Jimmy Stewart

Jimmy Stewart was born in May 1908. By the time WW2 rolled around, he was already 33 years old when he entered the Army Air Corps, and over the age limit for pilots. But Stewart had an ace in the hole, he was already a licensed commercial pilot. And Stewart was also a graduate of Princeton University, probably rubbed elbows with Albert Einstein. Stewart actually enlisted in the Army Air Corp in February 1941. He spent a year in 1942-3 at Kirtland Army Air Field learning to fly the B-24 Liberator Bomber. In 1943, after pleading with his commander, he was assigned to the 703rd Bomb Squardon. While there he received a promotion from Captain to Major. He was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Coix de Guerre, the French equivalent. He also received the Army Air Medel with three oak leaves, meaning he was awarded it three different times. By the end of the war, he had been promoted to a full colonel, a testament to his leadership and flying abilities. As a major, he would have been the command of a flight squadron, 12 aircraft, and as a colonel, commander of an entire flight wing, 192 aircraft.

After the war, Stewart stayed in the Army Air Corps, which soon became the U.S. Air Force, in the reserves. As part of the Air Force Reserves, he fly B-52 bombers. In 1968, he flew a mission as a Bigadier General in Vietnam.

No other American actor ever reached the heights that Steward did while still participating as a actor.

Clark Gable

Clark Gable was born in February 1901. He was already 40 years old when the U.S. entered WW2. In 1942, after the death of his wife, Carole Lombard while flying from England, he joined the Army Air Corps at the age of 41. General Henry “Hap” Arnold offered him a special assignment with the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Corps. But Gable had other ideas and was accepted into the officer candidate school from which he graduated as a 1st Lieutenant. He then graduated from aerial gunnery school at Tyndall Air Field near Panama City Florida. But his further desire was to become a bomber pilot. Gable was assigned to the 351st Squardron at Biggs Field TX, near the present day Fort Bliss TX in El Paso as part of a six man motion picture unit The 351st was transferred to England as a B-17 unit which became part of the 18th Army Air Force Base Unit, motion pictures. But to be sure, Gable did see a lot of combat as he was assigned to various bombers over Germany. When Hitler learned of Gable’s involvement, he offered a sizable reward for the safe capture of Gable. Gable earned the Distinguish Flying Cross and the Air Medal. He was also promoted to the rank of major before mustering out in 1944 where his papers we signed by Captain Ronald Reagan. Although he was still a part of the Army Air Corps, because of his acting career, in 1947 he resigned his commission and left the service.