It was a different time…
Things were normal then.
Our enemies were outside our borders and oceans away.
Today, in an era when rich, elite, and dare I say woke, Hollywood types do their best to dictate our national thinking and politics. We find it was not always that way.
There was a time when Hollywood stars, at great risk to themselves, were examples of positive leadership, courage, and potential sacrifice for our country, its values, and our way of life.
I submit this paragraph from Peter Caddick-Adam’s fine work, Snow & Steel The Battle Of The Bulge, 1944-45. Speaking of air support for the epic battle, Caddick-Adams relates:
“Demonstrating his much admired leadership qualities, the Wing’s executive officer, with over twenty combat missions under his belt, would fly occasional uncredited sorties to keep his hand in. Airmen and GIs alike were surprised to find the modest, mild-mannered lieutenant-colonel was none other than James Stewart, whom they remembered starring with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story, released in 1940 for which he had received an Oscar nomination for best actor.”
Colonel Stewart flew with the Eighth Air Force, flying B-24 Liberators. In addition to many other missions, he flew in support of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945.
My Dad was a ground crewman with the 8th and a member of their Heritage Memorial Group. The organization published an excellent journal called 8 Ball Tails. It was filled with the personal stories of men who got up early in the morning, went to breakfast, had their bacon, eggs and coffee, climbed into their planes, taxied, and took off…some never to return.
We owe them a lot