I Served Too - T T T T

Buck Taylor RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy	American actor and water color artist best known for his role as gunsmith-turned-deputy Newly O'Brien in 113 episodes during the last eight seasons of CBS's Gunsmoke television series (1967 to 1975). In recent years, he has painted the portrait of his friend and Gunsmoke costar James Arness. Taylor's painting specialty is the American West, and each year, he creates the posters for several Texas rodeos. He had a memorable roles in Tombstone (1993), Gettysburg, and Rough Riders (1997). He appeared in The Alamo (2004) and in the Wyoming-based Flicka (2006). Taylor is also an inductee of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in Fort Worth and has received the Spirit of Texas Award. In 1981, he was inducted as a trustee in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City for his Gunsmoke role. Served 2 years in the 1950s.
Robert Tessier RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American actor and stuntman who was best known for playing heavy, menacing characters on film and television. His movie breakthrough came at the age of 33, in the low budget Tom Laughlin biker movie The Born Losers (1967). With his menacing looks, Tessier was never short of on screen work, often turning up in several movies a year playing gang leaders, bikers & other murderous thugs. He appeared alongside 'Burt Reynolds' on three occasions in The Longest Yard (1974), Hooper (1978), and The Cannonball Run (1981). Alternately, he was equally busy on television appearing in popular shows including "Starsky and Hutch" (1975), "Magnum, P.I." (1980), "The Fall Guy" (1981) & "The A-Team" (1983). Undoubtedly, Tessier's most well remembered role was that of grinning, head butting street fighter "Jim Henry" in the Charles Bronson film Hard Times (1975). Served in the Korean War as a paratrooper earning both a Silver Star and Purple Heart.
Billie Thomas RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. Thomas first appeared in the 1934 Our Gang shorts For Pete's Sake!, The First Round-Up, and Washee Ironee as a background player. Thomas began appearing as "Buckwheat" with 1935's Mama's Little Pirate. He remained in Our Gang for ten years, appearing in all but one of the shorts made from Washee Ironee in 1934 through the series' end in 1944. Enlisted in 1954 and was released from active military service in 1956, decorated with a National Defense Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal.
Peter Thomas RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American announcer narrator of television programs, including shows such as Nova and more recently Forensic Files and Medical Detectives. Thomas is known for his crystal clear voice and precise diction, and his unique narrative tone of urgency, concern, and empathy. He has been a narrator for over fifty years. Thomas has received many awards for his work but cites, as one of his best, the Oscar won by a documentary he narrated, One Survivor Remembers. Volunteered in 1943, after being offered an Armed Forces Radio deferment, and served with the First Infantry Division in five major campaigns, including the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He was issued a Battle star for each of the five campaigns. He was also awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Unit French Croix de guerre, and Belgian Fourragère.
Jocko Thompson RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1951. played in Major League Baseball for four years during the Whiz Kids era during a career which spanned 12 seasons (1940 to 1941, 1946 to 1955). After attending Northeastern University, Thompson appeared as a situational pitcher and spot starter during the 1948, 1949, and 1950 seasons with the Phillies, and went 4-8 in his only season as a regular member of the team's starting rotation. After demotion to the minors in 1952, Thompson retired from baseball after the 1955 season. Served in WW2 as a first lieutenant in the European theater. Entered in 1941 and was assigned to the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, a part of the 82nd Airborne Division. In 1944, as a first lieutenant, Thompson led his men during an air raid as part of Operation Market Garden. The light in the jump bay of the platoon's C-47 Skytrain was later than expected, moving their landing zone from its intended location near Grave in The Netherlands; the plane was passing over buildings when the paratroopers were signalled to leave the aircraft, and Thompson decided to wait until reaching several approaching fields. He led his platoon in an attack against the nearby bridge spanning the Maas River, which was defended by German forces supplemented by two 20 mm flak guns, one on the close side of the bridge and one across the river. The platoon opened fire on the German forces, killing four. Two trucks of German soldiers arrived on the scene, but they "showed no desire to fight and ran away. Thompson's platoon destroyed electrical equipment and cables that they expected were hooked up to demolitions, and their bazooka operator destroyed the nearer flak gun, permitting the establishment of a roadblock on the bridge while waiting for the remainder of the 82nd Airborne. After the battle at the Maas bridge, Thompson also participated in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was given a field commission, and during the Allied occupation of Berlin, where he served as an aide to General James M. Gavin. Thompson was wounded twice during the war, for which he received two Purple Hearts; Other decorations included the Bronze Star with cluster, the Silver Star, and various awards from the Belgian, French, and Dutch governments.
Malachi Throne RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American actor, most noted for his roles on Star Trek and It Takes a Thief. Throne was a popular guest star on many television shows of the 1960s and 1970s including The Defenders, Naked City, Ben Casey, The Untouchables, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Has appeared in four different productions with Leonard Nimoy: "Star Trek" (1966), "Mission: Impossible" (1966), Assault on the Wayne (1971) (TV) and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987). Appeared in the Off-Broadway productions "The Iceman Cometh", "The Threepenny Opera", "Rocket To The Moon", as well as "Becket" in support of Laurence Olivier. Served in the Korean War. Wound up in the infantry attached to an armored unit.
Mel Tillis RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Air Force	American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits. His biggest hits include I Ain't Never, Good Woman Blues, and Coca-Cola Cowboy. He also has won the CMA Awards' most coveted award, Entertainer of the Year. He wrote well over 1,000 songs, and approximately 600 have been recorded by major artists. He has appeared in numerous feature films including Every Which Way But Loose with Clint Eastwood, W.W. & The Dixie Dancekings, Cannonball Run I and II, Smokey and the Bandit II with Burt Reynolds, and the lead role with Roy Clark in Uphill All The Way. The Grand Ole Opry inducted Mel Tillis on June 9, 2007 and the same year he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Served as a baker in the early 1950s. While stationed in Okinawa he formed a band called The Westerners, which played at local nightclubs.
Pat Tillman RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Selected as the 226th pick by the Arizona Cardinals. Tillman moved over to play the safety position in the NFL and started ten of sixteen games in his rookie season. He finished his career with totals of 238 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 interceptions for 37 yards, 3 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections, and 3 fumble recoveries in 60 career games. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the mountains of Afghanistan. The Army at first reported that Tillman had been killed by enemy fire, and Lieutenant General Stanley A. McChrystal approved the award of a Silver Star. The actual cause of Tillman's death was later revealed to be from friendly fire.
Richard Todd RETURN TO INDEX	British Army	Irish-born British stage and film actor. He first appeared professionally as an actor at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in 1936 in a production of Twelfth Night. He played in regional theatres and then co-founded the Dundee Repertory Theatre in 1939. After the war, Todd returned to repertory theatre in the UK. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role in 1949. He later appeared in The Dam Busters (1955) and A Man Called Peter. In 1953, he appeared in a BBC Television adaptation of the novel Wuthering Heights. In the 1970s, he gained new fans when he appeared as the reader for Radio Four's Morning Story. In the 1980s his distinctive voice was heard as narrator of the series Wings Over The World. Todd continued to act on television, including roles in Virtual Murder, Silent Witness, and in the Doctor Who story Kinda in 1982. Served in WW2. Received a commission in 1941. Initially, he served in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry before joining the Parachute Regiment and being assigned to the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion as part of the British 6th Airborne Division. On 6 June 1944, as a captain, he participated in the British Airborne Operation Tonga during the D-Day landings. He was among the first British officers to land in Normandy as part of Operation Overlord. His battalion were reinforcements that parachuted in after glider forces had landed and completed the main assault against Pegasus Bridge near Caen. He later met up with Major John Howard on Pegasus Bridge and helped repel several German counter attacks. As an actor, Todd would later play Howard in the 1962 film The Longest Day.
J.R.R. Tolkien RETURN TO INDEX	British Army	English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. Served in WW1. Enlisting in July 1915 and was then commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He trained with the 13th (Reserve) Battalion on Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, for eleven months. He was then transferred to the 11th (Service) Battalion with the British Expeditionary Force, arriving in France on 4 June 1916. Tolkien served as a signals officer at the Somme, participating in the Battle of Thiepval Ridge and the subsequent assault on the Schwaben Redoubt. On 27 October 1916 Tolkien came down with trench fever, a disease carried by the lice which were common in the dugouts. Tolkien was invalided to England on 8 November 1916.
Spencer Tracy RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy	American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Tracy ninth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time. He was nominated for nine Academy Awards for Best Actor in all, winning two. In 1942, he co-starred with Katharine Hepburn in Woman of the Year. The teaming lasted for decades, both on-screen and off. Served stateside during WW1.
Lee Trevino RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Marine Corps	American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex". Served four years. Part of his time was spent playing golf with Marine Corps officers. He claims being a golf partner helped earn him promotion to lance corporal.
Tom Tryon RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy	American film and television actor, best known for playing the title role in the film The Cardinal (1963) and the Walt Disney television character Texas John Slaughter (1958-1961). He later became a writer and authored several science fiction, horror and mystery novels. Served in WW2 enlisting at age 17 and spent three years as a radio specialist in the Pacific theater from 1943 to 1946.
Forrest Tucker RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American actor in both movies and television from the 1940s to the 1980s. He appeared in nearly 100 action films in the 1940s and 1950s. Lying about his age, he joined the cavalry. He was stationed at Fort Myer in Virginia, but was discharged when his age became known.
Jerry Tucker RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy	American child actor, most notable for appearing as the "rich kid" in the Our Gang short subjects series semi-regularly from 1931 to 1938. He appeared in the Marie Dressler film Prosperity, again as a spoiled rich kid. He also appeared as one of Mother Peep's children in the 1934 Laurel & Hardy feature film March of the Wooden Soldiers. He also appeared in films such as Sidewalks of New York (1931) with Buster Keaton, No Man of Her Own (1932) with Carole Lombard, San Francisco (1936), Captain January (1936) with Shirley Temple and Boys Town (1938) with Spencer Tracy. Served in WW2 and the Korean War.
Gene Tunney RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Marine Corps & U.S. Navy	American world heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey is one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight. Tunney retired as an undefeated heavyweight after his victory over Tom Heeney in 1928. Served in WW1. Was the U.S. Expeditionary Forces boxing champion in France. After retirement, he had a stint in the Navy in WW2 as a Commander. In December 1940, a year before Pearl Harbor, James Forrestal, then Under-Secretary of the Navy, persuaded former U.S. boxer Gene Tunney to head the Navy’s physical fitness program.

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