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A Two-Star Star

 

We’re used to actors and actresses who are fake.  You know, they say one thing and live another.

Not all are like that and, at least one time in our history, it was the exception rather than the rule.  During World War II several actors served in the military with honor.  Yes, some were pampered and spent their time in cushy jobs behind the lines, but others showed their grit by refusing to be babied.

One famous actor received a draft notice in 1940.  He failed the physical and that was that.

Well, it would have been for many men, but not for Jimmy Stewart.

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Stewart failed his physical exam because, at 6’3” and 138 pounds, he was five pounds under the Army’s minimum standard.  He enlisted the help of actor Don Loomis who was a bodybuilder and maintained a gym in one of the studios.  Loomis was well-known for helping others gain or lose weight.

When Mr. Stewart had gained some he tried to enlist in the Army Air Corps (the predecessor of the Air Force) and came in underweight again.  He convinced the enlistment officer to weigh him one more time.  I don’t know what he did between the first and second weigh-in, but he passed the second time…with one ounce to spare.

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He was inducted in the United States Army on March 22, 1941 and became Private James Maitland Stewart.  Nine months later, when the United States declared war on Japan, he became the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in World War II.

Stewart had been interested in flying from his youth and had earned his Private Pilot Certificate in 1935 and his Commercial Pilot Certificate in 1938.  He had over 400 hours of flying time on the books before the war began.  Because of his experience, he applied for an Air Corps commission and Service Pilot rating as both a college graduate and a licensed commercial pilot.  At almost 33 years of age he was beyond the maximum age restriction for Aviation Cadet training by nearly six years.  However, he took advantage of a now obsolete program to achieve his goal.

With the start of the war the Army was eager to bank on the actor’s fame and ordered him to do public relations appearances, which he did.  They also didn’t want anything to happen to their celebrity pilot and ordered him to help train new flyers.  He did that too.  However Steward felt he had more to offer his country.  When he heard that he was about to be taken off flying status and assigned to making training films or selling bonds, he sprang into action.  He appealed to his commanding officer, who recommended him to the commander of the 445th Bombardment Group, a B-24 Liberator unit that had just completed initial training.

He received the transfer and, when the 445th went overseas, Stewart went with them.  After several weeks of training missions, the group flew its first combat mission on December 13, 1943, to bomb the U-boat facilities at Kiel, Germany, followed three days later by a mission to Bremen.

Jimmy Stewart was a combat pilot.  He would complete 20 combat missions as command pilot over enemy territory, including raids deep into Germany to Berlin.

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He would go on to receive multiple awards during World War II.  When that conflict ended, Stewart had achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel.  With his promotion to full colonel soon thereafter he was one of very few Americans to rise from private to colonel in only four years.

After hostilities were officially over, Stewart returned to acting, but held onto his commission and stayed in the Army Air Force Reserve and the new United States Air Force Reserve after the establishment of the Air Force as an independent service in 1947.

On July 23, 1959, Stewart was promoted to brigadier general.  He retired from the Air Force on May 31, 1968, after 27 years of service.  He was subsequently promoted to major general.

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Other actors have played soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines down through the years, but Jimmy Stewart actually had military experience.  He may have a star on Hollywood’s walk of fame, but he also wore two stars on each shoulder.

Jimmy Stewart was a two-star star.

 

Among the medals awarded to BGen. Stewart during his military career:

Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters
Army Commendation Medal
American Defense Service Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Service Stars
World War II Victory Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
French Croix de Guerre with Palm
Presidential Medal of Freedom

 

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(above and below) Two of the many characters Mr. Stewart played in his long and illustrious career as an actor.