A good friend, who happens to be retired Air Force, told me that a book worth reading is “Hank and Jim,” about the 50 year friendship of Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart. He went on to say that the two couldn’t have been more different: Fonda, a liberal Democrat, who married five times, and Stewart, a conservative Republican, who stayed married to one woman. They were the best of friends. I’m certainly going to make a point of reading it.

He's from Indiana PA. Just a few miles up the road from me. As you might guess, everything in the town is Jimmy Stewart this, and Jimmy Stewart that. hehe

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I believe that one of the least-recognized facts about World War II (and previous wars) was how many veterans suffered from PTSD. I know my father did.

sigfreund, my dad also. From what one of my uncles said he was not the same person he was before the war.

I believe he also lost his stepson in Vietnam.

Both his grandfathers served in the Civil War, and one of them was on Little Roundtop on day two of Gettysburg. If you know the battle, that was the most significant time and place of the whole battle, other than Pickett's charge on day three. Other relatives had served in the Revolution. His father was a WWI vet. So Stewart felt that he had a family history of duty and honour to live up too.

Most folks don't realize that as a General Officer he flew as a crew member on a bombing mission over Vietnam.

When I was a young OSI agent in the early 70's I was assigned to a distinguished visitor protection detail at Wright Patterson AFB. I was delighted to learn that my DV was then retired BG Jimmy Stewart. He came to Wright-Patt to dedicate a new wing of the Air Force Museum. He was a real hero to all of us serving in the USAF during that era. He was respected not just as a celebrity, but as a true warrior. I was most struck by the fact that he was in his mannerisms and manner of speech the same in person as on the screen, and a genuinely pleasant fellow.

I have watched that movie almost every year and will watch it again this year. Beautiful story that sticks with me. Thanks for sharing information I did not know.

My Uncle Marshall did 25 missions in a B-24 (Ole Irish). He met Jimmy Stewart in England. Marshall and his group had just been moved from Africa to England and there pay had not caught up with them yet so they were all broke. They were walking around town looking in store windows when a Captain came up to them and asked them how they were doing. They said they were to broke to do anything but walk around town. This Captain took out his wallet and gave them some money and said stay out of trouble boys, Marshall said he would never forget that Captain's name, Captain James Stewart.

I believe that his son went to CSU at the same time I did. He worked his way though working as a janitor at the gymnasium. I did not know that and neither did any other students at the time.

Good folks!

Great story. Recently looked up Glenn Miller. During WW2 he wanted to serve but they kept saying no due to his age, he finally pulled some strings and got into the AAF to conduct the AAF band. Mind you, at the time he was making between $15,000 and $20,000 a week (in 1940's money) gave it up to serve. The plane he was on was lost over the English Channel.

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Originally posted by Southflorida-law:
The plane he was on was lost over the English Channel.

I don’t know how credible the evidence is in support of the story, but an interesting idea is that Miller’s plane may have been hit by ordnance jettisoned by a bomber returning from an aborted mission over the mainland.
But there are other theories as well.

I read that his war experiences helped him to adapt to some of his darker and more intense roles, such as in The Naked Spur. He is well remembered here in the Yoop during his stay here for the filming of Anatomy Of A Murder.
Knowing what I now know about PTSD, I think my old man was affected by it too.

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Originally posted by sigfreund:.
I don’t know how credible the evidence is in support of the story, but an interesting idea is that Miller’s plane may have been hit by ordnance jettisoned by a bomber returning from an aborted mission over the mainland. ...

From what I have read that theory has been debunked. I believe they just think it iced up or something.

Yes, Jimmy Stewart was a true American hero! He suffered from what I believe they called shell shock back then. My stepdad spent some hard time in Germany during WW2, got shot up (3 machine gun rounds thru the middle.) He almost never talked about it, except to me as I was in a combat unit in Germany for 9 years. We only got to spend a few weeks together over the nearly 30 years he and my mom were married. And he suffered to some extent with shell shock.)