With the advent of World War II many of our actors went to fight rather than stand and rant against this country we all love. They gave up their wealth, position and fame to become service men & women, many as simple "enlisted men".

This page lists but a few, but from this group of only 18 men came over 70 medals  in honor of their valor, spanning from Bronze Stars, Silver Stars,  Distinguish Service Cross', Purple Hearts and one Congressional Medal of Honor.

Most of these brave men have since passed on.   

Real Hollywood Heros

Alec Guinness (Star Wars~Bridge over the River Kwai) operated a British Royal Navy landing craft on  D-Day.

James Doohan ("Scotty" on Star Trek) landed in Normandy with the U. S. Army on  D-Day.

Donald  Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was an R. A. F. pilot who was shot down, held prisoner and tortured by the Germans.

David Niven was a Sandhurst graduate and Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos in   Normandy.

James  Stewart Entered the Army Air Force as a private and worked his way to the  rank of Colonel. During World War II, Stewart served as a bomber pilot, his service record crediting him with leading more than 20 missions over Germany , and taking part in  hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty. Stewart  earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, France 's Croix de  Guerre,and 7 Battle Stars during World War II. In peace time, Stewart continued to be an active member of the Air Force as a  reservist, reaching the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in the  late 1950's.

Clark  Gable (Mega-Movie Star when war broke out) Although he was beyond the draft  age at the time the U.S. entered WW II, Clark  Gable enlisted as a private in the AAF on Aug. 12, 1942 at Los Angeles.    He  attended the Officers' Candidate School at Miami Beach , Fla. and graduated as  a second lieutenant on Oct. 28, 1942. He  then attended aerial gunnery school and in Feb. 1943 he was assigned to the  351st Bomb Group at Polebrook where flew operational missions over Europe in  B-17s. Capt.Gable returned to the U.S. in Oct. 1943 and was relieved from active duty as  a major on Jun. 12, 1944 at his own request, since he was over-age for  combat.

Charlton Heston was an Army Air Corps Sergeant in Kodiak.

Earnest Borgnine was a U. S. Navy Gunners Mate 1935-1945.

Charles Durning was a U. S. Army Ranger at Normandy earning a Silver Star and  awarded the Purple Heart.

Charles Bronson was a tail gunner in the Army Air Corps, more specifically on B-29s  in the 20th Air Force out of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan.

George C. Scott was a decorated U. S. Marine.

Eddie Albert (Green Acres TV) was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic action as a  U. S. Naval officer aiding Marines at the horrific battle on the island of   Tarawa in the Pacific Nov. 1943.

Brian Keith served as a U.S. Marine rear gunner in several actions against the  Japanese on Rabal in the Pacific.

Lee  Marvin was a U.S. Marine on Saipan during the Marianas campaign when he was  wounded earning the Purple Heart.

John Russell: In 1942, he enlisted in the Marine Corps where he received a battlefield commission and was wounded and highly decorated for valor at Guadalcanal.

Robert Ryan was a U. S. Marine who served with the O. S. S. in   Yugoslavia.

Tyrone  Power (an established movie star when Pearl Harbor was bombed) joined the  U.S. Marines, was a pilot flying supplies into, and wounded Marines out of,  Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Audie Murphy, little 5'5" tall 110 pound guy from Bay City , Texas who played cowboy parts?Most decorated serviceman of WWII and earned: Medal of Honor, Distinguished  Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star Medals  with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal,  Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal,  European- African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four  Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead  (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) World War II  Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces  Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert  Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre,  French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre With  Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of Liberated  France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.

This is what is great about the U.S.A.

BUT NEVER FORGET