# Any Other Actors Besides Jimmy Stewart Do This? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818 "2003-02-09T03:27:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818/41 "2003-02-10T22:35:11Z")
I thought Jimmy Stewart was 4-F on account of being deaf in one ear, and served the war effort by organizing scrap drives and blackout drills. His brother, OTOH, was a war hero who shot down an enemy plan before it was able to sink a transport load of troops. He got a medal for that. Right, Clarence? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818/42 "2003-02-10T22:41:08Z")
**Guinastasia** posted: > [@](#): > > My grandfather was telling us at Thanksgiving about a guy who was in the Air Force with him, who saw Tyrone Powers in the showers! Heh! I’d have enlisted just on the CHANCE of seeing Tyrone Powers nekkid! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818/43 "2003-02-11T06:00:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Menocchio \* > \*\*Totally different situation. A massive army simply wasn’t necessary. WWII was a clash of empires, the current conflicts are a clash between an empire and small scattered groups of enemies, sometimes with and sometimes without government backing. It’s not fair to claim World War II standards to the Afghanistan conflict. > > For one thing, if they had, they probably wouldn’t even have been deployed until well after the Taliban fell. Not to belittle the actions of our servicemen, but huge volumes of troops was simply not necessary this time around. \*\* Whilst I agree that 9/11 and WWII aren’t comparable in the sense that you’re talking about, large numbers of Americans enlisted into the various military branches starting on 9/12. Jimmy Stewart joined the USAAF _before_ Pearl Harbor, which made him unique among the Hollywood actors of his era. Of course, most, if not all Americans were caught totally by surprise by 9/11, so it’s understandable why someone like (picking an actor at random) Ed Norton _didn’t_ join up before 9/11, but _after_? Hmmm. One would think that at least one or two might do it in hopes of getting some free PR for their career. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818/44 "2003-02-11T06:55:06Z")
> [@](#): > > I thought Jimmy Stewart was 4-F on account of being deaf in one ear, and served the war effort by organizing scrap drives and blackout drills. His brother, OTOH, was a war hero who shot down an enemy plan before it was able to sink a transport load of troops. He got a medal for that. Right, Clarence? No, Jimmy Stewart as a Colonel in WWII who commanded a B-17 bomber that flew 40 raids over Germany. He was a hero with a whole chest full of medals, and eventually achieved the rank of Brigadier General. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818/45 "2003-02-11T06:57:43Z")
**Sam** , you’ve just been “Whooshed!” **skammer** just recounted part of the plot of _It’s A Wonderful Life!_, which starred Jimmy Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818/46 "2003-02-11T13:39:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > \*\* Jimmy Stewart joined the USAAF _before_ Pearl Harbor, which made him unique among the Hollywood actors of his era. \*\* Just a quick quibble: that should be “… among the **American** Hollywood actors …” David Niven, IIRC, joined up in 1939 or early 1940. Mr Goldwyn was _not_ happy. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818/47 "2003-02-11T15:34:40Z")
James Doohan (“scotty”) lost a finger on D-day (Canadian artillery) (yes, I got this off of IMDB, but I have heard it elsewhere) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818/48 "2003-02-11T16:19:12Z")
This link gives information about the airfield where James Stewart was sqn. commander . :- [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/T-V/Tibenham.htm](http://www.controltowers.co.uk/T-V/Tibenham.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818/49 "2003-02-12T01:26:01Z")
Arch Hall Jr, who was in the MST3K classic _Eegah_, was in Vietnam, I think. Remember, the guy with the Cabbage Patch Face who kept screaming, “ROXY!!!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-actors-besides-jimmy-stewart-do-this/153818.md?page=2)