FACTS TO BLOW YOUR MIND

facts to blow your mind HOLLYWOOD VETERANS

Canada’s James “Scotty” Doohan stormed the Beach at Normandy. He led his troop up mine-strewn Juno Beach as part of the Allied Forces’ D-Day invasion. He was shot six times, and saved from a fatal bullet by his cigarette case. Star Trek, directors did the best they could to avoid showing a missing middle finger on screen.

Also on the beaches on D-Day... Yogi Berra, Alec Guinness, and author J.D. Salinger, who was carrying the first six chapters of Catcher in the Rye in his pocket at the time.

Christopher Lee was aptly cast as Dracula, Saruman, and Count Dooku. As a former member of the British SAS, he not only accurately explained to Peter Jackson how a person react to a knife wound, his training was handy as he participated in more onscreen sword fights than any other actor in movie history.

Bob “Happy Trees” Ross served in the United States Air Force for 20 years. As Master Sergeant, it was his job to be “the guy who screams.” At retirement, he promised himself he would never scream again.

Clark Gable flew combat missions in WWII Europe. For his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal.

During WWII, Jimmy Stewart flew 20 combat missions over Germany, bombing targets in Bremen, Frankfurt, and Berlin and earning numerous military honors. In 1959, Stewart was promoted to Brigadier General.

Charles Bronson received the highest-casualty assignment on a WWII bomber—tail gunner. He survived 25 missions in the “airman’s coffin” and was awarded a Purple Heart after the end of the war.

Steve McQueen was promoted and demoted by the USMC many times, but appreciated the discipline it taught him. A training ship loaded with tanks hit a sandbank, which sent tanks and crews into the water. McQueen jumped in and saved the lives of five men. He was later assigned to the Honor Guard protecting Harry S Truman’s yacht.