Retracted

This report is COMPLETELY FALSE. Neither Marvin nor Keeshan served on Iwo Jima nor was either ever awarded the Navy Cross.

Both were Marines. Marvin was wounded on Saipan and received the Purple Heart, while Keeshan enlisted at 18 y.o. in 1945 and by the time he completed boot camp the war was almost over.

As to Mr. Rogers, he was never in the military.

I really resent the distortion of fact when verification is so simple on the internet.

Semper Fi
USMC 3rdMarDiv 1966-'67 RVN

From the Arlington cemetary website:

quote:

The message says that Lee Marvin appeared on the Tonight Show in the 70's when host Johnny Carson brought up Marvin's record in the Marines. Carson said people may not have known that Marvin fought in Iwo Jima, one of the best known battles of World War II, and was awarded the Navy Cross. Marvin then tells a story of heroism in battle about the bravest man he ever knew who was also awarded the Navy Cross ... Bob Keeshan who later became best known as Captain Kangaroo.

We can't say for sure whether actor Lee Marvin ever related something like the story described to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show (Marvin was a guest on the show seven times during Carson's tenure as host), but the details of the anecdote are undeniably false.

Lee Marvin did enlist in the U.S. Marines, saw action as Private First Class in the Pacific during World War II, and was wounded (in the buttocks) by fire which severed his sciatic nerve. However, this injury occurred during the battle for Saipan in June 1944, not the battle for Iwo Jima, which took place several months later, in February 1945. (Marvin also did receive a Purple Heart, and he is indeed buried at Arlington National Cemetery.)

Bob Keeshan, later famous as television's "Captain Kangaroo," also enlisted in the U.S. Marines, but too late to see any action during World War II. Keeshan was born on 27 June 1927 and enlisted two weeks before his 18th birthday, months too late to have taken part in the fighting at Iwo Jima. A 1997 interview with Keeshan noted that he "later enlisted in the U.S. Marines but saw no combat" because, as Keeshan said, he signed up "just before we dropped the atom bomb."

Finally, neither of these men served together and certainly neither of them earned the Navy Cross for bravery while serving in the Marine Corps.

I'm fairly certain that Lee Marvin never claimed to have earned the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima. He's been dead over 20 years, but if memory serves I recall him getting far more mileage out of the fact he was shot in the ass.

Mr. Rogers a SEAL? Yeah, everyone's a SEAL. What else is worth lying about?

The point being, I don't believe either man peddled in these fabrications during their lifetimes. It's my impression that these stories were made up about them after their deaths, and not made up by them. I could be wrong, but I certainly hope not. Lee Marvin earned that plot at Arlington. I'd hate to think that a man so deserving of respect based upon his actual service would dishonor himself by lying about his record.

For the record, I AM NOT a SEAL. I would never claim to be a SEAL, because I don't much fancy being gagged and duct-taped to the part of the pier that goes submarine at high tide.

I did serve in combat once with the SEALs. Which resulted in us getting banned from the Officer's Club on Kadena AFB.

I really resent the distortion of fact when verification is so simple on the internet.


I do sincerely apologize as I also served in VietNam 68-71 and didn't verify this E mail. As it came from a

normally trustworthy source who is also a close Friend !. I shall remove it immediately !!!.

<< I really resent the distortion of fact when verification is so simple on the internet.>>

We would certainly wish so, but the viral nature of the internet makes it so easy to spread spurious info around.

A few years ago I sat out an ammo dump fire that we couldn't move away from, just wait it out. The internet was rife with reports of how many of us were killed and how many armored vehicles were destroyed, when in reality, nobody was killed and only a few pickup trucks were lost. Only we that were there knew the truth, but the stories ran wild in the news.

Oh, and a salute to you gentlemen, thanks for going where most wouldn't.

RETRACTED?

I want to hear about John Wayne's "service"!

quote:

Originally posted by sputster:
<< I really resent the distortion of fact when verification is so simple on the internet.>>

We would certainly wish so, but the viral nature of the internet makes it so easy to spread spurious info around.

This isn't directed at you, and it isn't meant as a slam against anybody. but to avoid spreading spurious info around, here's a tip. When talking about dead celebrities buried at Arlington (or any national cemetery) you can look up their grave.



If they were decorated for valor, it'll say so on the headstone.



If they weren't, it won't.

I wonder how much of Arlington is really screwed up in reference to those mis marked grave sites ?.

How many headstones did thy find lining the banks of the river ?


ARLINGTON, Va. (CBS) -- It's uncertain who is buried in a number of graves at Arlington National Cemetery because of poor management and record keeping, Pentagon officials said Thursday.

Army Secretary John McHugh is set to release on Thursday the results of an investigation of Arlington that officials say found problems with keeping track of some burials. The cemetery is resting place for about 300,000, including veterans, war casualties, American presidents and dignitaries.

A review of Arlington's antiquated paper filing system has identified 211 cases in which the paper trail fails to account for the whereabouts of remains, reports CBS News National Security correspondent David Martin. Now the Army will have to inspect each of those grave sites using ground penetrating radar.

Missing Bodies Plague Arlington National Cemetery

At a briefing Thursday afternoon given by Army Secretary John McHugh and Lt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb, McHugh said, "This is in my judgment the end of the failures, but it's not the end of the process."

"We found nothing that was intentional, criminal, or intended [in its] sloppiness," said Whitcomb. "But we view this as a zero defect operation. This is the final act for our fallen and their family members."

Two managers at the cemetery could face punishment, two defense officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak before McHugh. Jack Metzler, the cemetery superintendent for the past 19 years, recently announced his retirement.

When asked by a reporter why no one had been fired yet for the problems at the cemetery, McHugh said that the military had a process by which disciplinary action is taken. He said disciplinary actions against those responsible for making errors would be contemplated.

Officials said the problems at Arlington have gone on for years, but they declined to say how long and how many burial sites are involved. They said in some cases a grave marker was not placed soon enough after burial or records were not kept updated, resulting in uncertainty later about the identities of the deceased at some grave sites.

McHugh ordered an investigation by the Army inspector general in November after revelations that cemetery workers inadvertently buried cremated remains at a grave site already in use.

The error was discovered in May 2008, and cemetery officials immediately moved the cremated remains to another site and remarked the original grave, the Pentagon said in November. But there also were questions about whether cemetery officials used proper procedures to correct the mistake, including notifying the next of kin.

"This is the place where valor rests, a place of reverence and respect for all Americans," McHugh said when he ordered the probe. "As the final resting place of our nation's heroes, any questions about the integrity or accountability of its operations should be examined in a manner befitting their service and sacrifice."

The three sections at Arlington identified with problems are sections 55, 59, and 66. Families with concerns about their loved ones may contact TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, for assistance at 800-959-TAPS.