From 1989 to the present, Pops and I have attended Audie Murphy Hero Days in Farmersville, TX, his hometown. The only non attendances have been when I was out west, or his health did not permit him to attend. You see, the main part of the event is a 5/10 kilometer roadrace that we both just ate up like candy.
We didn't hit it the past couple of years, because of Pop's recovery from illness. The last one we participated in was in November of 2001. Yeah, 2001. 'The Year'. A nation wracked with grief, then patriotism, then resolve. I remember his remarks prior to the roadcourse. He had a yearlong Hamstring injury that year.
Pops: Okay, we are doing this, but if I start to crap out, do your race.
Clime: Nu-uh. We'll get through it. No worries.
It was a rough one, in which he couldn't continue quickstepping after a coupla miles, so we walked till he could give it a go again. Then after a tough stretch, a walk again, then a run on into the finish line. We finished damn near dead last, but we quickstepped it through the finish. You think we were ashamed? After years of posting times putting both of us, I think, in the paper under the age-group finisher lists? Nope. It was about why we were there. And that was the reason the United States is still around. Duty, Honor, Country. We both were past the 'Duty' phase, but 'Honor' and 'Country' are still rally cries around this family, and that's why we do it. We weren't the only ones.
In that particular roadrace, as the pack of competitors bunched towards the start-line, there was an American flag on a staff carried by one runner. We kinda-sorta gravitated towards it and caught conversation about it between runners and the 'standard-bearer'. It turned out that the Flag itself was sewn in the time when the United States were only 48, and was missing the last 2 stars, and was a family heirloom. It had not been unfurled until this time, post September 11th. It was a garrison sized flag.
The roadrace was started and the pack thinned out to a stream of runners, finishing in their respective places. About halfway through, on a very windy day, this guy with the flag was beaten all to hell. He couldn't do it. Hold the flag up through the entire course. Adjacent runners veered in and offered up the duty to hold it up. It was held through to the end. You thought we were shamed by our performance? We were honored to be in the same group of men as these.
I've run like a nut carrying a guidon flag in a loop around my Battalion's three company's formations on a formation run, but never had the honor of doing what these civilians did for this guy...
Heroes
In contrast to the ideals, opinions and feelings of today's "Hollywonk" the real actors of yester-year loved the United States. They had both class and integrity. With the advent of World War II many of our actors went to fight rather than stand and rant against this country we all love. They gave up their wealth, position and fame to become service men & women, many as simple "enlisted men".
This post lists but a few, but from this group of only 18 men came over 70 medals in honor of their valor, spanning from Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Distinguished Service Crosses, Purple Hearts to one Congressional Medal of Honor.
So remember; while the "Entertainers of 2004" have been in all of the news media lately I would like to remind the people of what the entertainers of 1943 were doing, (61 years ago).
Most of these brave men have since passed on.
Real Hollywood Heroes
Alec Guinness (Star Wars) operated a British Royal Navy landing craft on D-Day.
James Doohan ("Scotty" on Star Trek) landed in Normandy with the U.S. Army on D-Day.
Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was an R. A. F. pilot who was shot down, held prisoner and tortured by the Germans.
David Niven was a Sandhurst graduate and Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos in Normandy.
James Stewart Entered the Army Air Force as a private and worked his way to the rank of Colonel. During World War II, Stewart served as a bomber pilot, his service record crediting him with leading more than 20 missions over Germany, and taking part in hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty.
Stewart earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, France's Croix de Guerre, and 7 Battle Stars during World War II.
In peace time, Stewart continued to be an active member of the Air Force as a reservist, reaching the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in the late 1950s.
Clark Gable (Mega-Movie Star when war broke out) Although he was beyond the draft age at the time the U.S. entered WW II, Clark Gable enlisted as a private in the AAF on Aug. 12, 1942 at Los Angeles. He attended Officers Candidate School at Miami Beach, Fla. and graduated as a second lieutenant on Oct. 28, 1942. He then attended aerial gunnery school and in Feb. 1943 he was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group at Polebrook where flew operational missions over Europe in B-17s. Capt. Gable returned to the U.S. in Oct. 1943 and was relieved from active duty as a major on Jun. 12, 1944 at his own request, since he was over-age for combat.
Charlton Heston was an Army Air Corps Sergeant in Kodiak.
Earnest Borgnine was a U. S. Navy Gunners Mate 1935-1945.
Charles Durning was a U. S. Army Ranger at Normandy earning a Silver
Star and awarded the Purple Heart.
Charles Bronson was a tail gunner in the Army Air Corps, more specifically on B-29s in the 20th Air Force out of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan
George C. Scott was a decorated U. S. Marine.
Eddie Albert (The Longest Day) was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic action as a U. S. Naval officer aiding Marines at the horrific battle on the island of Tarawa in the Pacific Nov. 1943.
Brian Keith served as a U.S. Marine rear gunner in several actions against the Japanese on Rabal in the Pacific.
Lee Marvin was a U.S. Marine on Saipan during the Marianas campaign when he was wounded earning the Purple Heart.
John Russell: In 1942, he enlisted in the Marine Corps where he received a battlefield commission and was wounded and highly decorated for valor at Guadalcanal.
Robert Ryan was a U. S. Marine who served with the O. S. S. in Yugoslavia.
Tyrone Power (an established movie star when Pearl Harbor was bombed) joined the U.S. Marines, was a pilot flying supplies into, and wounded Marines out of, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Audie Murphy, little 5'5" tall 110 pound guy from Texas who played cowboy parts?
Most Decorated serviceman of WWII and earned: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of Liberated France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.
