November 05, 2007
Actors who served
I spent some time learning about the history of Camp Roberts during my recent stay on post, visiting the museum in the old Red Cross building. The exhibits cover the history of the base, from the early 1900s, when it was still privately owned, to its construction in 1940-41, through Korea, Vietnam and beyond.
The photo above was displayed just off the lobby, where it notes the military service of one of my favorite actors.
Can't see him?
Well, he parlayed his rugged good looks and don't-give-a-damn attitude into a decades-long career as a movie tough guy.
Although he'd had parts in top Hollywood films like Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Robert Mitchum's first starring role came in 1945, when he played the Army lieutenant leading his men through the ordeal of the Italian Campaign in Story of G.I. Joe, for which he received a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
G.I. Joe, based on the writings of war correspondent Ernie Pyle, is a tremendous tribute to the dogfaces slogging their way across Europe. It gains additional power when you realize that many of the extras on camera are real G.I.s, veterans of the fighting against Nazi Germany -- and were later killed in the battle to capture Okinawa, the same battle in which Pyle was killed by a Japanese sniper.
If you've never seen it, it's well worth watching.
Posted by Mike Lief at November 5, 2007 07:47 AM
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