General Discussion

YepYep

(102 posts) Fri Mar 20, 2026, 11:27 AM 17 hrs ago

Which of Your Heroes

we’re actually heroes.
I loved John Wayne and Chuck Norris, but they were actors and flawed men. Eddie Albert was a tv and movie actor was most stirring action role was in Green Acres tv show.
But, during WWII he piloted a landing craft over and over to pick up the wounded at the battle of Tarawa in the Pacific during WWII. He received a Bronze Star for bravery after the battle.
Josephine Baker worked for the French Resistance while singing in occupied France.
Which actors are the actual heroes that you know of?

11 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Which of Your Heroes (Original Post) YepYep 17 hrs ago OP

Jimmy Stewart, for one. Buns_of_Fire 17 hrs ago #1

GMTA - 3 posts about Jimmy Stewart... 3catwoman3 17 hrs ago #4

Really! He's a pretty obvious choice, once you know his background. Buns_of_Fire 17 hrs ago #5

The GOAT YepYep 14 hrs ago #10

Josephine Baker and Jimmy Stewart Jilly_in_VA 17 hrs ago #2

Jimmy Stewart - flew in WW II and stayed in the Sir Force reserves... 3catwoman3 17 hrs ago #3

Serling Hayden LogDog75 17 hrs ago #6

Audie Murphy was an actual hero. LoisB 16 hrs ago #7

George McGovern displacedvermoter 15 hrs ago #8

Curt Lowens chowmama 14 hrs ago #9

And I forgot to mention James Doohan chowmama 8 hrs ago #11

Buns_of_Fire

(19,135 posts)

1. Jimmy Stewart, for one.

Reply to YepYep (Original post)

Fri Mar 20, 2026, 11:41 AM

17 hrs ago

James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart appeared in 80 films from 1935 to 1991. His films are considered some of the greatest films of all time. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked him third on its list of the greatest American male actors;[1] he received numerous honors including the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1980, the Kennedy Center Honor in 1983, as well as the Academy Honorary Award and Presidential Medal of Freedom, both in 1985.

...

With his private pilot's skills, he enlisted in the US Army Air Forces during the war, seeking combat duty and rose to be deputy commanding officer of the 2nd Bombardment Wing and commanding the 703d Bombardment Squadron from 1941 to 1947. He later transferred to the Air Force Reserve, and held various command positions until his retirement in 1968 as a brigadier general.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart

3catwoman3

(29,312 posts)

4. GMTA - 3 posts about Jimmy Stewart...

Reply to Buns_of_Fire (Reply #1)

Fri Mar 20, 2026, 11:43 AM

17 hrs ago

...within a minute of each other.

Buns_of_Fire

(19,135 posts)

5. Really! He's a pretty obvious choice, once you know his background.

Reply to 3catwoman3 (Reply #4)

Fri Mar 20, 2026, 11:48 AM

17 hrs ago

YepYep

(102 posts)

10. The GOAT

Reply to 3catwoman3 (Reply #4)

Fri Mar 20, 2026, 02:50 PM

14 hrs ago

Thank you

Jilly_in_VA

(14,343 posts)

2. Josephine Baker and Jimmy Stewart

Reply to YepYep (Original post)

Fri Mar 20, 2026, 11:42 AM

17 hrs ago

3catwoman3

(29,312 posts)

3. Jimmy Stewart - flew in WW II and stayed in the Sir Force reserves...

Reply to YepYep (Original post)

Fri Mar 20, 2026, 11:42 AM

17 hrs ago

...serving a total of 27 years and achieving the rank of 1 star (brigadier) general.

LogDog75

(1,272 posts)

6. Serling Hayden

Reply to YepYep (Original post)

Fri Mar 20, 2026, 12:06 PM

17 hrs ago

In real life, he did what many actors only pretended to do in movies.

After becoming an actor, Hayden he joined the military prior to Pearl Harbor and became a commando with the Office of the Coordinator of Information which later became the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which later formed the basis of the CIA. During World War II, he joined the Marines running guns and supplies to into Yugoslav partisans and parachuting into Croatia to aid guerilla activities.