Talking celebs...how about those who flew in combat!

[RareBear]

TimApNy,

Jimmy Carter was a LT in the Navy, and was a submariner. He was involved early on in the Nuke program.

[Gregory]

The famous Italian tailor Emilio Pucci, whom you might call the Valentino of his generation, was an S.79 torpedo bomber pilot in WW2. He flew combat and was decorated with a silver medal (more or less equivalent to a US Silver Star).

Gregory

[TimAPNY]

TimApNy,

Jimmy Carter was a LT in the Navy, and was a submariner. He was involved early on in the Nuke program.

Any idea on who I'm thinking of? This is going to bug me.

[Warbirdnerd]

It might be LBJ and his B-26 'missions', but that is another can of worms...

[TimAPNY]

That is it I just found some (very little) info on it.

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq60-6.htm


Good I can sleep tonight / maybe

The fundemental difference between Stewart and the others is that he was already famous at the time he flew Combat. He'd won an Oscar and could easily have found a way out, yet he went in as a cadet and won his wings and then was flying Combat as a B24 pilot.

I couldn't agree more.

I think there was an NFL player that was killed within the past 6 months or so in the Middle East.

U.S. officials report that Pat Tillman, a National Football League player who quit the sport to join the U.S. Army Rangers, has been killed in action in Afghanistan. Tillman, a safety for the Arizona Cardinals, turned down a three-year, $3.6 million deal from the team to enlist in the Army two years ago. H

Jimmie Stewart also flew Hustlers and B-52's in Vietnam.

[Jack Cook]

Jimmy Stewart flew one mission over South Viet Nam has an observer. He would have never been allowed up north!

[Jack Cook]

My favorite celebrity air warrier is Russell Johnson aka the Professor of Gilligan's Island. He was a 2Lt navigator in the 75th BS 42nd Bg Crusaders flying 37 missions in B-25J gunships. His along with 3 other crews were shot down into the sea near Zamboanga, PI on 4 March 45. The 18 year old gunner on his first mission was killed by a flak burst , Johnson close by him was seriously wounded by the same blast. All three crews were picked up by 1Lt Frank Rauschkold of Milton-Freewater, OREGON in what was called the most daring air-sea rescue of WWII. Under interse fire Rauschkold picked up the first two crew by was unable to tack-off so he water taxied 15 miles under intense fire. After picking up the third crew they dump almost all their remaining fuel and excess equiptment and he was able to get the riddled cat into the air and back to Middleburg Island where the engines quit just after landing. Rauschkold received the DSc and the AF museum's PBY is painted in the marking of his OA-10 "Snafu Snatchers". His bravery gave many youngsters like myself the chance to see the professor save those nit-wits from themselves week after week. Johnson received the PH, 4 Air Medals, PUC, Philippine PUC and Liberation Medal and 3 battle service stars.

Jack,
In my overly-long "diatribe" on the exploits of Mr. Stewart in Vietnam, I
did not mean to mislead you as to the geographic location of his venture!

I am sure that wherever the "Officials" allowed Jimmy to go...he only had
to worry about "Nerf projectiles" and "Nerf aircraft glitches" determining
the safety of his being. In my memory, and considering the losses suffered by my family members....if it had the the "Vietnam seal of approval"....then regardless of where one was, nowhere was safe!

As for me...being deluded to Mr.Stewarts more than one trip rumours,
then I'll most likely, defer to the "Official" version.

I was raised in the military and later service contractor culture, and have read on paper, on the web, and heard "benchstories"of further
"suggested trips". But maybe, I just bought into the lore?

Forgive me, my logic is probably professionally-tainted. In the same
period as we're discussing I was one of the last "diesel submariners".
In my world....we went where we weren't supposed to be...we did things
we weren't supposed to do...and we took people we never saw, to places
we had never been!....and we were THE MOST stealthy, at doing it! And
of course, if the "guano-hit-the-fan"...the Official-line was, "we had no
knowledge" or "it wasn't us"!

I find it amusing and poetic, that one of Jimmy Stewarts heroes, Charles
Lindbergh also had similar Official protections in a war zone...he
managed to escape the restraints of politics..and "joined the boys", if only just for a little while.

Jack,
In my overly-long "diatribe" on the exploits of Mr. Stewart in Vietnam, I
did not mean to mislead you as to the geographic location of his venture!

I am sure that wherever the "Officials" allowed Jimmy to go...he only had
to worry about "Nerf projectiles" and "Nerf aircraft glitches" determining
the safety of his being. In my memory, and considering the losses suffered by my family members....if it had the the "Vietnam seal of approval"....then regardless of where one was, nowhere was safe!

As for me...being deluded to Mr.Stewarts more than one trip rumours,
then I'll most likely, defer to the "Official" version.

I was raised in the military and later service contractor culture, and have read on paper, on the web, and heard "benchstories"of further
"suggested trips". But maybe, I just bought into the lore?

Forgive me, my logic is probably professionally-tainted. In the same
period as we're discussing I was one of the last "diesel submariners".
In my world....we went where we weren't supposed to be...we did things
we weren't supposed to do...and we took people we never saw, to places
we had never been!....and we were THE MOST stealthy, at doing it! And
of course, if the "guano-hit-the-fan"...the Official-line was, "we had no
knowledge" or "it wasn't us"!

I find it amusing and poetic, that one of Jimmy Stewarts heroes, Charles
Lindbergh also had similar Official protections in a war zone...he
managed to escape the restraints of politics..and "joined the boys", if only just for a little while.

Jack,
In my overly-long "diatribe" on the exploits of Mr. Stewart in Vietnam, I
did not mean to mislead you as to the geographic location of his venture!

I am sure that wherever the "Officials" allowed Jimmy to go...he only had
to worry about "Nerf projectiles" and "Nerf aircraft glitches" determining
the safety of his being. In my memory, and considering the losses suffered by my family members....if it had the the "Vietnam seal of approval"....then regardless of where one was, nowhere was safe!

As for me...being deluded to Mr.Stewarts more than one trip rumours,
then I'll most likely, defer to the "Official" version.

I was raised in the military and later service contractor culture, and have read on paper, on the web, and heard "benchstories"of further
"suggested trips". But maybe, I just bought into the lore?

Forgive me, my logic is probably professionally-tainted. In the same
period as we're discussing I was one of the last "diesel submariners".
In my world....we went where we weren't supposed to be...we did things
we weren't supposed to do...and we took people we never saw, to places
we had never been!....and we were THE MOST stealthy, at doing it! And
of course, if the "guano-hit-the-fan"...the Official-line was, "we had no
knowledge" or "it wasn't us"!

I find it amusing and poetic, that one of Jimmy Stewarts heroes, Charles
Lindbergh also had similar Official protections in a war zone...he
managed to escape the restraints of politics..and "joined the boys", if only just for a little while.

Jack,
In my overly-long "diatribe" on the exploits of Mr. Stewart in Vietnam, I
did not mean to mislead you as to the geographic location of his venture!

I am sure that wherever the "Officials" allowed Jimmy to go...he only had
to worry about "Nerf projectiles" and "Nerf aircraft glitches" determining
the safety of his being. In my memory, and considering the losses suffered by my family members....if it had the the "Vietnam seal of approval"....then regardless of where one was, nowhere was safe!

As for me...being deluded to Mr.Stewarts more than one trip rumours,
then I'll most likely, defer to the "Official" version.

I was raised in the military and later service contractor culture, and have read on paper, on the web, and heard "benchstories"of further
"suggested trips". But maybe, I just bought into the lore?

Forgive me, my logic is probably professionally-tainted. In the same
period as we're discussing I was one of the last "diesel submariners".
In my world....we went where we weren't supposed to be...we did things
we weren't supposed to do...and we took people we never saw, to places
we had never been!....and we were THE MOST stealthy, at doing it! And
of course, if the "guano-hit-the-fan"...the Official-line was, "we had no
knowledge" or "it wasn't us"!

I find it amusing and poetic, that one of Jimmy Stewarts heroes, Charles
Lindbergh also had similar Official protections in a war zone...he
managed to escape the restraints of politics..and "joined the boys", if only just for a little while.

OH MY GAWD..the election has tied up the lines so bad that "my submit"
kept "kicking back" to me to refresh....3 times...so I dutifully did so!!!
My deepest apologies!

[Jack Cook]

It's all right. Those of us in Naval Air always understand that 'Bubble Heads" are special people with special problems. Just kidding!!
I have a friend who was a B-52 Bomb/Nav when Jimmy was there. He said he was very gracious well thought of but it was strickly low threat mission.