A veteran I never knew was one.

[Rick B]

I was very surprised to find Rod Serling was a WWII veteran. Rick B

Rod Serling in uniform

Rod Serling served as a U.S. Army paratrooper and demolition specialist with the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific Theater in World War II from January 1943 to January 1945. He was seriously wounded in the wrist and knee during combat and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Serling's military service deeply affected the rest of his life and influenced much of his writing. Due to his wartime experiences, Serling suffered from nightmares and flashbacks. During his service in World War II, he watched as his best friend was crushed to death by a heavy supply crate dropped by a parachute onto the field. Serling was rather short (5'4") and slight. He was a noted boxer during his military days.[2]

Information

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[goo]

http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestin...1187921202.jpg
...
looks like he was born on christmas day

[Milsurp Collector]

The late James Doohan, "Scotty" on Star Trek, landed on Juno Beach on June 6, 1944.



At the outbreak of the Second World War, Doohan, aged 19, joined the Royal Canadian Artillery, and was eventually commissioned as a lieutenant in the 13th Field Regiment, part of the divisional artillery of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Doohan went to the United Kingdom in 1940 for what became years of training. His first combat assignment was the invasion of Normandy at Juno Beach on D-Day. Shooting two snipers along the way, Doohan led his unit to higher ground through a field of anti-tank mines and took defensive positions for the night. Crossing between command posts at 11:30 that night, Doohan took six rounds from a Bren gun fired by a nervous sentry: four in his leg, one in the chest, and one through his right middle finger. The bullet to his chest was halted by the silver cigarette case he carried, and his wounded right middle finger was amputated, which he would conceal during his career as an actor. However, despite his efforts, the injured hand can be seen in the Star Trek episodes "Trouble with Tribbles", "Tomorrow is Yesterday" and "Catspaw", as well as in The Search for Spock when giving parts from the USS Excelsior to Doctor McCoy.

Despite his injuries, Doohan remained in the military, trained as a pilot and flew an artillery observation plane. He flew Taylorcraft Auster Mark V aircraft for 666 (AOP) Squadron, RCAF, as a Royal Canadian Artillery officer in a flying role in support of #1 Canadian AGRA (Army Groups Royal Artillery). All three Canadian (AOP) RCAF Squadrons were manned by Artillery Officer-pilots and accompanied by enlisted RCA and RCAF personnel serving as observers.

Though he was never actually a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, he was once labeled the "craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Forces." One of the many legendary stories of his flying years tells of Doohan slaloming a plane — variously cited as a Hurricane or a jet trainer — between mountainside telegraph poles to prove it could be done, which earned him a serious reprimand. (The actual feat was performed in a Mark IV Auster on the Salisbury Plain north of RAF Andover, in the late spring of 1945).

[tmark]

Eddy Albert who portrayed Oliver in Green Acres piloted a landing craft in WWII at Tarawa. He risked Japanese fire while repeatedly making trips picking up stricken marines from beach to ships.

Lee Marvin (The Big Red One) also is an infantry combat veteran of WWII. I think he came ashore in North Africa; I'm not sure.

[DarylBruce]

Wikipedia said,

Lee Marvin left school to join the United States Marine Corps, serving as a Scout Sniper[4] in the 4th Marine Division. He was wounded in action during the WWII Battle of Saipan. Most of his platoon were killed during the battle. Marvin's wound (in the buttocks) was from machine gun fire, which severed his sciatic nerve.[5] He was awarded the Purple Heart medal and was given a medical discharge with the rank of Private First Class.

[Milsurp Collector]

Russell Johnson, The Professor on "Gilligan's Island", was a bombardier on a B-25 in the Pacific.



After high school, in the midst of World War II, Johnson joined the United States Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet. He flew 44 combat missions as a bombardier in B-25 Mitchell bombers. His plane was shot down in the Philippines in March 1945, during a bombing run against Japanese targets. The plane had to crash land at the port of Zamboanga. In this mission, he broke both his ankles and earned his Purple Heart. He was also awarded the Air Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three service stars, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one service star, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged with the rank of first Lieutenant on November 22, 1945. He then joined the Army Reserves and used the GI Bill to fund his acting studies.

[Hank Stone]

[ Military service
Rod Serling served as a U.S. Army paratrooper and demolition specialist with the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific Theater in World War II from January 1943 to January 1945. He was seriously wounded in the wrist and knee during combat and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Serling's military service deeply affected the rest of his life and influenced much of his writing. Due to his wartime experiences, Serling suffered from nightmares and flashbacks. During his service in World War II, he watched as his best friend was crushed to death by a heavy supply crate dropped by a parachute onto the field. Serling was rather short (5'4") and slight. He was a noted boxer during his military days.

[M1 Rifleman]

There were many World War II celebrities who did not shirk their duty. I remember a list going around the Internet a couple of years ago which listed many of them (ie - Charlton Heston, Sergeant, Aluetian Islands, etc). Of course, the most famous of the list was that slight, little Texan who served with Co. B 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division. His name was Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War II!!

[Old Schoolr]

There were many World War II celebrities who did not shirk their duty. I remember a list going around the Internet a couple of years ago which listed many of them (ie - Charlton Heston, Sergeant, Aluetian Islands, etc). Of course, the most famous of the list was that slight, little Texan who served with Co. B 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division. His name was Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War II!!

Murphy was also a hero after the war for speaking out about the mental costs paid by servicemen & the stigma of seeking treatment.

[Bill Hollinger]

You have it all wrong about Audie L. Murphy. He was the most decorated serviceman EVER!