AP Photo/USPS
This handout image provided by the U.S. Postal Service shows the postage stamp honoring legendary actor Jimmy Stewart. The Postal Service will hold ceremonies in Hollywood and Pennsylvania on Friday, Aug. 17, 2007
Posted on 08/16/2007 2:35:19 PM PDT by Dubya
Lots of actors play war heroes on the screen. James Stewart was one in real life.
A decorated World War II bomber pilot who returned from battle to star in "It's A Wonderful Life," Stewart will be commemorated on a new 41-cent postage stamp being released Friday.
Stewart flew 20 bombing missions over Germany, including one over Berlin, after wrangling combat duty when commanders would have preferred to use a movie star for morale building work at home.
As a squadron commander, Stewart flew many dangerous missions when he could have sent others instead, recalled Robbie Robinson, a sergeant who was an engineer-gunner in Stewart's B-24 squadron.
But while Stewart rose to colonel during the war and later retired as a brigadier general in the reserves, he didn't stand on ceremony.
Robinson, of Collierville, Tenn., recalled one time when a creative tail gunner managed to "liberate" a keg of beer from the officer's club.
That evening, Stewart wandered into a hut where some men were resting, picked up a cup, walked over to the "hidden" keg, poured himself a beer and sat back and drank it slowly, relaxing in a chair.
"We were shaking in our boots," Robinson said.
But Stewart merely got up, wiped out the cup, asked the men to keep an eye out for a missing keg of beer, and left.
Another time, Robinson recalled in a telephone interview, his plane landed behind another that was stuck on the end of the runway, nearly clipping it's tail.
After watching this Stewart rubbed his chin and commented: "Ye Gods, sergeant, somebody's going to get hurt in one of these things."
"Once in your lifetime someone crosses your path you can never forget, and that was Jimmy Stewart," Robinson concluded.
This is the 13th stamp in the "Legends of Hollywood" series and will be dedicated in ceremonies at Universal Studios, Hollywood, Calif.
"It's our privilege to pay tribute to James Stewart, a fantastic actor, a great gentleman, a brave soldier, and an inspirational human being who truly led a wonderful life," Alan C. Kessler, vice chairman of the postal governing board, said in a statement.
Other highlights from Stewart's career include the movies "Rear Window," "Vertigo" and "The Man Who Knew Too Much," all directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Stewart played a country lawyer in "Anatomy of a Murder" and played a lawyer again in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," a Western released in 1962.
He won an Oscar for best actor in "Philadelphia Story" in 1940.
Stewart died on July 2, 1997.
AP Photo/USPS
This handout image provided by the U.S. Postal Service shows the postage stamp honoring legendary actor Jimmy Stewart. The Postal Service will hold ceremonies in Hollywood and Pennsylvania on Friday, Aug. 17, 2007
Gonna have to set some money aside for some of these. Thanks for the heads up.
Yea I want to get me some also.
One of my favorite actors and a great patriot.
I do recommend the recent biography of Jimmy Stewart by (IIRC) Neal Gabler.
It’s a thorough work, but do be forewarned...Gabler did spend just a
bit too much time explicating the moral map of one of Stewart’s great directors
(Hitchcock).
I wonder what Jimmy and his ilk of Tinseltown past would think of today’s obscenely compensated, largely talentless Hollywood flakes, particularly their unsolicited political commentary.
Even those who volunteered and got turned down for active military service (Ronald Reagan) found a way to help.
"Nothings to good for the man who shot Liberty Valance"
One of my absolute favorites. Loved Harvey. The best line in the movie of which there are many great ones goes something like, “Well, I’ve wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it.”
He also flew at least one sortie over Vietnam in a B-52.
I didn’t know that. Thanks for pointing it out.
Eddie Albert - already in the movies. Entered USN, Well decorated for service in the Pacific.
James Arness - Matt Dillon on Gun smoke was wounded in action.
Gene Autry - age 35 and already a star. USAir Corps flying over the Burma Road.
Lew Ayers - anti-war but served as a medic in the US Army in the Philippines.
Richard Boone - not yet a star. USN at age 26.
Ernest Borgnine - a star later. Entered the USN in 1935 serving 10 years, 4 in combat.
Neville Brand - not a star yet, was the second highest decorated soldier in the European theater.
Charles Bronson - not yet a star. US Air Corps - 25 combat missions. Entered at age 22.
Art Carney - not yet a star or Ed Norton, was wounded on D-Day. That is why he limped.
Robt. Cummings - already a star. Entered the US Air Corps at age 34. Flight instructor.
Tony Curtis - not yet a star. Entered USN at age 18.
Joe Dimaggio - Baseball star. Entered the US Air Corps at age 29. Special Services.
Kirk Douglas - acting but not yet a star. USN until badly hurt in an accident.
Peter Falk - tried to join the Army by cheating on the eye exam chart which he memorized because he had lost an eye as a youth. The Doctor noticed his eye didn't move while reading the chart and took a closer look. Falk then joined the Merchant Marines for the duration of WW II.
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. - Big-time star. Entered USN at age 33. Waived easy duty for combat. Worked with British Commandoes. Well decorated.
Bob Feller - Baseball star. USN at age 24. Combat in the Pacific.
Henry Fonda - already a star. Entered USN. Waived easy duty and at age 37 saw a lot of action in the Pacific. well decorated.
Glenn Ford - already a beginning star. Entered USMC. Served on camera crew from Normandy thru Europe.
Clark Gable - big-time star. Entered US Air Corps just short of his 42nd birthday. Didn't have to go but pulled strings to do his duty to his Country. Too old to be a pilot but went on many combat missions. Well decorated. Hitler had a $5000 bounty on his head.
Hank Greenberg - Baseball star. US Air Corps at age 32. Became a captain.
Tom Harmon - sports announcer. Entered US Air Corps at age 22. Flew combat missions over Burma Road in Asia. Shot down and MIA for 30 days. WIA. Well decorated.
Sterling Hayden - beginning actor. Entered USMC at age 25. Worked with the Yugoslav partisans against the Germans and Italians.
Van Heflin - already a star. Entered the US Army at age 32. Artillery officer.
Charleton Heston - already a star. Entered the US Air Corps at age 19 as a gunner on the bombers.
Wm. Holden - already in movies. Entered US Army at age 26 after his brother was KIA. Special services.
Ralph Houk - Baseball star. Entered US Army at age 23. Served with tanks in Europe. Well decorated.
Ken Kavanaugh - Football star. Entered US Air Corps at age 26. Became a well-decorated bomber pilot.
Gene Kelly - already a star. Entered USN at age 30. did documentaries for the Navy.
Ralph Kiner - Baseball star. Entered USN at age 21. Became a bomber pilot.
Burt Lancaster - Not yet a star. Entered US Army at age 32. Special Services.
Tom Landry – Not yet famous as a football coach. Entered US Air Corps after his brother was KIA. Well decorated. Joe Louis - Heavy-Weight Boxing Champ. Entered US Army at age 28. Special Services.
Karl Malden - not yet a star. Entered US Air Corps at age 30. Special Services.
Lee Marvin - not yet a star. Entered the USMC at age 18. WIA.
Walter Matthau - not yet a star. Entered the US Air Corps at age 22. Flew combat missions in Europe.
Victor Mature - already a star. Entered the US Coast Guard at age 27. Served both in the Atlantic and Pacific.
Ed McMahon - not yet a star. Entered the USMC at age 20. Flight Officer instructor.
Robt. Montgomery - already a star. Entered USN at age 20. Served on PT boats and Destroyers. Well decorated.
Wayne Morris - already a star. Entered USN at age 25. Flew 57 combat missions as a fighter pilot in the pacific. Highly decorated.
Audy Murphy, not a star yet, was the highest decorated soldier during WW II.
Stan Musial - baseball star. Entered USN at age 24.
Paul Newman - not yet a star. USN at age 17.
Hugh O'Brian - not yet a star. USMC at age 17. Drill Instructor.
Jack Palance - not yet a star. Entered US Air Corps at age 23. Badly injured and medically discharged.
Sidney Poitier - not yet a star. Entered (under age) USN.
Tyrone Power - already a star. Entered USMC at age 29. Became a fighter pilot.
Robt. Preston - already a star. Entered US Air Corps at age 25. Became a Combat Intelligence officer.
Ronald Reagan - already a star. Was already in the US Army Reserves but had bad eyesight. Could have gotten out but asked to stay. Did Army Training films.
Pee Wee Reese - baseball star. Entered USN at age 24. Special Services.
Jackie Robinson - baseball star. Entered US Army at age 23.
Mickey Rooney - already a star. Entered US Army at age 23. Special Services.
Dan Rowan - not yet a star. US Air Corps at age 20. Pilot in the Pacific.
Robt. Ryan - already a star. Entered USMC at age 34. Drill Instructor.
Sabu - already a star. Entered US Air Corps at age 20. Flew 42 combat missions.
George C. Scott - not yet a star. Entered USMC at the end of the war at age 19.
Enos Slaughter - baseball star. Entered US Air Corps at age 27.
Robt. Stack - already a star. Entered USN at age 23 serving as a gunnery officer.
Rod Steiger - not yet a star. Entered USN (under age) and served in the Pacific.
Jimmy Stewart - already a star. Entered the US Air Corps at age 34. Flew 20 combat missions in Europe. Highly decorated. Left as a Lt. Col. and remained in the USAF Reserves retiring as a Lt.General.
Joe Stydahar - football star. Entered the USN at age 30.
Robt Taylor - already a star. Entered USN at age 32. Flight Instructor.
Ted Williams - baseball star. Entered USMC at age 25, serving as a flight instructor. He also remained in the USMC reserves and got recalled to serve in the Korea War, two interruptions in his career.
I'm not sure of the terminology, but I don't think it's accurate to say Reagan wasn't in active military service.
Due to his eyesight, which was truly awful, he wasn't eigible for combat duty, but he actively served in the Army Air Corps for several years making training films and performing other services, which were presumably helpful to the war effort. I think that qualifies as "active service," or at least as active as any other serviceman not in a combat outfit. (Which not everybody can be.)
What a Guy... Love Jimmy Stewart.
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