Heroic Purple Heart Awarded Biopic Stars
The Purple Heart medal celebrates its 240th anniversary on August 7th, 2022 and is America's oldest military award still currently awarded. Every August in the USA during National Purple Heart Month, Americans show their gratitude by honoring and remembering those who bravely suffered injuries or were killed while serving their country. The original Purple Heart military decoration was known as the Badge of Military Merit. General George Washington created the award in 1782 for meritorious service at a time when military awards given to enlisted personnel were rare. Today, the award acknowledges the physical sacrifice given to the nation and is awarded exclusively to military members who are injured or killed in combat, through an act of terrorism or by friendly fire. In honor of the sacrifice made by the nearly two million Purple Heart awardees, vote for your favorite Purple Heart awarded hero from those listed below and tweet it in support on the Twitter hashtag: #PurpleHeartDay.
Which of these individuals, whose story is featured in a biopic or a biographical television series and has been awarded a United States Purple Heart medal, is your favorite American hero?
Discuss the topic here. Source: Wikipedia: Purple Heart
Which of these individuals, whose story is featured in a biopic or a biographical television series and has been awarded a United States Purple Heart medal, is your favorite American hero?
Discuss the topic here. Source: Wikipedia: Purple Heart
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Audie Murphy became a national hero during World War II as the most decorated combat soldier of the war. Among his 33 awards was the Medal of Honor, the highest award for bravery that a soldier can receive. In addition, he was also decorated for bravery by the governments of France and Belgium, and was credited with killing over 240 German soldiers and wounding and capturing many more.
Audie Leon Murphy was born in Kingston, Hunt County, Texas, to Josie Bell (Killian) and Emmett Berry Murphy, poor sharecroppers of Irish descent. After the death of his mother and the outbreak of WWII, Murphy enlisted in the army on his 17th birthday in June 1942 after being turned down by the Navy and the Marines. His eldest sister had provided a false affidavit that he was a year older (18) than his actual age.
After undergoing basic military training, he was sent first to North Africa. However, the Allies drove the German army from Tunisia, their last foothold in North Africa, before Murphy's unit could be sent into battle. His first engagement with Axis forces came when his unit was sent to Europe. First landing on the island of Sicily, next mainland Italy, and finally France, he fought in seven major campaigns over three years and rose from the rank of private to a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant.
Part of Murphy's appeal to many people was that he did't fit the "image" most had of a war hero. He was a slight, almost fragile-looking, shy and soft-spoken young man, whose boyish appearance often shocked people when they learned, for example, that during one battle he leaped on top of a burning tank--which was loaded with fuel and ammunition and could have exploded at any second--and used its machine gun to hold off waves of attacking German troops, killing dozens of them and saving his own unit from certain destruction and the entire line from being overrun.
In September 1945, Murphy was released from active duty, promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and assigned to inactive status. His story caught the interest of superstar James Cagney, who invited Murphy to Hollywood.
Cagney Productions paid for acting and dancing lessons but was reluctantly forced to admit that Murphy -- at least at that point in his career -- didn't have what it took to become a movie star. For the next several years he struggled to make it as an actor, but jobs were few --specifically just two bit parts in Beyond Glory (1948) and Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven (1948). He finally got a lead role in Bad Boy (1949), and starred in the trouble-plagued production of MGM's The Red Badge of Courage (1951), directed by John Huston. While this film is now considered a minor classic, the politics behind the production sparked an irreparable fissure within the ranks of the studio's upper management.
Murphy proved adequate as an actor, but the film, with virtually no female presence (or appeal), bombed badly at the box office. Murphy, however, had already signed with Universal-International Pictures, which was putting him in a string of modestly budgeted Westerns, a genre that suited his easygoing image and Texas drawl. He starred in the film version of his autobiography, To Hell and Back (1955), which was a huge hit, setting a box-office record for Universal that wasn't broken for 20 years until it was finally surpassed by Jaws (1975)). One of his better pictures was Night Passage (1957), a Western in which he played the kid brother of James Stewart. He worked with Huston again on The Unforgiven (1960).
Meanwhile, the studio system that Murphy grew into as an actor crumbled. Universal's new owners, MCA, dumped its "International" tag in 1962 and turned the studio's focus toward the more lucrative television industry. For theatrical productions, it dropped its roster of contract players and hired actors on a per-picture basis only. That cheap Westerns on the big screen were becoming a thing of the past bode no good for Murphy, either. The Texican (1966), his lone attempt at a new, European form of inexpensive horse opera, to become known as "the Spaghetti Western", was unsuccessful. His star was falling fast.
In addition to his acting career -- he made a total of 44 films -- Murphy was a rancher and businessman. He bred and raised thoroughbred horses and owned several ranches in Texas, Arizona and California. He was also a songwriter, and penned hits for such singers as Dean Martin, Eddy Arnold, Charley Pride, and many others.
During his postwar life, he suffered from what is now called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but was then called "combat fatigue", and was known to have a hair-trigger temper. He woke up screaming at night and slept with a loaded M1911 .45 semi-automatic pistol nearby. He was acquitted of attempted murder charges brought about by injuries he inflicted on a man in a bar fight. Director Don Siegel said in an interview that Murphy often carried a pistol on the set of The Gun Runners (1958) and many of the cast and crew were afraid of him.
He had a short-lived and turbulent marriage to Wanda Hendrix, and in the 1960s his increasing bouts of insomnia and depression resulted in his becoming addicted to a particularly powerful sleeping pill called Placidyl, an addiction he eventually broke. He ran into a streak of bad financial luck and was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1968. Admirably, he campaigned vigorously for the government to spend more time and money on taking care of returning Vietnam War veterans, as he knew, more than most, what kinds of problems they were going to have.
On May 18, 1971, Murphy was aboard a private plane on his way to a business meeting when it ran into thick fog over Craig County, Virginia, near Roanoke, and crashed into the side of a mountain, killing all six aboard. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. According to cemetery records, the only gravesite visited by more people than that of Murphy is that of assassinated President John F. Kennedy.Biopic Movie: To Hell and Back (1955)- Chips (1940-1946) was a German Shepherd-Collie-Husky mix owned by Edward J. Wren of Pleasantville, New York and loaned to the U.S. Army during the second World War. He served as a trained sentry dog and reputedly was the most decorated war dog from World War II for his service in eight campaigns. He was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, a Purple Heart, a European theater ribbon with an arrowhead device (assault landing), and eight battle stars.Biopic Movie: Chips, the War Dog (1990)
- Desmond T. Doss was born on 7 February 1919 in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA. He was married to Frances Duman and Dorothy Pauline Schutte. He died on 23 March 2006 in Piedmont, Alabama, USA.Biopic Movie: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
- Stubby (1916 - 1926) was a Boston Terrier mix who was adopted by Corporal James Robert Conroy of the 26th Infantry Division (Yankee). He reputedly is the most decorated war dog from the first World War. He served 18 months and participated in 17 battles on the Western Front, as the unofficial mascot of the U.S. 102nd Infantry Regiment in World War I. During his tour of duty, he repeatedly distinguished himself on the front and saved lives. He alerted his regiment impending surprise mustard gas attacks. He alerted his unit to duck for cover, since he could hear the whine of incoming artillery shells before humans. He located wounded soldiers in no man's land. He captured a German spy in the Argonne. He comforted wounded soldiers and improved morale when was sent to the rear for convalescence, after twice being injured himself by hand grenades and mustard gas. Stubby was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and earned three Service Stripes, a French Battle of Verdun Medal, Republic of France Grande War Medal, a St Mihiel Campaign Medal, a Chateau Thierry Campaign Medal, a Purple Heart and two wound chevrons, a 1st Annual American Legion Convention Medal, a New Haven WW1 Veterans Medal among other military decorations.Biopic Movie: Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero (2018)
- William Joseph Donovan was born January 1, 1883 in Buffalo, New York, USA. "Wild Bill" Donovan is best known for being the founding father of the CIA, serving as the head of its precursor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during the second World War. Donovan is the only person to have received all four of the United States' highest awards: the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Security Medal. He distinguished record includes service as an American soldier, a government lawyer, an intelligence officer and a well-traveled diplomat.Biopic Movie: The Fighting 69th (1940) and the Film à Clef: The Good Shepherd (2006)
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John McCain was born on 29 August 1936 in Canal Zone, Panama. He was an actor and writer, known for Parks and Recreation (2009), John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls (2018) and Saturday Night Live (1975). He was married to Cindy McCain and Carol Shepp. He died on 25 August 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.Docu-Drama Movie: Faith of My Fathers (2005)- Actor
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The first pilot to break the sound barrier, born in Myra, West Virginia. He trained as a fighter pilot, flying over 60 missions in Europe. On March 5, 1944, Yeager was shot down over France, fought with the Maquis, escaped over the Pyrenees carrying a wounded airman. On 14 October 1947, Yeager flew the Bell X-1 rocket research aircraft past Mach 1, "thus breaking the sound barrier". This was the first step into space. In 1953, in the Bell X-1A, he flew at more then 2.5 times the speed of the sound. He later commanded the USAF. AeroSpace Research Pilot School, and the 4th TAC Fighter Bomber Wing. The subject of the book and film "The Right Stuff", General Yeager did all the flying in the movie The Right Stuff as well as played the bartender.Biopic Movie: The Right Stuff (1983)- Additional Crew
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Gregory Boyington served as fighter pilot in the Unites States Marine Corps in World War II. He commanded VMF-214, The Black Sheep Squadron. He shot down 28 Japanese aircraft, for which he received the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor.
He was shot down himself on January 3rd, 1944, over the St. George Channel in the Soloman Islands. He was rescued by a Japanese submarine and spent the remainder of the war as a POW.Biographical Series: Black Sheep Squadron (1976)- Actor
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Louis Zamperini was born on 26 January 1917 in Olean, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Unbroken (2014), Icons of Faith with Greg Laurie (2009) and This Is Your Life (1950). He was married to Cynthia Applewhite. He died on 2 July 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Biopic Movie: Unbroken (2014)- Miller is a U.S. Navy mess attendant and cook who earned the Navy Cross during World War 2. He is best known for his heroic actions aboard the battleship West Virginia during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During the attack, he helped several sailors who were wounded, and he shot down several Japanese planes while manning an anti-aircraft gun for which he hadn't received formal instruction. The resulting publicity for Miller actions in the Black press made him an iconic emblem in the fight for civil rights for Black Americans. He was killed while serving aboard the escort carrier Liscome Bay when it was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the Battle of Makin in the Gilbert Islands. In January 19, 2020, the Navy announced that a Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier, CVN-81, scheduled to be commissioned in 2032 would be named after Miller.Biopic Movies: Pearl Harbor (2001), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and the Biographical Documentary: Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II (1992)
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Richard D. Winters was born on 21 January 1918 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. He is known for Band of Brothers (2001), Dick Winters: Hang Tough (2012) and The Last Days of World War II (2005). He was married to Ethel. He died on 2 January 2011 in Palmyra, Pennsylvania, USA.Biographical Series: Band of Brothers (2001)- John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts, to Rose Kennedy (née Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald) and Joseph P. Kennedy. John was named after his maternal grandfather, John "HoneyFitz" Fitzgerald, the mayor of Boston. John was very ill as a child and was given the last rites five times, the first one being when he was a new-born. He was the second of four boys born to an Irish Catholic family with nine children: Joseph Jr., John, Robert F. Kennedy (called Bobby), and Ted Kennedy (born Edward). Because Rose made Joe and Jack (the name his family called him) wear matching clothes, they fought a lot for attention. When John was young, the family moved from Boston to New York. John went to Choate, a private school. Most of the time, though, he was too sick to attend. In the late 1930s, father Joe became the ambassador to England. He took sons John and Robert with him, as well as his wife and daughters Kathleen and Rosemary Kennedy. John went to Princeton, then Harvard, and for his senior thesis, he wrote a piece about why England refused to get into the war until late. It was published in 1940 and called "Why England Slept". His older brother Joe was a pilot during the war, and was killed when the bombs his plane was carrying exploded. Not long after that, John's sister Kathleen and her husband died in a plane crash. In the early 1950s, John ran for Congress in Massachusetts and won. He married Jacqueline Kennedy (née Jacqueline Lee Bouvier) on September 12, 1953. Their daughter, Caroline Kennedy, was born on November 27, 1957 and their son, John Kennedy Jr., was born on November 25, 1960. They also had a stillborn daughter named Arabella and a son named Patrick Bouvier, who died a few days after birth. In 1954, J.F.K. had to have back surgery and in the hospital wrote his second book, "Profiles in Courage". His father always said that his son Joe was going to be President of the U.S.; when he died in World War II, though, that task was passed on to John. He ran for president in 1960 against Richard Nixon and narrowly won. His administration had many conflicts, the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis being key examples. In November 1963, he and Jackie (his wife's nickname) went on a trip to Texas. Everywhere they went there were signs saying "Jack and Jackie." On November 22, 1963, John was to give a speech in Dallas, but on his way an assassin hidden on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository opened fire at Kennedy, who was riding in an open car. Hit twice and severely wounded, Kennedy died in a local hospital at 1:00 P.M. The alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was captured a short time later after shooting and killing a Dallas policeman, and was himself assassinated before he could be thoroughly interrogated, let alone tried. In just a little bit of irony, considering the death of Abraham Lincoln a century earlier, Kennedy was shot in a Ford Lincoln (Lincoln was in Ford's Theater when he was shot). He was laid to rest on his son's third birthday.Biopic Movie: PT 109 (1963)
- Dieter Dengler was born on 22 May 1938 in Wildberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was married to Irene Lam, Marina Adamich and Yukiko Ichihashi. He died on 7 February 2001 in Mill Valley, California, USA.Biopic Movie: Rescue Dawn (2006)
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Bruce P. Crandall was born on 17 February 1933 in Olympia, Washington, USA. He is known for We Were Soldiers (2002), Pritzker Military Library Presents (2006) and We Were Soldiers: Getting It Right (2002). He was previously married to Arlene Louise Shaffer.Biopic Movie: We Were Soldiers (2002)- Actor
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Harold G. Moore was born on 13 February 1922 in Bardstown, Kentucky, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for We Were Soldiers (2002), Small Town Boy, Real American Hero (2011) and Inside the Vietnam War (2008). He was married to Julia Compton. He died on 10 February 2017 in Auburn, Alabama, USA.Biopic Movie: We Were Soldiers (2002)- Michael P. Murphy was born May 7, 1976 in Smithtown, New York, USA. He is best known for his actions in command of a four-man U.S. Navy SEAL reconnaissance team tasked with conducting surveillance on a top Taliban leader, Ahmad Shah during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in June 2005. Lieutenant Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions. The 2007 book, 'Lone Survivor' and 2013 film of the same name recount the events surrounding this mission. The U.S. Navy named in his honor, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112).Biopic Movie: Lone Survivor (2013)
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Marcus Luttrell was born on 7 November 1975 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Lone Survivor (2013), Range 15 (2016) and Not a War Story (2017). He has been married to Melanie Juneau since 27 November 2010. They have two children.Biopic Movie: Lone Survivor (2013)- Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 - 5 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s, and he played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. MacArthur received the Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines campaign. This made him along with his father Arthur MacArthur Jr. the first father and son to be awarded the medal. He was one of only five to rise to the rank of General of the Army in the U.S. Army, and the only one conferred the rank of field marshal in the Philippine Army.Biopic Movie: MacArthur (1977)
- The two greatest American war correspondents of World War II were Edward R. Murrow on radio and Ernie Pyle in print. Murrow is more famous today because he survived the war to do some of the best television journalism in the early days of that medium. However, during the war, Pyle was more popular, especially among the GIs at the front. He made a point of staying with the GIs, sharing their food, their fears and homesickness, and getting to know them better than any other correspondent. A great restlessness drove Pyle. A few months before graduating, he dropped out of Indiana University's journalism school to work at a small-town newspaper. In 1932, after nine years as an editor, he quit to become a roving correspondent in Depression-era America. As he later did with the GIs, he lived among the downtrodden and the survivors of the Depression and told America about them. His simple, vivid writing made readers believe they personally knew the people he wrote about. When the war broke out, he went to London and wrote from the locals' homes and the bomb shelters during the Blitz. From there he went to North Africa where he began his close association with the GIs. Through his writing, people on the home front felt a little closer to their sons and fathers and brothers across the ocean, and grew to know their lives in the foxholes. From North Africa he went with the GIs to Sicily, Italy and France. His writing won him several journalism awards, including the 1944 Pulitzer Prize. A few months after D-Day, fatigue caught up with him. He apologetically returned to America to rest, but not for long. Restlessnes and a sense of duty drove him to return to the front lines, this time with the Marines in the Pacific Theater. He joined the Marines at Iwo Jima and followed them to Okinawa. Hearing about a new tank destroyer being used by the Army's 77th division, on Ie Shima Pile decided to get a look. He went ashore on April 17, 1945. On the morning of the 18th Pile hitched a ride with Lieutenant Colonel Joseph B. Coolidge (commanding officer of the 305th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division), and three other men who were looking for a new location for his regimental headquarters. At about ten o'clock, traveling along a road that had previously thought to have been cleared, a Nambu machine gunner opened up on their jeep. All of the men leaped out of the jeep into a ditch along the road. After a moment Pyle raised his head seeing Coolidge he smiled and said "Are you all right?" At that instant the machine gunner opened up again striking Pyle in the left temple instantly killing him. He was buried with his helmet on in a long row of graves among other soldiers with an infantry private on one side and a combat engineer on the other. At the ten-minute service, the Navy, Marine Corps, and Army were all represented. Pyle was later reburied at the Army cemetery on Okinawa, then moved to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific located in Honolulu. When Okinawa was returned to Japanese control after the war, the Ernie Pyle monument was one of only three American memorials allowed to remain in place. Pyle was among the few American civilians killed during the war to be awarded the Purple Heart.Biopic Movie: Story of G.I. Joe (1945)
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Iceal Hambleton was born on 16 November 1918 in Rossville, Illinois, USA. He is known for Bat*21 (1988) and Dangerous Missions (1999). He was married to Gwendolyn Hamble. He died on 19 September 2004 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.Biopic Movie: Bat*21 (1988)- Writer
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Author and poet ("Trees"), educated at Rutgers College and Columbia University (BA). He was the editorial assistant for the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary, the literary editor of 'The Churchman', the poetry editor of the 'Literary Digest', and a contributor to the New York Times Sunday Magazine and the Warner's Library of the World's Best Literature. He also lectured at the New York University School of Journalism. During World War I he served in the 165th Infantry, US Army (69th NY), and was killed in action. His works were entered into ASCAP membership in 1950. His poems that were set to music include "Trees", "Roofs", "Memorial Day", "Slender Your Hands", "The House With Nobody In It", "Christmas Eve", "Gates and Doors", "Stars", "The Peacemaker", "Lullaby for a Baby Fairy", "The Constant Lamp", "When the 69th Gets Back", and "Fairy Hills of Dream".Biopic Movie: The Fighting 69th (1940)- Actor
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Jim Stockdale was born on 23 December 1923 in Abingdon, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for In Love and War (1987), The Hidden Jungle (1990) and Third Degree Burn (1989). He was married to Sybil Stockdale. He died on 5 July 2005 in Coronado, California, USA.Biopic Movie: In Love and War (1987)- Actor
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Spencer Stone was born on 13 August 1992 in Sacramento, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The 15:17 to Paris (2018), Dagsrevyen (1958) and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (2002).Biopic Movie: The 15:17 to Paris (2018)- Megan Leavey was born October 28, 1983 in Valley Cottage, New York, USA. She is best known as a former United States Marine Corps corporal who served as a Military Police K9 handler during the Iraq War. She served two deployments in Iraq first to Fallujah in May 2005, and then to Ramadi in May 2006, with her bomb-sniffing German Shepherd partner, "Rex" (E168). Both, Leavey and Rex were wounded by an improvised explosive device (IED) while she and her dog were leading a U.S. Army patrol down a street during their second tour. Leavey and Rex became the subject of the 2017 biographical film, 'Megan Leavey'.Biopic Movie: Megan Leavey (2017)
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Imagine having Tom Cruise play your life story in a movie, and ending up on stage in Hollywood celebrating the movie's two Oscars? All Ron Kovic had to do to achieve this fantasy was serve three tours of duty in Vietnam, get paralyzed for life by combat wounds, and write a best-selling book about it all.
A war veteran turned anti-war activist, Kovic turned his 1976 autobiography, "Born on the Fourth of July", into the eponymous film with the help of fellow Vietnam vet Oliver Stone. The son of a grocery clerk and a housewife, Kovic grew up in the Midwest and New York's suburban Massapequa, Long Island. In high school he competed as a wrestler and pole vaulter, and after graduation hoped to play major league baseball. But he enlisted in the Marines in 1964, in the early days of the Vietnam war, after the assassination of President Kennedy and inspired by the speech of a Marine recruiter. His gung-ho Marine patriotism was undermined by two incidents - one in which he feared he had accidentally killed a fellow Marine in the chaos of combat, and another in which Vietnamese children were unintentionally wounded in a night assault. These incidents made him so desperate he was relieved when he was wounded by gunfire. But a subsequent bullet tore into Kovic's spine and paralyzed him from the chest down. Kovic returned to the States in 1968 and was awarded a Bronze Star for heroism and a Purple Heart, as he received extensive medical care. He began college studies a year later, but landed in a rundown veterans hospital after an accident. The horrible conditions in the hospital turned his increasing despair into outrage over what he felt was America's betrayal of Vietnam veterans and he began to seriously question the government's conduct of the war itself.
Following the killings of student protestors by National Guardsman at Kent State College in 1970, Kovic joined the Vietnam Veterans against the War and transformed himself into a pro-active anti-war supporter. During the 1972 Republican Party convention, Kovic and some fellow vets in wheelchairs succeeded in disrupting President Nixon's televised acceptance speech, an event he considers one of the highlights of his activist years, which also included protests against nuclear-power plants, American interference in Central America and the too-often inferior medical treatment of war veterans.
Kovic seems to have served as the basis for Jon Voight's war-veteran-turned-anti-war activist in Coming Home (1978). He served as a writer in residence at State University of New York at Stonybrook in 1983 and later moved to Redondo Beach, California. Here he considered a career in politics, but eventually rejected a Democratic Party request that he run for Congress in 1990.Biopic Movie: Born on the Fourth of July (1989)- Director
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John Ford came to Hollywood following one of his brothers, an actor. Asked what brought him to Hollywood, he replied "the train". He became one of the most respected directors in the business, in spite of being known for his westerns, which were not considered "serious" film. He won six Oscars, counting (he always did) the two that he won for his WWII documentary work. He had one wife; a son and daughter; and a grandson, Dan Ford who wrote a biography on his famous grandfather.Biopic Movie: Midway (2019) and the Biopic Documentary: John Ford Goes to War (2002)- College football coach. He was a center and 1933 captain of the football team at West Virginia University. He served in the Army in World War II. As a captain in the 82nd Airborne (CO of Company G of the 507th), Schwartzwalder earned distinction during the invasion of Normandy and battles that followed in the last days of the war. He played key roles in the capture of the La Fière Causeway and Sainte-Mère-Église, crucial points of entry into France during the D-Day invasion. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award." After the war, he began his college coaching career at Muhlenberg College from 1946 to 1948. He was named head coach at Syracuse in 1949 where he compile a 153-91-3 record in 24 years as head coach. He was national coach of the year in 1959 when Syracuse was national champions. He was inducted into the National College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. He coached Heisman Trophy winner, Ernie Davis; both of whom were portrayed in the major movie, "The Express,"starring Dennis Quaid as Coach Schwartzwalder.Biopic Movie: The Express (2008)
- Rocky Bleier was born on 5 March 1946 in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier (1980), Unsinkable (2024) and The NFL on CBS (1956). He has been married to Jan Gyurina since 13 April 1996. They have two children. He was previously married to Aleta Giacobine Whitaker.Biopic Movie: Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier (1980)
- Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was a career officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps and its successor the U.S. Air Force who rose to the rank of brigadier general. He is best known for commanding and piloting the B-29 Superfortress, Enola Gay when it dropped "Little Boy", the first atomic bomb used in warfare, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during World War 2.Biopic Movies: Above and Beyond (1952) and Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb (1980)
- Roy Benavides was born on 5 August 1935 in Cuero, Dewitt County, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Milagro de Vietnam (1992). He died on 29 November 1998 in San Antonio, Texas, USA.Biopic Movie: Milagro de Vietnam (1992)
- Calvin Leon Graham was born in Canton, Texas on 3 April 1930. The youngest of seven children, Calvin's claim to fame was when he lied about his age and joined the United States Navy at the age of twelve during World War II. He served aboard the U.S.S. South Dakota (BB-57) which took part in the Battle of Guadalcanal. The ship sustained heavy damage plus many casualties and Graham was wounded in this action. Undeterred, Graham continued to fight on and function effectively despite his wounds. For his conduct during the battle, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart for his wounds.
After his mother found out where her son had been, she contacted the Navy and his true age was revealed. He was subsequently thrown in the brig at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas where he was held for almost three months. He was released when his sister threatened to go to the newspapers that the Navy was holding a young (underage) hero. After he was released, the Navy had awarded Graham a Dishonorable Discharge forfeiting his benefits and awards.
Later on, he was able to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served three years before breaking his back.
He would fight for his benefits and discharge upgrade for the rest of his life. His discharge was upgraded in 1978 and his benefits restored in 1988. All his medals were eventually re-bestowed with the Purple Heart posthumously in 1994.
Calvin Graham died on 6 November 1992 in Fort Worth, Texas.
His story was told in the made-for-TV movie, Too Young the Hero (1988).Biopic Movie: Too Young the Hero (1988) - Al Schmid was born in Burholme, Pennsylvania. He was working for a steel company in Philadelphia when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and he enlisted in the Marine Corps two days later. After training at the Corps' Parris Island (SC) and New River (NC) training facilities, he was assigned to the 11th Machine Gun Squad, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division.
On August 7, 1942, his unit landed on the beaches at Guadalcanal. On August 21 he was assigned a position on the forward lines, manning a Browning .50-cal machine gun with two other Marines. That night a force of 800 Japanese troops attacked the perimeter manned by the 2nd Battalion, aiming to break through the lines and wipe out the Marine airstrip at Henderson Field, which was being used by Marine and Navy planes to bomb Japan. During the attack Schmid's gunner was shot in the head and killed, and the NCO in charge of his position was seriously wounded. Schmid took over, firing the machine gun at the attacking Japanese, killing and wounding many of them. An exploding grenade punched several holes in the water-cooling jacket of the machine gun, rendering it subject to overheating. In addition, a Japanese soldier crawled up to the position and, unseen, threw a grenade into the pit, killing himself and also blinding Schmid. Nevertheless, he kept firing at the attacking Japanese, with his sole remaining gun crew member--although seriously wounded--guiding him as to where and when to fire. The weapon, as Schmid later recalled, got "red-hot", but it didn't overheat or break down and Schmid continued firing it until dawn. By than time the Japanese, having lost many of their attacking troops, withdrew. There were more than 200 dead Japanese in front of Schmid's position. He was subsequently awarded the Navy Cross, as were the other two members of his gun crew (one posthumously).
After a stay in a military hospital during which he received therapy for his injuries and blindness, he was discharged in April of 1943, and married his longtime girlfriend Ruth Hartley. They had a son, Al Jr., the next year. He eventually regained partial sight in one eye, but injuries he received to his leg during the attack continually caused him problems, and in 1957 he retired and moved to Florida.
He died of bone cancer on December 1, 1982, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.Biopic Movie: Pride of the Marines (1945) - Additional Crew
Guy Gabaldon (March 22, 1926 - August 31, 2006) was a Mexican-American who earned the moniker, "The Pied Piper of Saipan" for his persuasive exploits. At twelve years old, he was taken in by the Nakano Japanese-American family in an East Los Angeles neighborhood in Calfornia. During the next five years, he learned the Japanese language, as well as, gained an appreciation of Japanese culture and customs. On his 17th birthday, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines. A year later, he was sent to the Pacific theater for the invasion of the Marinana Islands. On his first night on Saipan, he brought in two prisoners, followed by bringing in fifty prisoners on the second night using words alone. After his second rogue success, he was allowed to operate as a "lone wolf" by his commanding officer. Ultimately, he would capture or persuade to surrender over 1,300 Japanese soldiers and civilians during the battles for Saipan and Tinian islands in 1944 during World War II.Biopic Movie: Hell to Eternity (1960)- Scott O'Grady was born October 12, 1965 in New York City, New York, USA. He is best known as a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. On June 2, 1995, he was shot down over Bosnia and Herzegovina by a mobile SAM launcher and forced to eject from his F-16C during Operation Deny Flight. This incident occurred over hostile territory while enforcing a NATO-sponsored No-fly zone during the Bosnian War. The downing and recovery of Brady's downed F-16 were well propagandized by the Bosnian military. After nearly a week of successfully evading capture by the Bosnian Serbs, Grady was recovered by a combined US Navy-Marines rescue operation.Another Purple Heart Recipient Biopic Not Listed (Pictured Example: Scott O'Grady)
Docu-Drama Movie: Escape! Escape from Bosnia: The Scott O'Grady Story (2000) and the highly fictionalized Behind Enemy Lines (2001)