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General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: midnight Target on October 05, 2005, 08:49:07 AM

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: midnight Target on October 05, 2005, 08:49:07 AM

Who were the only 2 civilians to be awarded the Bronze Star during the war?

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: FiLtH on October 05, 2005, 10:01:52 AM

My guess would be contractors on Wake Island.

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: midnight Target on October 05, 2005, 10:36:20 AM

nope, actually 2 pretty famous people.

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: rpm on October 05, 2005, 10:40:59 AM

I want to say it's Bob Hope and Joe E. Brown for their USO duty.

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: VOR on October 05, 2005, 10:47:47 AM

Also think Bob Hope.

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: midnight Target on October 05, 2005, 11:42:25 AM

Joe E. Brown is correct. Hope is not.

1 outta 2

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: Dux on October 05, 2005, 11:43:22 AM

Lindberg?

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: JimBear on October 05, 2005, 11:58:50 AM

Ernie Pyle

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: Holden McGroin on October 05, 2005, 12:04:13 PM

Quote

Originally posted by Dux
Lindberg?

Lindbergh is unique in being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for something he did as a civilian. (He was a reserve USAAC Captain at the time, but acting as a civilian)

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: midnight Target on October 05, 2005, 03:32:31 PM

Quote

Originally posted by JimBear
Ernie Pyle

He's the one.

Joe E. Brown and Ernie Pyle. Only 2 civilian recipients of the Bronze Star.

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: rpm on October 05, 2005, 08:29:22 PM

I remember my dad telling me about Joe E. Brown making "foxhole" USO visits. He would cram himself into the area behind the pilot in a P-38's canopy and travel to the front line bases. He collected a lot of memorabellia from soldiers during those visits. In the late 1950's Joe's house in Hollywood burned and he was in tears because he could not save those souveniors.
(http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/usaaf/hathorn20.jpg)

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: Widewing on October 05, 2005, 10:14:41 PM

That one wasn't too tough, but this one certainly is.

Only one American civilian was awarded the USAAF Air Medal for service in WWII.

Who was this person?

My regards,

Widewing

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: gofaster on October 06, 2005, 07:29:52 AM

Joe E. Brown?  He couldn't have been too entertaining or we would've heard more about him post-war!

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: midnight Target on October 06, 2005, 07:57:48 AM

Quote

Originally posted by Widewing
That one wasn't too tough, but this one certainly is.

Only one American civilian was awarded the USAAF Air Medal for service in WWII.

Who was this person?

My regards,

Widewing

Not sure, Rickenbacker?

I'm very surprised that there was only one civilian though. The Air Medal was invented to be given to both military and civilian.

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: JimBear on October 06, 2005, 08:11:54 AM

Thats a toughy, even Lindbergh wasnt awarded it and he flew 50 combat missions as a civilian. then again alot of folks at that time wanted to revoke his MOH.

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: Legend on October 06, 2005, 08:15:00 AM

Howard Hughes?

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: storch on October 06, 2005, 12:57:08 PM

Jackie Cochran?

Title: Son of WW2 Trivia
Post by: Widewing on October 07, 2005, 01:53:06 PM

Curtiss Wright test pilot Herbert O. Fisher.

Fisher flew many C-46 sorties over the Hump, sorting out reliability problems. Trained P-40 pilots in front-line units. Reported to have been forced to engage Japanese fighters on several occasions.

My regards,

Widewing