I Served Too - W W W W

Ralph Waite RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Marine Corps	American actor. His most famous role may be John Walton Sr. on the 1970s CBS TV series The Waltons, which he occasionally directed. He is also well known for his portrayal of the slave ship first mate Slater in the mini-series Roots. Served from 1946 to 1948.
Clint Walker RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Merchant Marine	American actor best known for his cowboy role as "Cheyenne Bodie" in the TV Western series, Cheyenne. With an imposing physique, he stood 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm) tall with a 48-inch chest and a 32-inch waist. Walker played roles in several big-screen films, including a trio of westerns for Gordon Douglas - Fort Dobbs (1958), Yellowstone Kelly (1959), and Gold of the Seven Saints (1961), the comedy Send Me No Flowers (1964), The Night of the Grizzly (1966), and as the meek convict Samson Posey, in the war drama The Dirty Dozen (1967). Served in WW2. Joined at age 17 in the final months of the war.
Mike Wallace RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy	American journalist, former game show host and media personality. During his 50+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers. Wallace was one of the original correspondents for CBS' 60 Minutes which debuted in 1968. Wallace retired as a regular full-time correspondent in 2006. Joined the service in 1943, serving as a communications officer during WW2 aboard the USS Anthedon (AS-24), a submarine tender. He saw no live fire in almost three years, traveling to Hawaii, Australia, and Subic Bay in the Philippines and patrolling the South China Sea, the Philippine Sea and in waters south of Japan.
Sam Wanamaker RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American film director and actor and is credited as the person most responsible for the modern recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. Wanamaker began his acting career in traveling shows and later worked on Broadway. In 1957, he was appointed director of the New Shakespeare Theatre, in Liverpool. He worked both as a director and actor in both films and television, and his appearances included such movies as The Spiral Staircase (1974), Private Benjamin (1980), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), and Baby Boom (1987). Served in WW2 between 1943 and 1946.
Joseph Wapner RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American judge and TV personality, better known as Judge Wapner, of the real-life courtroom-style show The People's Court, which ran in syndication from 1981 to 1993 for 2,484 episodes. Served in WW2. Saw action in the South Pacific on the Philippine island of Cebu. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant. Was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
Jack Warden RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy, U.S. Merchant Marine & U.S. Army	American character actor. Warden was nominated for Academy Awards as Best Supporting Actor for his performances in Shampoo and Heaven Can Wait. He also had notable roles in such films as All the President's Men, and The Verdict. In 1938 he joined the Navy and was stationed in China for three years with the Yangtze River Patrol. In 1941, he joined the United States Merchant Marine but, quickly tiring of the long convoy runs, he switched to the United States Army in 1942 where he served as a paratrooper in the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, with the elite 101st Airborne Division during WW2. In 1944, on the eve of the D-Day invasion he shattered his leg by landing on a fence during a night-time practice jump in England. After almost six months in the hospital he recovered enough to participate in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.
Dennis Weaver RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy	American actor, best known for his work in television, including roles on Gunsmoke, as Marshal Sam McCloud on the NBC police drama McCloud. Served in WW2. Joined the Naval Air Corps, at 18, and entered the V-5 flight training program. He had pre-flight training in Oakland and primary training in Livermore, California, and received his wings in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was next stationed at Opa-locka Naval Air Station, near Miami, Florida where he and his fellow pilots would stage mock dogfights to pass the time. The war ended before he was deployed.
Robert Webber RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Marine Corps	American actor who had a forty year career as a character actor, during which he appeared as Dudley Moore's gay friend in 10 (1979) and Cybill Shepherd's father in the hit series Moonlighting. Other notable turns were in the movies The Sandpiper, in which he played a supporting role as Elizabeth Taylor´s character former lover, opposite Richard Burton; The Nun and the Sergeant, where he played the lead; The Dirty Dozen where he played a general who bullied Lee Marvin; one of the many LA lowlifes Paul Newman encounters in the anti-hero saga Harper; and a killer in The Silencers. Served in WW2 on Guam and Okinawa.
Bill Wendell RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army Air Forces	American television staff announcer. He worked briefly with the DuMont Television Network before beginning his long association with NBC. Wendell was a radio announcer on programs towards the end of the old-time radio era. He was a regular on the 1955-1956 version of The Ernie Kovacs Show, serving as the show's announcer. Wendell was the announcer for a number of NBC's game shows. In 1959, he emceed Tic Tac Dough. He was the announcer of the syndicated To Tell The Truth from 1972 to 1977, and was the accouncer on The New Price Is Right. Wendell was also the announcer for several years on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Served in WW2.
Adam West RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American actor best known for his lead role in the 1960s TV series Batman and the film of the same name. He has made nearly 50 movies, including starring or co-starring roles in Drop Dead Gorgous, The New Age, The Young Philadelphians, An American Vampire Story, Soldier in the Rain, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, and Nevada Smith. Drafted into the Army, he spent 2 years starting military TV stations, first at San Luis Obispo, CA, then at Fort Monmouth, NJ.
Slim Whitman RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy	American country music singer and songwriter, known for his yodeling abilities . He has sold in excess of 120 million albums in unit sales and has had numerous successful recordings. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Walkway of Stars in 1968. Outside of country fandom, Whitman is, arguably, best known for Tim Burton's use of a song of his in the 1996 sci-fi parody "Mars Attacks". Whitman's voice is discovered to be the secret weapon against the little green men. Served in WW2 in the South Pacific.
Stuart Whitman RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American actor who is arguably best-known for playing Marshal Jim Crown in the western television series Cimarron Strip in 1967. Whitman also starred with John Wayne in the Western movie, The Comancheros, in 1961, and received top billing as the romantic lead in the extravagant aerial epic Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines in 1965. Spent 3 years in the post-war Army with the Army Corps of Engineers.
James Whitmore RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Marine Corps	American film and stage actor. Whitmore's first major picture was Battleground, and for which Whitmore was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Other major films included The Asphalt Jungle, The Next Voice You Hear, Above and Beyond, Kiss Me, Kate, Them!, Oklahoma!, Black Like Me, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Give 'em Hell, Harry!, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of former U.S. President Harry S Truman. In the film Tora! Tora! Tora! he played the part of Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey. Whitmore has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Served in WW2. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and served in the Panama Canal Zone during the war.
Gene Wilder RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American stage and screen actor, director, screenwriter, and author. Wilder began his career on stage, making his screen debut in the film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. His first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers. This was the first in a series of prolific collaborations with writer/director Mel Brooks, including 1974's Young Frankenstein, the script of which garnered the pair an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Wilder is known for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and for his four films with Richard Pryor: Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Another You (1991). Wilder has directed and written several of his films, including The Woman in Red (1984). Drafted on September 10, 1956 and was assigned to the medical corps and sent to Fort Sam Houston for training. Served as a Medic in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Valley Forge Army Hospital, in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
Thornton Wilder RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Coast Guard & U.S. Army Air Forces	American playwright and novelist. He received three Pulitzer Prizes, one for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and two for his plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day. Served in WW1 in the Coast Guard. World War 2 saw him rise to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Air Force Intelligence, first in Africa, then in Italy until 1945. He received several awards.
Charles Willeford RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army	American writer. An author of fiction, poetry, autobiography, and literary criticism, Willeford is best known for his series of novels featuring hardboiled detective Hoke Moseley. The first Hoke Moseley book, Miami Blues (1984), is considered one of its era's most influential works of crime fiction. Film adaptations have been made of three of Willeford's novels: Cockfighter, Miami Blues, and The Woman Chaser. Served in WW2. In March 1935, he signed up with the California National Guard; a few months later, he enlisted in the regular Army. He spent two years stationed in the Philippines serving as a fire truck driver, a gas truck driver, and briefly as a cook. At the end of 1938, he was discharged from the Army, though he re-enlisted in March 1939, joining the U.S. Cavalry stationed at the Presidio of Monterey, California. In the Cavalry, he learned to ride and care for horses and spent several months learning the art of horseshoeing. He also served as a "horseholder" in a machine gun troop and earned a marksman qualification. In 1942, Willeford married Lara Bell Fridley before being stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, for infantry school. He was assigned to the Third Army, Company C, 11th Tank Battalion, 10th Armored Division and sent to Europe as a tank commander. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for outstanding bravery, the Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster, and the Luxembourg War Cross. After V-E day, he studied at Biarritz American University until he was shipped back to the U.S. He again enlisted in 1945 for a term of three years and was stationed in Kyūshū, Japan, from 1947 to 1949, where he ran the Army radio station WLKH and was promoted to master sergeant.
Montel Williams RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Marine Corps & U.S. Navy	American television personality, radio talk show host and actor. He is best known as host of the long-running The Montel Williams Show, and more recently as a spokesperson for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA). Prior enlisted man who was later accepted into the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1976. In 1980, he graduated with a degree in General Engineering and a minor in International Affairs. Served as a cryptology officer and served aboard USS Sampson (DDG-10) during the U.S. invasion of Grenada. He also served as a Crypto Analyst at Ft. Meade, Maryland, for the National Security Agency, and did three years on nuclear submarines. His awards include the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, two Navy Expeditionary Medals, two Humanitarian Service Medals, a Navy Achievement Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals and two Meritorious Service Medals. After 22 years of military service he departed as a Lieutenant Commander.
Ted Williams RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy & U.S. Marine Corps	American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox (1939 to 1942 and 1946 to 1960). Williams was a two-time American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) winner, led the league in batting six times, and won the Triple Crown twice. A nineteen-time All-Star, he had a career batting average of .344, with 521 home runs, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. Served in WW2 and the Korean War. He joined the V-5 program to become a Naval aviator. He received preflight training at Athens, Georgia; primary training at NAS Bunker Hill, Indiana; and advanced flight training at NAS Pensacola. He received his wings and commission in the U.S. Marine Corps on May 2, 1944. He served as a flight instructor at NAS Pensacola teaching young pilots to fly the F4U Corsair. He was in Pearl Harbor awaiting orders to join the China fleet when the war ended. He finished the war in Hawaii and was released from active duty on January 12, 1946; however he did remain in the reserves. On May 1, 1952, at the age of 34, he was recalled to active duty for service in the Korean War. After eight weeks of refresher flight training and qualification in the F9F Panther jet at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, he was assigned to VMF-311, Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33), based at K-3 airfield in Pohang, Korea. On February 16, 1953, Williams was part of a 35-plane strike package against a tank and infantry training school just south of Pyongyang, North Korea. During the mission a piece of flak knocked out his hydraulics and electrical systems, causing Williams to have to "limp" his plane back to K-13, an Air Force base close to the front lines. For his actions of this day he was awarded the Air Medal. Williams eventually flew 39 combat missions.
Boxcar Willie RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Air Force & Texas Air National Guard	American country music singer, who sang in the old-time hobo music style, complete with dirty face, overalls, and a floppy hat, born Lecil Travis Martin. "Boxcar Willie" was originally a character in a ballad he wrote, but he later adopted it as his own stage name. He went on to become a star in country music, selling more than 10 million records, tapes and CDs worldwide. In 1981, Martin achieved a professional landmark by being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry as its 60th member. Served in the Korean War. Joined in May of 1949 and became a pilot, he trained on the B-36 bomber. In 1952 the Korean war was in in full swing, he was a second engineer and at this time was sent for final training in preparation for the conflict. Flight engineers were needed, he was then re-assigned to the magnificent B-29 super fortress. He later became a Flight Engineer on KC-97L aircraft in the 136th ARW in the Texas Air National Guard, including air refueling flights around the USA and overseas in Germany.
Flip Wilson RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Air Force	American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show. The popular series earned Wilson a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards. During the 1960s, Wilson became a regular at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and was a favorite guest on The Tonight Show, Laugh-In, and The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1970, Wilson won a Grammy Award for his comedy album The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress. After years of bouncing from foster homes to reform school, 16-year-old Wilson lied about his age and joined the service in 1950. His outgoing personality and funny stories made him popular; he was even asked to tour military bases to cheer up other servicemen. Claiming that he was always "flipped out," Wilson's barracks mates gave him his famous nickname. He was discharged in 1954.
Jonahtan Winters RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Marine Corps	American comedian and actor. Winters has appeared in nearly 50 movies and several television shows, including a particularly notable role in the film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. He also appeared in Viva Max! (1970) and The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (1966). He appeared regularly as a panelist on The Hollywood Squares and made an appearance on a Dean Martin Comedy Roast. In 1991 and 1992, he was on Davis Rules, a sitcom that lasted two seasons (25 episodes). In 1999, Winters was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Served two and a half years in the Pacific Theater during WW2.
Bill Withers RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy	American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. He recorded a number of hits such as "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands". His life was recently the subject of the documentary film Still Bill. Enlisted at age eighteen and served for nine years (1956-1965), during which time he became interested in singing and writing songs.
Edward Wood RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Marine Corps	Among connoisseurs of kitsch and bad cinema, Edward Wood Jr. is revered as one of the ultimate bad directors of all time for a variety of reasons. His cult status began two years after his death with his recognition in the Michael and Harry Medved book The Golden Turkey Awards, and has continued with the rediscovery of many of his long-lost works. Plan 9 from Outer Space became his most popular film. Enlisted at age 17, just months after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart for action he saw in Tarawa and the Marshall Islands. He served from 1942 to 1946.
Chuck Woolery RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Navy	American game show host. He has had long-running tenures hosting several different game shows. He was the original host of Wheel of Fortune from 1975 to 1981, the original incarnation of Love Connection from 1983 to 1994, and Scrabble from 1984 to 1990 (and during a brief revival in 1993). He also hosted Lingo on GSN from 2002 to 2007, and most recently hosted Think Like a Cat, which premiered on GSN on November 15, 2008. Served 2 years in the late 1950s.
William Wyler RETURN TO INDEX	U.S. Army Air Forces	American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Notable works included Ben-Hur (1959), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Mrs. Miniver (1942), all of which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture. He earned his first Oscar nomination for directing Dodsworth (1936). Other popular films include Funny Girl (1968), How to Steal a Million (1966), The Big Country (1958), Roman Holiday (1953), The Heiress (1949), The Letter (1940), The Westerner (1940), Wuthering Heights (1939), Jezebel (1938), Dodsworth (1936), A House Divided (1931), and Hell's Heroes (1930). Wyler is the most nominated director in Academy Awards history with 12 nominations. Served in WW2. Between 1942 and 1945, seeing service in the European Theater. Wyler served as a major and directed two documentaries The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944) and Thunderbolt! (1947). Wyler filmed The Memphis Belle at great personal risk flying over enemy territory on actual bombing missions in 1943.
Bill Wyman RETURN TO INDEX	Royal Air Force	English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. He has worked producing both records and film, and has scored music for film in movies and television. Performed his national service in an RAF Regiment.

Forward to Y

Return to Index