Author Topic: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"  (Read 5933 times)

Offline Traveler

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CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« on: May 09, 2015, 09:43:40 AM »
Tom Selleck is not a real “American Hero “, CellebTV calls Mr. Selleck “a real American Hero” because of his 6 years National Guard Service during the Viet Nam era.  Mr. Selleck was in what was referred to as a champagne unit.

A champagne unit is a US military unit staffed by celebrities or people from wealthy or politically powerful families. Such units have often been part of the National Guard, and assigned to lower-risk duty inside the United States. The term is pejorative, with the connotation that such units were havens for those with connections who wished to avoid conscription into more dangerous duty while still gaining the prestige afforded in the United States to military service.

Over a century earlier, such a unit was called a silk-stocking regiment after the New York's 7th Regiment, whose well-heeled members built their own armory, the Seventh Regiment Armory in the upper East side of Manhattan.

During the Vietnam war, service in the National Guard and Reserve components were seen as a way to avoid combat. Although some number of Guard and Reserve units were in fact "called-up" to combat duty in every US war since they were founded,  the risk was especially low in the 1970s. Only 8700 of these soldiers were sent to Vietnam, 0.3% of the personnel who served.
 
Furthermore, a greatly disproportionate number of famous, wealthy, and/or politically connected young men received slots in the Guard or Reserves during Vietnam, including 360 professional athletes such as Bill Bradley and Nolan Ryan.

Commenting on this disparity, General Colin Powell wrote in his autobiography, "I am angry that so many sons of the powerful and well placed and many professional athletes (who were probably healthier than any of us) managed to wrangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units. Of the many tragedies of Vietnam, this raw class discrimination strikes me as the most damaging to the ideal that all Americans are created equal and owe equal allegiance to our country.”

One well known champagne unit was the Texas Air National Guard 147th Fighter Interceptor Group, at Ellington Field in Houston. During the Vietnam War many well-connected sons landed in this posting, sometimes with the help of politicians such as Ben Barnes.
•   Lloyd Bentsen Jr., son of Lloyd Bentsen
•   George W. Bush, son of George H. W. Bush
•   John Connally III, son of John Connally Jr.
•   the son of John Tower
•   James R. Bath

It is insulting to all combat veterans, many of us with no choice, to hear one of these celebrity  hacks referred to as a an American Hero.

The good news is that The Total Force Policy, implemented in the aftermath of the Vietnam War by General Creighton Abrams, has eliminated the Guard's and Reserve's shelter from combat. In 2004, National Guard and Reserve units comprised 40 percent of all US forces serving inIraq. As of 2006, 270,000 Guard members (60% of the total force) had been deployed overseas for the maximum amount of time allowed by military regulations.

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Offline Vraciu

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2015, 11:16:12 AM »
Wow.  Epic whine.  Truly weak and despicable post.
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Offline Arlo

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2015, 11:31:14 AM »
Selleck joined the guard before he was either famous or wealthy. No strings were pulled. In a non black and white world there is room between hero and despicable.

Offline Traveler

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2015, 12:15:45 PM »
Selleck joined the guard before he was either famous or wealthy. No strings were pulled. In a non black and white world there is room between hero and despicable.

Selleck was already a working actor in 1970:

1970   Myra Breckinridge   Stud   
1970   The Movie Murderer   Mike Beaudine   TV movie
1972   Daughters of Satan   James Robertson   
1973   Terminal Island   Dr. Milford   
1974   A Case of Rape   Stan   TV movie
1975   Returning Home   Fred Derry   TV movie
1976   Midway   Aide to Capt. Cyril Simard   War Film
1977   Bunco   Gordean   TV movie
1977   The Washington Affair   Jim Hawley   
1978   Coma   Sean Murphy   
1978   Superdome   Jim McCauley   
1978   The Gypsy Warriors   Captain Theodore 'Ted' Brinkenhoff   
1979   The Chinese Typewriter   Tom Boston   TV movie
1979   The Sacketts

He married in 71 as well and adopted his wife's child, married with child was an automatic deferment back than.  After they switch from the draft to the lottery draft, he was unlucky or so he stated in an interview in 1975 and had a very low number, so he joined the National guard in 71 as well.   I have no problem that he went that route, however, he is not as CelebTV called him "a Red Blooded American Hero", sorry,  that's for the guys that actually did it. I was a combat medic for 18 months in Viet Nam.  I treated and cared for real heros.  Tom Selleck isn't one of them.
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Offline Arlo

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2015, 12:27:05 PM »
He joined the guard in 67. At that time his 'acting career' involved being on the dating Game show twice. I believe anyone who thinks that's an example of wealth and fame pulling strings is exaggerating.

Offline Vraciu

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2015, 12:45:41 PM »
Selleck was already a working actor in 1970:

1970   Myra Breckinridge   Stud   
1970   The Movie Murderer   Mike Beaudine   TV movie
1972   Daughters of Satan   James Robertson   
1973   Terminal Island   Dr. Milford   
1974   A Case of Rape   Stan   TV movie
1975   Returning Home   Fred Derry   TV movie
1976   Midway   Aide to Capt. Cyril Simard   War Film
1977   Bunco   Gordean   TV movie
1977   The Washington Affair   Jim Hawley   
1978   Coma   Sean Murphy   
1978   Superdome   Jim McCauley   
1978   The Gypsy Warriors   Captain Theodore 'Ted' Brinkenhoff   
1979   The Chinese Typewriter   Tom Boston   TV movie
1979   The Sacketts

He married in 71 as well and adopted his wife's child, married with child was an automatic deferment back than.  After they switch from the draft to the lottery draft, he was unlucky or so he stated in an interview in 1975 and had a very low number, so he joined the National guard in 71 as well.   I have no problem that he went that route, however, he is not as CelebTV called him "a Red Blooded American Hero", sorry,  that's for the guys that actually did it. I was a combat medic for 18 months in Viet Nam.  I treated and cared for real heros.  Tom Selleck isn't one of them.

Yes.  Those twelve seconds in MIDWAY made him rich and influential. 

Your attack is unwarranted and disgraceful.  Shame on you.
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Offline Traveler

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2015, 02:34:41 PM »
Yes.  Those twelve seconds in MIDWAY made him rich and influential. 

Your attack is unwarranted and disgraceful.  Shame on you.

He was already making money as a model and he was a  Basketball start at USC and I'm sure one of his coaches helped him with the National Guard.  His father was not mega rich but was pretty well off.

Bottom line is, he's not an all American Hero.
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Offline Arlo

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2015, 03:02:32 PM »
So, to make this clear, you're upset with CelebTV because they called Selleck a hero.

http://www.celebtv.com/tom-selleck

But you're not mad at Selleck.

Offline bustr

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2015, 03:03:58 PM »
Hollywood news groups and shows slaughter the meaning of everything American to pump up ratings.

You might want to look at the history of the 160th based in LA. Since Selleck was living in LA at the time he decided to join the guard (1967), they wouldn't have made him relocate to Detroit being it was the guard. During Viet Nam the 160th was not called up for duty over seas. This may have been due to the Watts riots in 65 and keeping the 160th on hand just in case of a repeat. So Selleck was supposed to pull up stakes and relocate from his home to a guard unit city that was called up? Selleck has never traded on his guard membership for public or personal honor. The idiot writing the CelebTV blurb was giving an insight to how people of that mindset are confused about what is heroic. But, any trigger for the predisposed to get lit up I guess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/160th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)

Here is the one paragraph blurb at CelebTV. Selleck cannot win by saying anything one way or another the same as hitech cannot while he is coding AH3. I doubt Selleck even knows the blurb exists.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.celebtv.com/tom-selleck

Tom Selleck’s Time in the army
MAY 7TH, 2015

In honor of Memorial Day we are honoring celebrities who have served our country. Before they were stars, they served in all military branches, and Tom Selleck is one you can add to the list of heroes. Before his mustache was famous or took to the set of Magnum PI, the movie star served as a California Army National Guard during the Vietnam Era. Talk about impressive. Which proves he is just another celebrity who honors their country.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some guy named Roger Printz ripped off Traveler's opening monologue verbatim to post in the comments at CelebTV. He seems to hold grudges like Traveler. Maybe they should get together and start a Tom Selleck twitter hate group while picketing his avacodo ranch in SoCal. Then start a facebook campaign to have Selleck stripped of his spokesman position for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
bustr - POTW 1st Wing


This is like the old joke that voters are harsher to their beer brewer if he has an outage, than their politicians after raising their taxes. Death and taxes are certain but, fun and sex is only now.

Offline Rino

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #9 on: May 09, 2015, 03:07:02 PM »
     Kind of wonder if Traveler was a "Real American Hero" myself.  I didn't know your military
service got graded by amount of risk involved.  I'm sure no hero..I joined the USAF  :neener:
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Offline Traveler

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #10 on: May 09, 2015, 03:40:28 PM »
Hollywood news groups and shows slaughter the meaning of everything American to pump up ratings.

You might want to look at the history of the 160th based in LA. Since Selleck was living in LA at the time he decided to join the guard (1967), they wouldn't have made him relocate to Detroit being it was the guard. During Viet Nam the 160th was not called up for duty over seas. This may have been due to the Watts riots in 65 and keeping the 160th on hand just in case of a repeat. So Selleck was supposed to pull up stakes and relocate from his home to a guard unit city that was called up? Selleck has never traded on his guard membership for public or personal honor. The idiot writing the CelebTV blurb was giving an insight to how people of that mindset are confused about what is heroic. But, any trigger for the predisposed to get lit up I guess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/160th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)

Here is the one paragraph blurb at CelebTV. Selleck cannot win by saying anything one way or another the same as hitech cannot while he is coding AH3. I doubt Selleck even knows the blurb exists.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.celebtv.com/tom-selleck

Tom Selleck’s Time in the army
MAY 7TH, 2015

In honor of Memorial Day we are honoring celebrities who have served our country. Before they were stars, they served in all military branches, and Tom Selleck is one you can add to the list of heroes. Before his mustache was famous or took to the set of Magnum PI, the movie star served as a California Army National Guard during the Vietnam Era. Talk about impressive. Which proves he is just another celebrity who honors their country.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some guy named Roger Printz ripped off Traveler's opening monologue verbatim to post in the comments at CelebTV. He seems to hold grudges like Traveler. Maybe they should get together and start a Tom Selleck twitter hate group while picketing his avacodo ranch in SoCal. Then start a facebook campaign to have Selleck stripped of his spokesman position for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
Yes, that is where I saw the original post and took exception to CelebTV depiction of Tom Selleck as " a real Red Blooded American Hero".
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Offline bustr

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #11 on: May 09, 2015, 03:44:10 PM »
In that case my father was a coward because all he did during Viet Nam was translate Russian chatter about Viet Nam for the USAFSS out of Kelly and then at Wakkanai Japan. At least because of his chatter translation there was never another Gary Powers incident out of Peshawar per Curtis LeMay.

But, we only got buzzed by Russian bombers there during the Cuban missile fiasco instead of bombed. Maybe I should put in for a purple heart as a 6 year old USAF dependent who crapped his drawers because the Russians flew bombers 100ft over his head loaded with bombs. Air Station Peshawar had about 100 dependent families on post during that fly over. I know, none of us were hero's because we couldn't shoot back. 
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This is like the old joke that voters are harsher to their beer brewer if he has an outage, than their politicians after raising their taxes. Death and taxes are certain but, fun and sex is only now.

Offline Lusche

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #12 on: May 09, 2015, 03:48:00 PM »
Sometimes I'm glad I live in a country that has long lost its obsessions about 'heroes'...


 :bolt:





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Offline RotBaron

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #13 on: May 09, 2015, 04:01:59 PM »
What gives Traveler?  You mentioned W and the theme of your post has certain undertones.

Fugi, called me out for something similar recently and mine was less, ahhhem, and more social.

There's another guy, a hero to many more than Selleck, he did something actually despicable to avoid being drafted...you failed to mention him.



Anyhow, Selleck may be more of a hero for his contributions to the NRA.

Go get 'em Tom!
« Last Edit: May 09, 2015, 04:05:41 PM by RotBaron »
They're casting their bait over there, see?

Offline RotBaron

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Re: CelebTV call Tom Selleck "An American Hero"
« Reply #14 on: May 09, 2015, 04:14:27 PM »
During the Vietnam War many well-connected sons landed in this posting, sometimes with the help of politicians such as Ben Barnes.
•   Lloyd Bentsen Jr., son of Lloyd Bentsen



Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. (February 11, 1921 – May 23, 2006) was a four-term United States Senator (1971–1993) from Texas.   A little old to be drafted for duty at almost 50 don't you think?
They're casting their bait over there, see?