Paul Newman: TBF/TBM Avenger radioman/gunner

[Richard W.]

I was curious to see what the late actor's Wikipedia entry says, and learned something that I didn't know:

Military service
Newman served in the Navy in World War II in the Pacific theater.[12] Newman was sent to the Navy V-12 program at Ohio University, with hope of being accepted for pilot training, but this plan was foiled when a flight physical revealed him to be colorblind.[12][13] He was sent instead to boot camp and then on to further training as a radioman and gunner. Qualifying as a rear-seat radioman and gunner in torpedo bombers, in 1944, Aviation Radioman Third Class Newman was sent to Barber's Point, Hawaii, and subsequently assigned to Pacific-based replacement torpedo squadrons (VT-98, VT-99, and VT-100). These torpedo squadrons were responsible primarily for training replacement pilots and combat air crewmen, placing particular importance on carrier landings.[13] He later flew from aircraft carriers as a tail gunner in the Avenger. As a radioman/gunner, he served aboard the USS Bunker Hill during the battle for Okinawa in the spring of 1945. ...

[DonL]

Thats interesting, I wonder if he was on the Bunker Hill when it was kamikazied?

[Richard W.]

Yeah, that's a good question.

I remember lots of interviews with PN, and I can't recall him ever mentioning the war.

Maybe someone here can give more detail?

[kenlyco]

I had a few Beer's with him here and there in the lineshack when I worked in Bridgeport,.The only thing that would get his ear was talking race cars, great person though. I would tell how I first met him but I dont want to go off topic.

[Django]

I had no idea.

[Bill Greenwood]

Richard, I don't follow movie stars much, but that is interesting info. In all the years he has been in the public eye I never read anything of his service. Maybe he didn't feel he did anything unique or needed to build his reputation up that way. The writeup in the local paper says he was very opposed to the Vietnam War, so much so that he made it onto Nixon's "enemies list". Newman was very proud of this distinction.

It's kind of an interesting twist, here were two guys, Bush Sr. , and Paul Newman that were both TBM crewmen in the Pacific combat. Then later Bush goes into politics and becomes vice president under Reagan and Nixon considers Newman an "enemy". I wonder if the senior Bush and Newman ever met and reminicesd about old times?

Last edited by Bill Greenwood on Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Dan K]

...Then later Bush goes into politics and becomes vice president under Nixon..

Is this what they call revisionist history?

[Joe Scheil]

No, its public school, Chicago quality.

[Obergrafeter]

Don't let Bill tell you he went to UT. Then again mybe he did and slept thru the sixties, and thats where he gets his misinformed politics.

[Tom Moungovan]

I had the pleasure of meeting Paul Newman while a friend was visiting former work buddies @ Luke AFB in either '67 or '68. Great sense of humor and completely down to earth. He spent his life well.

[muddyboots]

Thats interesting, I wonder if he was on the Bunker Hill when it was kamikazied?

Nope. His pilot had an ear infection so they were both held back and missed it. Lierally everybody else in their group that ship[ped in died that day.

He and his wife had a house in Baton Rouge for a while. You would see them very rarely around town ( I never could figure out what the deal was beyond knowing she went to school at LSU...) Mayeb they had family tehre?

[Rogue]

He and his wife had a house in Baton Rouge for a while. You would see them very rarely around town ( I never could figure out what the deal was beyond knowing she went to school at LSU...) Maybe they had family there?

He met Joanne in 1958, while filming "The Long Hot Summer" in Clinton, LA. (just north of BR)
Paul also starred in "Blaze", also filmed in Clinton.

[mazdaP5]

David Hobbs is of the opinion that if Paul Newman had seriously pursued racing cars straight away rather than acting, that Newman could have been world champion, he was that good a driver as far as natural ability goes.