was Clark Gable in?

The 351st Bomb Group flew strategic bombing missions from their base at Polebrook, Northamptonshire from April 1943 to June 1945. The Group's most famous member was Hollywood actor Clark Gable, who flew four/ five missions with them as an observer gunner for the making of recruitment film 'Combat America'.

Clark Gable with the USAAF (1943)

What rank was Clark Gable in WWII?

Was Clark Gable a pilot during World War 2? No. He served with the Army Air Forces in Europe with the rank of Captain, but he did fly a number of missions as a gunner.

Did Clark Gable serve in the military in World War II?

Although he was beyond the draft age at the time the U.S. entered World War II, Clark Gable enlisted as a private in the AAF on Aug. 12, 1942, at Los Angeles.

Did Kirk Douglas serve in WWII?

Douglas joined the United States Navy in 1941, shortly after the United States entered World War II, where he served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare aboard USS PC-1139. He was medically discharged in 1944 for injuries sustained from the premature explosion of a depth charge.

Did Robert Mitchum serve in the military?

Mitchum got drafted into the Army and then got a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for playing a soldier. He served as a medic at Fort MacArthur, California. Mitchum was married with two sons when he was drafted, so the Army gave him a Dependency Discharge after eight months of service.

What celebrities dodged the draft for the Vietnam War?

American draft evaders who left for Canada and became prominent there include politician Jim Green, gay rights advocate Michael Hendricks, attorney Jeffry House, author Keith Maillard, playwright John Murrell, television personality Eric Nagler, film critic Jay Scott, and musician Jesse Winchester.

What actor was a marine and a pilot?

Riggle joined the Marines in 1990 after getting his pilot's license, intending to become a naval aviator, but left flight school to pursue a comedy career.

What did Paul Newman do in WWII?

This ended his chances of becoming an aviator, so he instead became a rear seat radioman and gunner for torpedo bombers, serving aboard the USS Bunker Hill which took part in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

Was Paul Newman a gunner?

Instead of completing the program, Newman was shipped to basic training where he qualified to be a rear-seat radioman and gunner for torpedo bombers.

Did Paul Newman serve in WWII?

Newman served in the United States Navy in World War II, in the Pacific theater. Initially, he enrolled in the Navy V-12 pilot training program at Yale University, but was dropped when his colorblindness was discovered. He later recounted that it was "a bit more complicated" than colorblindness.

Did Jimmy Stewart serve in the military?

On March 22, 1941, Jimmy Stewart was drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps as an enlisted man and stationed at Moffett Field, Calif.

Did Charles Bronson serve in the military?

Bronson was one of 15 children of a Lithuanian coal miner and became a miner himself at age 16. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces as an aircraft gunner during World War II. After the war he held a series of odd jobs before being hired by a Philadelphia theatre company to paint scenery.

Did John Wayne like Robert Mitchum?

Apparently, they got along pretty well - despite Wayne having Mitchum fired from the film.

Did actor Gene Hackman serve in the military?

Hackman lived briefly in Storm Lake, Iowa, and spent his sophomore year at Storm Lake High School. He left home at age 16 and lied about his age to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. He served four and a half years as a field-radio operator. Hackman was stationed in China (Qingdao and later in Shanghai).

Who was the soldier that refused to hold a gun?

Desmond Thomas Doss (February 7, 1919 – March 23, 2006) was an American United States Army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in World War II. Due to his Christian beliefs, he refused to carry a weapon. Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.

Did Audie Murphy serve in World War II?

By the end of World War II, Murphy had become one of the nation's most-decorated soldiers, earning an unparalleled 28 medals (including three from France and one from Belgium). Murphy had been wounded three times during the war.

Did Burt Lancaster serve in the military?

After the United States entered World War II, Lancaster joined the United States Army in January 1943 and performed with the Army's 21st Special Services Division, one of the military groups organized to follow the troops on the ground and provide USO entertainment to keep up morale.

Was John Wayne in the military?

The cold reality is that he studiously avoided military service. He decided that his career was a higher priority. It was a decision that would haunt him the rest of his life and would damage his relationships with some of his friends, most notably his principal mentor, film director John Ford.

Did Humphrey Bogart serve in the military?

Service record of Humphrey DeForest Bogart, who before becoming an actor, enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age eighteen and served in World War I. New York State Archives, New York (State).

Was Paul Newman in the service?

Paul Newman: In the Navy and Aboard the USS Bunker Hill

Instead, Newman served as a radioman and rear gunner for torpedo bombers. He was deployed to the Pacific Theatre where he was stationed aboard the USS Bunker Hill.

Did Henry Fonda serve in WWII?

He was acclaimed for his role in The Ox-Bow Incident (1943). Fonda enlisted in the United States Navy to fight in World War II, saying, "I don't want to be in a fake war in a studio."