PVT Lee Marvin & Capt Kangaroo

[badbob]

Captain Kangaroo turned 75 recently, which is odd, because he's never looked a day under 75.

Lee Marvin is buried in a grave alongside 3 and 4 star generals at Arlington National Cemetery. His marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC). Nothing else. Here's a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time, why the heck does he rate burial with these guys?

Well, following is the amazing answer:

I always liked Lee Marvin, but did not know the extent of his Marine Corps experiences.

In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces, often in rear-echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero.

He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima. If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery.

Dialog From The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson: His guest was Lee Marvin. Johnny said, "Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima... and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded."

"Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the ass and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi... bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys gettin' shot hauling you down. But Johnny, at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew...

We both got the Cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. The dumb bastard actually stood up on Red beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends.

When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me lying on my belly on the litter and said, 'Where'd they get you Lee?' Well Bob... if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse! Johnny, I'm not lying... Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew.....

SGT Bob Keeshan... You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo."

Semper Fi
Bob

[Jim]

This is an interesting story, unfortunately it is not true. Marvin did see action as a Marine in WWII. He served at Kwajalein, Eniwetok and Saipan. He received a Purple Heart for wounds at Saipan but wasn't awarded a Navy Cross.
Keeshan also served with the Marines in WWII but says he never saw any action and definitely was not at Iwo Jima.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/keeshan.htm

Marvin was still a great actor.

[badbob]

I've done an extensive web search since your post and I can’t find anything about a Navy Cross Award.


I did find that Marvin was actually buried at Arlington; guess the Purple Heart that he was awarded on Sipan allowed him this privilege.


Just goes to show, ya can’t believe everything ya get in email.

Semper Fi,
Bob

[Jim]

Yeah, I got sucked in the first time I saw that email until another Marine told me it wasn't true. Like you, I did some research and came to that conclusion as well. It does make a good story and sounds like something he would say.

He did a TV special about the Pacific theater. Went back to some of the beaches along with the camera crews. Very well done.

[MillRatUSMC]

Reading his autobiography, he states that he laid wounded while they were under a bombing attack.
He never felt so helpless.
He must have been laying on his front side dued to the location of his wound.
Did some praying.
He was then medvac out of combat dued to the severe nature of his wound.
An inch the other way, it would have cut into his spinal cord.
After being discharged, he never lost the faith with the Marine Corps
He was proud to have worn the uniform.
He always took note of any young Marine in uniform.
Must have reminded him of his time in service.
He must have been suffering from PTSD.
That might be the reason for all his hard drinking.
With all his money, he could have chosen any where to be buried.
The marker for his grave could have been more than that common marker supplied by the military.
So it just says;
Lee Marvin
Pvt. USMC
Recipent of the Purple Heart and several other awards for his service during WWII.

Bob Keeshen was also proud to have served in the Marine Corps
Will have to do more research on his service.

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo

[MillRatUSMC]

Pvt Lee Marvin
USMC

He was a recipent of the Purple Heart for his wound.
For his service in WWII he was the recipent of all the awards given to all those that served in the Marine Corps

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo

[badbob]

As for Bob Keeshan, he served in the U.S. Marines, but too late to see any action during World War II.

Keeshan was born on 27 June 1927 and enlisted two weeks before his 18th birthday, months too late to have taken part in the fighting at Iwo Jima.

A 1997 interview with Keeshan noted that he "later enlisted in the U.S. Marines but saw no combat" because, as Keeshan said, he signed up "just before we dropped the atom bomb."

Semper Fi,
Bob