# Was Mr. Rogers a sniper in the Korean war? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443 "2001-03-01T23:45:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/1 "2001-03-01T23:45:35Z")
It is pretty well known that Rogers was in the Korean War with the Marines, but this is something that trips me up. I’ve searched everywhere and I cannot find anything to confirm nor deny the following allegations. I’ve looked on all the Urban Legends sites as well and I’ve come up with nothing! So, here it is. Supposedly Mr. Rogers was a very good sniper back in his hayday during the Korean war. Nothing out of the ordinary, but I have also heard that he got a tatto on one or both of his arms for each confirmed kill. The tattoo theory would explain why Mr. Roger’s is never ever seen with a short-sleeved shirt. So, my question to the Teeming Millions is, Was Mr. Rogers a sniper during the war and if so, did he get a tattoo for each confirmed kill? Also, I would like to see if anyone can come up with a picture of Mr. Rogers in a short-sleeved _anything_. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/2 "2001-03-01T23:47:44Z")
As always, check Snopes. The answer: No. [http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/denver.htm](http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/denver.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/3 "2001-03-01T23:52:44Z")
But, I would still like to see if someone can find a picture of Mr. Rogers wearing a short-sleeved shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/4 "2001-03-02T00:20:12Z")
If you’d like to brush up on your Mr. Rogers knowledge, I recommend [this simple quiz](http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2000/12/13/mr_rogers/). ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/5 "2001-03-02T02:57:39Z")
I had to laugh when I read the thread title: _It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…_\*\* _POW!_ \*\*\* … a beautiful day for a neighbor! Would you be mine? **POW** Could you be mine?\* 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/6 "2001-03-02T03:18:51Z")
- - - I read somewhere that Dr. Ruth Westheimer was once a sniper in the Israeli army. I can’t find any documentation of that right off, but many bios of her say that she did go to Israel to help fight for independence when she was 16. - MC ---
**Author:** ![Thrasymachus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Thrasymachus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thrasymachus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/7 "2001-03-02T04:51:47Z")
Yeah, I laughed too… Imagine Mr. Rogers sitting in some camouflaged position with his eye on the bad guys. Drawing a bead he talks to his rifle in that “let’s feed the fish” voice: “Speedy delivery…” _squeezes trigger_ ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/8 "2001-03-02T04:59:49Z")
"We _like_ it when they step out in the open like that. Yes we do … Look at Mr. Soldier there. He’s about to get a surprise, yes he is … a BIG surprise. I like surprises … but I don’t think Mr. Soldier there is going to like his very much … " ---
**Author:** ![Tedster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@Tedster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tedster)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/9 "2001-03-02T05:38:41Z")
When I was in the military, the rumor in basic training going around was John Denver (Rocky Mountain High, etc…) was a sniper in Vietnam. I immediately called BS! and did a little research on my own, turns out that his dad was in the air force, which was about the extent of his military experience. Still, I’m sure Mr. Rogers would have been an excellent sniper. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/10 "2001-03-02T09:18:47Z")
I seem to recall that Mr. Rogers is color-blind, which probably would have prevented him from being a sniper, if not the military in general. ---
**Author:** ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-mr-rogers-a-sniper-in-the-korean-war/56443/11 "2001-03-02T18:21:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC \* > \*\* - - - I read somewhere that Dr. Ruth Westheimer was once a sniper in the Israeli army. I can’t find any documentation of that right off, but many bios of her say that she did go to Israel to help fight for independence when she was 16. - MC \*\* Google is your friend— > [@](#): > > Israel declared its independence. Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Irak immediatley attacked the new nation, and once again Ruth’s world collapsed. Ruth, dedicated to the building of a Jewish homeland, joined the Haganah and was **trained as a sniper**. On her twentieth birthday she had just finished up guard duty when an Arab shell exploded at her feet, seriously injuring her. Her recovery was slow, but she survived to walk again. [http://www.germanheritage.com/biographies/mtoz/westheimer.html](http://www.germanheritage.com/biographies/mtoz/westheimer.html) My bolding, it dosn’t say that she actually was a sniper, just trained as one. \