James Arness was born May 26, 1923, in Minneapolis. He entered college just as World War II began and dreamed of being a naval aviator. It seemed as if every night his fraternity was having a party to send off a brother to the service. Young Arness got his interview with a naval flight program officer, but his hopes vanished as he was informed that his six foot seven inch height disqualified him automatically. He wrote his draft board asking that they call him up as soon as possible and so he ended up as a private in the famed Third Infantry Division where he earned a Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Because of his stature, he was chosen to be first off the landing craft (to test the depth of the water) when his division landed at Anzio, Italy. He was subsequently wounded by enemy machine gun fire and spent eighteen months recovering in overseas and stateside hospitals. Later his height would help him strike a commanding figure in the role of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon of Dodge City. After Arness had toiled in Hollywood for a decade, John Wayne recommended him to CBS executives for the Gunsmoke part (after Wayne turned it down). As the principal performer of Gunsmoke for twenty years (1955-1975), the actor and the character took on mythic proportions--a born leader, honest and strong. Rare is the actor who has been cast in a role that so deeply fits his true self. James Arness gives a full account of his early years, his family, his military career, his film work in Hollywood which included appearances in the cult-favorite science fiction movies Them! and The Thing. He had a long run on Gunsmoke, a role in the highly popular television miniseries How The West Was Won, and his post-theatrical period is also covered. This is the long anticipated, never-before-told account of one of the icons of twentieth-century television. There are many personal revelations of interacting with some of the Gunsmoke family ensemble, such as Miss Kitty, Doc and Festus. His own work as a producer is covered. Throughout are rare, previously unpublished photographs from the author's personal collection. Appendices include comments by show biz colleagues and fellow Gunsmoke alumni, and a sampling of letters received from his legions of fans. As befits the man, this large-size book is a beautifully printed work in accord with the highest library standards--a luxurious and extra-strong cloth binding, acid-free paper, carefully designed photographic and textual layouts and sophisticated typography. Actor and fellow Gunsmoke performer Burt Reynolds has written a foreword to the book.

James Arness: An Autobiography [LARGE PRINT]

Biographies & Memoirs

Wise Jr., James E.

Arness, James

Arts & Literature

McFarland

James Arness gives the full story on his early years, his family, his military career and his film work in Hollywood, including appearances in the cult-favorite science fiction movies Them! and The Thing. He had a very long run on television's Gunsmoke and a role in the miniseries How The West Was Won. His post-theatrical period is also covered. This is a republication in paperback of the 2001 edition--the long anticipated account of one of the icons of 20th-century television. He offers many anecdotes of interacting with the Gunsmoke family, such as Miss Kitty, Doc and Festus. His own work as a producer is covered. Throughout are previously unpublished photographs from the author's collection. Appendices include comments by show biz colleagues and Gunsmoke alumni, and a sampling of letters received from his fans. Actor and fellow Gunsmoke performer Burt Reynolds has written a foreword to the book.

James Arness: An Autobiography

Only the best officers are given command of U.S. Navy ships, and only the elite of these are selected for aircraft carriers. The USS America was the third of four Kitty Hawk-class super-carriers. Commissioned in 1965, decommissioned in 1996, she served three times in Vietnam, and once each in Libya, the Persian Gulf and Bosnia. This book profiles the 23 men who commanded the America and her crew of 5,000 during 31 years. Most of them were combat veterans--World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Mayaguez Rescue Operations, Lebanon, Haiti, Libya, Bosnia, and Desert Storm. Four were Naval Academy graduates; seven were test pilots; one became Inspector General of the Navy; one wore both Navy wings and submariner dolphins; and one was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for nearly six years. Two retired as admirals--one was Chief of Naval Operations--five as vice admirals, and 11 as rear admirals. Each profile gives a career account based on official biographies, published memoirs, and interviews with the commanders or their families.

At the Helm of USS America: The Aircraft Carrier and Its 23 Commanders, 1965-1996

History

BARON, SCOTT

Americas

The mighty battle action fought between an American destroyer and a German U-boat north of the Azores Islands in late October, 1943, has been called the most spectacular surface battle since the days of John Paul Jones. Robert A. Maher was a young sailor who served on the Navy destroyer USS Borie DD215 in that battle, and his personal account of the war culminates in this decisive battle. As leading fire-controlman and gun director pointer, Maher was stationed immediately above the bridge, where he had a clear view of events throughout the battle. In this nighttime action, the Borie rammed the German U-boat and became lodged across it. The crews of both ships opened fire at point-blank range with small arms and machine guns. The Americans were victorious, but the Borie was badly damaged and had to be abandoned. Sailors’ Journey into War is also the story of young men taken from the comfort of their families and hometowns and cast into a war of unimaginable proportions. Like other young servicemen, they learned their jobs and went into combat with determination and often great courage. The book opens a window into the daily lives of Navy enlisted men and accurately reflects their attitudes both as raw recruits and as seasoned sailors at the end of the war.

Sailors' Journey into War: Captain James E. Wise, Jr.

Maher, Robert A

Leaders & Notable People

The Kent State University Press

The lives of movie stars are often more closely followed than those of political leaders, sports figures, or sometimes one's own relatives, but even the most avid film buffs might be surprised to learn their favorite actors served in one of this country's sea services and distinguished themselves above and beyond the call of duty. In this book, filled with fascinating and revealing profiles of more than fifty celebrities, many readers will discover for the first time the patriotic contributions and sacrifices actors have made in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard from World War I to Vietnam.
 Henry Fonda, Humphrey Bogart, Robert Montgomery, and Ernest Borgnine are among many stars who have portrayed naval personnel on film, but do their fans know that Fonda won a Bronze Star for his actions during Pacific naval encounters, that Bogart dropped a fleeing prisoner with his .45, that Montgomery was awarded a Bronze Star for his courageous performance of duty during the Normandy invasion, or that Borgnine hunted U-boats off America's East Coast? A virtual Who's Who, this entertaining yet historically accurate and complete account brings to life these and dozens of other stars' naval and coast guard service backgrounds and film careers, drawn from interviews, diaries, letters, and official military and film industry archives.
 Find out how John Howard won a Navy Cross, how Navy Hellcat ace Wayne Morris downed seven Japanese planes, how UDT frogman Aldo Ray reconned the Okinawa landing beaches, how Eddie Albert saved more than a dozen wounded marines on the bloody reefs of Tarawa, and how Hedy Lamarr patented World War II communications anti-jamming technology still in use today. Rarely have movie stars' real lives been portrayed in such detail, including interesting anecdotes from their Hollywood careers and never before published photographs from their military careers, including Paul Newman as a Navy radioman/gunner who flew in torpedo bombers during World War II.

Stars in Blue: Movie Actors in America's Sea Services

Rehill, Anne Collier

Naval_Institute_Press

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