Merrill's Marauders OK'd for Congressional Gold Medal-- Part 4: About That Gold Star and Other Honors

"They're in a class all by themselves when it comes to to the things they endured," said Christopher Goodrow about the Marauders.

The Marauders join more than 160 war heroes, military units and civilians awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for outstanding achievements dating back to the American Revolution.  A single medal honoring the Marauders as a unit will be crafted and given to the Smithsonian Institution.

The medals are designed for each set of winners and came take more than a year before they're ready to be presented.

Time isn't on the Marauders' side.

Twenty of the unit's members who were living when they began petitioning Congress for the medal in 2016 have since died, said Jonnie Melillo Clasen.  Her father, Vincent Melillo, died in 2015.

Dozens of the Marauders were awarded individual decorations after the war from the Distinguished Service Cross to the Silver Star.  The Army awarded the Bronze Star to every soldier in the unit, and Hollywood paid its respects in 1962 with the movie "Merrill's Marauders."

--GreGen

Looking Back to 1942: Famous Actress Dies

From the January 18, 2017, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

"Carole Lombard is killed in a plane tragedy."

Carole Lombard, the wife of Clark Gable, had gone back to her home state of Indiana after the U.S. entered the war and had raised over $2 million in war bonds in a single evening.  She was anxious to get back to Los Angeles and took a plane instead of the train she was scheduled to return on.

The plane stopped in Las Vegas to refuel, but crashed into Potosi Mountain, killing all aboard.

--GreGen

Jimmy Stewart, the War and "It's a Wonderful Life"-- Part 5: Eating problems and Hearing Problems

Jimmy Stewart was on the edge during filming because of his PTSD.  He always had a high metabolism and always had trouble digesting food.  During the war, this got worse.  According to Jimmy, he essentially subsisted on peanut butter and ice cream.

At night he had nightmares, shakes and sweats.

He even now had hearing problems, as did George Bailey, from the sound of the bombers during those seven-eight hour bombing missions.  He had problems hearing his cues on the set.

--GreGen

Jimmy Stewart's World War II and "It's a Wonderful Life"-- Part 3: "You've Got No Other Offers"

Jimmy Stewart did not even have a place to stay when he got back to Hollywood and had to live with Henry Fonda who offered him a room.  Fonda had just come back from service in the Pacific and they both just sort of unwound and neither got any job offers.

Finally, Stewart's former boss at MGM, Louis B. Mayer, approached him with the idea of the movie "The Jimmy Stewart Story."  Stewart said no and wouldn't even talk about it.

The only kind of movie he wanted to do was a comedy, saying, "A comedy, I have to make a comedy.  The world has seen too much trauma and horror and suffering."

Frank Capra then approached Stewart about "It's a Wonderful Life" about a man about to commit suicide.  The meeting went so bad that Stewart got up and walked out.  Stewart's agent, Lew Wasserman, then said to his client, "You've got no other offers."

--GreGen

Jimmy Stewart's World War II Service and "It's a Wonderful Life"-- Part 2: Return From War

Before agreeing to do "It's a Wonderful Life" with director Frank Capra, Jimmy Stewart even considered quitting acting altogether.

"The war changed Jim down to the molecular level," Matzen writes in his book.  "He could never articulate what those four-and-a-half years, including fifteen months in combat, had done to him.  One thing he could do was express a bit of it on-screen."  And, we see plenty of that angst in George Bailey's breakdown.

Jimmy Stewart was the former squadron commander of the 703rd Bombing Squadron.  he flew his final mission at the end of February 1945 and was grounded because of PTSD issues.  Then, he came back to the U.S. at the end of August, returning to his parents home in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he stayed for a week or ten days before deciding to go back to Hollywood.

There, a whole new generation of leading men were taking roles that likely would have gone to him.  To make  matters worse, the war had tremendously aged him.  A photo of him in 1942 shows him looking very youthful, but by 1944 he was "looking like hell."

--GreGen

Jimmy Stewart's World War II and "It's a Wonderful Life"-- Part 1

From the December 2, 2016, Chicago Tribune "Stewart's Inner War" by Nina Metz.

"Haunted by what he saw fighting in WWII, 'It's a Wonderful Life' star brought own angst on set to play George Bailey, author reveals."

Jimmy Stewart's 1946 holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life" will be shown on TV on several occasions this season.  I've already seen it once, somewhat of a Christmas tradition with me.

It was the first movie he made after returning home from war service, an experience which had psychological fallout.

Robert Matzen wrote about Stewart's war service and the fallout in his new book "Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe."  He spoke with the men who flew with him and they said he went flak-happy on several occasions, something we now call PTSD.  He wasn't afraid of bombs or bullets, but was terrified of making a mistake resulting in someone dying.

This was his endless stress and something that eventually ended up grounding him.

--GreGen

Five Came Back: Hollywood Directors in the War

From the March 14, 2014, Washington Post "Five Came Back: a Story of Hollywood and the Second World War" by Mark Harris. //// Five Hollywood directors made propaganda and training films during the war. John Ford, 46, and the oldest, joined the military three months before Pearl Harbor was attacked. //// He was joined by Frank Capra, William Wyler, John Huston and George Stevens. They all joined rthe Army Signal Corps, the branch responsible for communications and information. //// Capra made the war series "Why We Fight." Ford made the first major film "The Battle of Midway." Henry Ford and Jane Darwell wrote the script. //// --GreGen