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HOLLYWOOD & THE
STARS WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR II |
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RAF In 1941 he entered the Royal navy as a seaman (Landing Craft Operator) and was commissioned the next year.
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Gene wanted to serve his country in World War II. Under MGM's protests, Gene joined the Navy. Earning the rank of lieutenant j.g., he worked in the photographic division of the naval air force until May, 1946.
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Lt. Col. BEIRNE LAY Jr. (B-24 Pilot) Screenwriter/Producer (September 1, 1909 - May 26, 1982) 8th AF 487 BG group commander;
shot down in Europe, but evaded capture and made it back to England. |
With war clouds hanging over much of Europe and Asia, Morris became one of the first Hollywood actors to enter the service, joining the Naval Reserves and receiving a commission. Following flight training and a year as an instructor, he was thrust immediately in the Pacific air war, flying an F6F Hellcat off the carrier, the USS Essex. He would go on to fly 57 missions, shooting down seven Japanese aircraft, making him one of the early American aces of the war. Of the 57 missions he flew, three of his Hellcats were so full of holes when he returned to his carrier, they were rendered "unfit for duty" and dumped overboard. |
Joan Leslie was a fan favorite during her tenure at Warner Bros. from 1941-6. Voted National Buddy Poppy Girl in 1941, she was especially popular with servicemen (Cpl. Green pressumably spoke for millions when he nervously uttered her name to Canteen chairperson Bette Davis in the movie). |
Jam Veronica Lake was at the height of her popularity during the war years. Her hairstyle was so widely copied by women of the day that the War Womanpower Commission made a formal request that she wear her hair up for the duration of the war, in order to discourage working women from wearing “peek-a-boo” bangs on the job, as they feared the hairstyle would lead to more accidents. She complied, and Paramount released a newsreel in 1943 showing her adopting a new upswept look.
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For a short duration, Hayworth was a pin-up girl like Betty Grable. This came to a screeching halt because she was involved in a romantic scandal in 1949. She was involved with Prince Aly Khan, whom she eventually married; the marriage lasted approximately five to six years. |
 
Peppard served in Marine Corps, attaining the rank of acting Sergeant in an artillery unit. During a careless moment, he almost lost his right middle finger in the breach block of a 105mmHowitzer.
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