As a young cop in the early 1970s I became acquainted with the owner of a nice restaurant and bar. He was the actor portraying the jeep driver in "Rat Patrol", took his bankroll and invested it very well, worked hard and built a very good business.

During the same time period one of the patrolmen I worked with was Joe Kenda, now famous as "Homicide Hunter". Wicked smart, very dry sense of humor, great guy to work with.

Also worked with Ronnie Stallworth, author of "Black Klansman". Another interesting and very intelligent guy.

Rat Patrol inspired many injuries when I was on Ft Carson. Most units had jeeps with M-60 machine gun mounts in the back. The troops would (idiotically) stand behind the guns in a firing position (after being told not to) while running over rough terrain downrange. Often, the driver would take a bump too fast, and the gunner's face would slam forcefully into the butt of the M-60. I took a lot of reports and put a lot of guys on helicopters over that stunt.

A local TV station in Raleigh used to have Combat! re-runs on in the late afternoons - the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg had that show on the master training schedule every day.

As for 12 O'Clock High, there is a great movie with the same title - also worth watching. Both the TV show and the movie are based on the book from 1948, written by two USAAF officers with real experience in WWII - Beirne Lay and Sy Bartlett.

I loved Rat Patrol as a kid. I'll have to check out Combat! and 12 o'clock High. Wasn't that also a movie?

Great Topic, thanks!

I have not seen these shows in decades.

Pass the popcorn!
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quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
... 12 o'clock High. Wasn't that also a movie?

Yes. Gregory Peck, excellent movie.