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Jun 6, 2014 · The Longest Day: Actors who fought in D-Day. Posted on June 6, 2014 by Jnpickens. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed Omaha Beach in the Normandy Invasion, known as D-Day. A few of those soldiers were established actors or later pursued a career in Hollywood.
- James Doohan
- Yogi Berra
- Medgar Evers
- J.D. Salinger
- Alec Guinness
- Richard Todd
- Charles Durning
James Doohan, known for his role as "Scott" in the original Star Trek, was a commissioned lieutenant with the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. On D-Day, he landed on Juno beach, according to Snopes, and shot two German snipers. "I don't know if they were killed or wounded but it shut them up," Doohan told the New...
At only 19 years old, Yogi Berra, then known as Seaman 1stClass Lawrence Berra, was aboard a craft preparing to land on the beaches of Normandy. "Well, being a young guy, I thought it was like the Fourth of July, to tell you the truth. I said, 'Boy, it looks pretty, all the planes coming over,'" Berra told NBC Newsin 2004. "And I was looking out an...
Civil Rights Activist Medgar Evers enlisted in the segregated U.S. Army at the age of 17, according to History.com, and rose to the rank of sergeant. In June 1944, Evers fought in the Battle of Normandy, as reported by the NAACP, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Before becoming famous for The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger stormed the beaches of Normandy. Initially intended to land on Utah Beach in the first wave, according to Vanity Fair, he ended up landing during the second wave about 10 minutes later. As part of the 4th Counter Intelligence Corps, Salinger avoided most of the heavily concentrated Ge...
Sir Alec Guinness, who portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, served in the Royal Navy. Before fighting Anakin Skywalker, Guinness piloted a landing craft on D-Day responsible for bringing British troops to the beaches of Normandy, according to KPBS.
Irish-born actor Richard Todd spent June 6, 1944, jumping out of a plane over Normandy, one of the men charged with securing the east side of the beach landing ears. Of his unit, the Telegraph reported he was first to jump. "As I parachuted down, the noise became more overwhelming – machine-guns, shells and mortars," Todd told the Telegraph. "It wa...
Actor Charles Durning was among the thousands of Americans in the first wave that landed on Omaha Beach. For his service, Durning was awarded three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star for valor. "It was a crusade that changed the world," Durning told The Chicago Tribune of D-Day. "It was the greatest armada to hit any beach anywhere in the world, ever....
- Jenni Fink
- Dwight D. Eisenhower. Dwight D. Eisenhower speaks with U.S. troops in Normandy on July 8, 1944. Before he became the 34 U.S. President, Dwight D. Eisenhower served as the commander-in-chief of the Allied forces and played an integral role in planning the invasion, known as Operation Overlord.
- Henry Fonda. Lieutenant Henry Fonda during his military service in the summer of 1945. Although he was already 37, actor Henry Fonda enlisted in World War II in 1942, saying he “didn’t want to be a fake in the war studio.”
- Yogi Berra. Yogi Berra holds his bat before the start of a 1961 World Series game. He was best known as a catcher for the New York Yankees, but before his record-breaking career as a MLB star, Yogi Berra served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
- J.D. Salinger. The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger in 1951. Before he rose to fame thanks to The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger fought in World War II and helped invade Utah Beach on D-Day.
- Saving Private Ryan (1998) Stream on Paramount Plus. Saving Private Ryan boasts the most realistic and authentic depiction of D-Day ever committed to film, and it isn't close.
- Patton (1970) Rent on Vudu. Of course, Patton focuses on more than just the Normandy invasion. In many ways, this movie does the best job of tying together the entire European campaign, particularly because of the focus on General George S. Patton.
- Where Eagles Dare (1968) Rent on Vudu. Long before Clint Eastwood became one of Hollywood's best directors, he played Lt. Schaffer, an American Ranger thrown into a British operation to rescue General George Carnaby from the S.S., before he can divulge the secret plans regarding D-Day.
- The Longest Day (1962) Rent on Vudu. This is one film that focuses exclusively on D-Day as a central theme. With a runtime of almost 3 hours, it's no slouch and tries to tell the story from multiple perspectives, including numerous Allied and German soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower. Of all the veterans who participated in the fighting on D-Day, future President Dwight D. Eisenhower was probably the most famous.
- Yogi Berra. Before baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra was crushing baseballs and winning World Series and MVPs for the New York Yankees, he was fighting the Nazis at Normandy.
- J.D. Salinger. When the 4th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army made their assault on Utah Beach on June 6, 1944, they counted among their ranks a relatively unknown 25-year-old writer: J.D.
- John Ford. If you've watched any of the incredible footage of the D-Day invasion, you likely have at least one man to thank for it: John Ford. Prior to World War II, Ford had become known as an Oscar-winning director, and he was already a household name by the time he was called up to active duty in September 1941.
Jun 6, 2019 · 10 great films set on D-day. On the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings, here’s our guide to the cinematic incarnations of D-day. 6 June 2019. By Neil Mitchell.
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May 15, 2024 · The 16 Best D-Day Movies That Deserve To Land On Your Watchlist, as voted on by fans. Current Top 3: Where Eagles Dare, Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day ...
