In God We Trust
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One of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history. Was a Lieutenant Colonel in World War II and Korea (US Army).
Minor and major league baseball pitcher. Before serving in the army 1951-52, Larsen was a minor league player. After playing baseball for an army team in Hawaii, he was added to the St. Louis Brown's roster in 1953. He was a pitcher for the New York Yankees, winning two World Series titles. He pitched a perfect game in vvc Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Professional football player and politician. Born November 24, 1930 in Fort Worth, Texas, Yale was a football player for the Detroit Lions 1952-53 and 1956-64. He served in the ROTC at Texas A&M and was ordered to report for military duty in July of 1954. He was stationed at Fort Benning and was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army in Korea. After his military service was completed in May of 1956, he returned to the Detroit Lions. Before retiring from the NFL he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives 1959-63. He died in Fort Worth on May 11, 2017.
Radio producer, director and announcer for radio stations WBEZ, WAAS, and WIND, he was also host of the popular Dick Lawrence Revue on WNIB and WNIZ Radio Stations in Zion, Illinois. He also wrote for many popular radio personalities, including Arthur Godfrey, Danny Thomas, Arlene Francis and Groucho Marx. During the Korean War he worked on film and broadcast productions for the Army Department of Public Information. In the 1960s he won the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company Award for outstanding achievement for a syndicated feature for the National Safety Council. He died on March 20, 1992.
Minor League baseball pitcher. Born December 11, 1929 in Kewanee, Illinois, Corporal Lazar was serving in the US Army's 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division when he was killed by a sniper in Korea on September 7, 1951. He is buried in South Pleasant View Cemetery, Henry County, Illinois.
Quarterback for Washington Red Skins (1952-59) & the Dallas Cowboys in Texas. Born January 07, 1930, he was also a football announcer for CBS after the end of his football career. He was a 1st Lieutenant in 1-7 Marines, Korea. He was wounded twice and was the recipient of a Bronze Star. He was on Hill 673 in Korea. "Quarterback Eddie LeBaron, who stood just 5'7", was often referred to as the "Littlest General." The citation, however, was as much in praise of his leadership skills and military record as it was about his stature. LeBaron, a college football sensation at the University of Pacific, accepted a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps in August of 1950, and spent nine months in Korea, seven of which were on the front line, where he was twice wounded. In a hard-fought battle at Korea's Heartbreak Ridge, LeBaron, left cover under heavy fire to contact the forward observation post of a mortar platoon, in sight of the enemy. After an assaulting rifle platoon in his area lost its commander, he took charge and resumed the attack. For his heroic efforts, he was awarded the Bronze Star. The NFL's Rookie of the Year in 1952, LeBaron led the league in passing in 1958 and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection during his 11-year career with the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. He later served as the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons (1977-1982) and the team's executive vice president/chief operating officer (1982-1985)." Source: Pro-Football Hall of Fame website.
First Asian-American to win an Olympic gold medal for the USA. He was a diver. Born August 1, 1920 in Fresno, California, he earned an Olympic bronze medal in the 3-meter springboard competition and a gold medal in the 10-meter platform diving events at the 1948 summer Olympics in London. He attended Occidental University and then he joined the Army Reserve to pay for his tuition at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. He graduated with an MD in 1947. During the Korean War he was a major in the US Army Medical Corps, but was sent to compete in the 1952 Olympic games in Helsinki, Finland. He later coached Olympic medalists. In Korea he served in the US Army Medical Corps (1953-55) at the 121st Evacuation Hospital in Yong Dong Po, Korea, as an ear, nose and throat physician. He was discharged from the Army in 1955. Dr. Lee died December 02, 2016.
Lawyer for Howard Hughes, Walt Disney Company, and others. He worked for the CIA, was an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and was a trial lawyer in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy and was a lieutenant in the Navy on destroyers during the Korean War. Leisure died August 25, 2003.
Golfer with 12 PG tour victories. Lema was born February 25, 1934 in Oakland, California, son of Anthony Harry and Clotilda (Cleo) Lema. Lema enlisted in the US Marine Corps at the age of 17 in 1952. He served four years in the USMC, with duty as an artilleryman in Korea as the war ended. He spent most of his 11 months overseas playing golf in Japan. He was discharged from active duty in 1955. Lema was in the Marine Reserves from 1956-1958. He married his wife Betty Cline on April 28, 1963. The next year he won the British Open. On July 24, 1966, while en route to a one-day golf tournament in Crete, Illinois, the twin-engine Beechcraft Bonanza he was riding in crash landed at Lansing, Illinois. Lema, his wife Betty, the pilot, and a passenger were all killed. Lema is buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Heyward, California.
Harlem Globetrotter also known as the "Clown Prince of Basketball". Born in Wilmington, North Carolina on April 25, 1932, Lemon was attending Florida A&M university when he was drafted into the US Army in 1952. He took basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and then spent the remainder of his military career in Austria stationed in Salzburg. While there he auditioned for the Harlem Globetrotters, which resulted in a 40-game contract for a European Globetrotters tour. He became an actual Globetrotter in 1955 and stayed with the team for 24 years. He died in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of 83 on February 27, 2015. He was survived by his wife and ten children.
Minor League baseball player. Born October 25, 1929 in Richmond, California, PFC Leneve was serving with 1/7 Marines when he was killed in action in Korea on December 2, 1950 at the Changjin (Chosin) Reservoir. He played baseball in the California league in 1948 for the Stockton Ports and the Visalia Cubs. His grave marker is in Arlington National Cemetery.
Minor League baseball player. [Source: Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice.com]. Jack C. Leonard was born on November 25, 1930 in Chattanooga, TN, where he attended Central High School. A star pitcher in the Chattanooga Times Twilight League, Leonard signed with the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Class AA Southern Association in 1949, making just a few brief appearances. In 1950, he joined the Fulton Railroaders of the Class D Kitty League and posted an impressive 11-4 won-loss record in 26 appearances. A promising start wasn't given the opportunity to progress as military service intervened with the progression of the Korean War. Serving with the United States Air Force, Airman Second Class Leonard was at Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile, Alabama, when he met Miss Evelyn Richardson. They married on July 7, 1952 at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Not long afterwards, Jack Leonard was diagnosed with leukemia which claimed his life at the Maxwell Air Force Base Hospital in Mobile, Alabama, on September 15, 1953. He was just 22 years old. Thanks to Lisa Barganier for her help with this biography.
Creator of Hasbro's G.I. Joe action figure (based on a concept of "outfitted action figures" created by Stanley Weston) and the Kenya doll series. Raised in Forest Hills, Queens, and Great Neck, Long Island, Levine attended Syracuse University where he got a degree in business administration. He was drafted into the Army and participated in the Inchon Landing in September of 1950 with an army infantry unit. After discharge he tried various business adventures before going to work for Hasbro in 1959. By 1963 Levine was vice president and director of marketing and development for Hasbro Toys. G.I. Joe was created by Levine in 1963 and released to the public in 1964. G.I. Joe has now netted over $500 billion in worldwide sales. In an interview with the 700 Club, Levine said, "For almost two years I served in the Korean War and the word ‘heroes' became very important to me," Don said. "Men I served with insured that I came home safely, and so I wanted to create a line called ‘GI Joe - A Real American Hero' in order to recognize and appreciate my life, because of those military heroes; and incidentally are still our Heroes around the world today!" Donald Levine left Hasbro in 1975 to form his own successful toy development company. He developed "Kenya"--one of the best selling dolls in the world. The doll is particularly marketed to African-American girls. Levine and John Michlig co-authored the book, "GI Joe: The Story Behind the Legend; An illustrated history of America's greatest fighting man".
Public speaker, author, talk show host, and actor, G. Gordon Liddy worked for the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover. Serving President Richard Nixon's administration, he helped organize and direct the infamous Watergate burglary of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters in 1972. The scandal resulted in the resignation of President Nixon. Born November 30, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, Liddy graduated from Fordham University in 1952 and then enlisted in the United States Army. He served for two years as an artillery officer during the Korean War, but remained stateside for medical reasons.
Legendary stuntman on film and television westerns. Born August 15, 1933 in Texas, Lilley grew up in California. He was a horseback extra on the "Durango Kid" films at age 14. During the Korean War he served in the US Navy. From 1959 to 2001, he earned numerous film credits for appearances on movies such as "Cat Ballou", "Support Your Local Sheriff", "Blazing Saddles", "Planet of the Apes", and more. He also has television credits for shows such as "Cheyenne", "Zorro", "Wild Wild West", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Have Gun Will Travel", "Rawhide", "The Virginian", "Bonanza" and more He doubled for Victor French on the television series "Little House on the Prairie" from 1974 until 1983. After retiring as an actor/stunt performer, he became owner of the Movin On livestock company. His company supplies animals, wagons, harnesses, saddles, and authentic tack for movies.
Actor, musician, television director. Hal Linden was born Harold Lipshitz on March 20, 1931 in New York, New York. Raised in The Bronx, Linden attended the High School of Music and Art and went on to study music at Queens College, City University of New York. He later enrolled in Baruch College and then City College of New York where he received a Bachelor of Arts in business. During his youth, Linden aspired to be a big band bandleader. Before embarking on a career in music, he decided to change his name stating, "'Swing and Sway with Harold Lipshitz' just didn't parse." He decided on the name Hal Linden, after seeing the name on the water tower while passing through Linden, New Jersey." During the 1950s, he toured with Sammy Kaye, Bobby Sherwood, and other big bands of the era. Linden played the saxophone and clarinet and also sang. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1952 where he was sent to Fort Belvoir and played in the United States Army Band. While in Fort Belvoir, a friend recommended that he see the touring production of Guys and Dolls playing in Washington, D.C. After seeing the show, Linden decided to become an actor. He was discharged in 1954. He is well-known for his role as Barney Miller in the television series Barney Miller.
Character actor (Goober) on the television series, the Andy Griffith Show.
Veteran character actor and north Alabama native George Lindsey (1928-2012) achieved his most lasting fame playing the character of Goober Pyle on television's The Andy Griffith Show. In addition to that role, Lindsey performed on the stage and screen and lent his distinctive voice to numerous cartoon and animated film characters. Although he left Alabama after graduating from college, Lindsey was active in charitable and cultural events in the state throughout his professional life, including establishing the George Lindsey Academic Scholarships at his alma mater, the University of North Alabama. In appreciation of his life and work, the university hosts an annual George Lindsey/UNA Film Festival each spring.
Lindsey was born in the midst of the Great Depression on December 17, 1928, in Fairfield, Jefferson County, to George Ross and Alice Smith Lindsey. His father had difficulty in keeping a job, and his mother suffered from the bone disease osteomyelitis. When George, an only child, was an infant, the family moved to Jasper, Walker County, where he was raised largely by his grandparents. As a boy, Lindsey displayed a keen sense of humor and comedic timing, and he spent many afternoons watching films in his local theater. He first became interested in acting after seeing the musical Oklahoma! in Birmingham at age 14. Lindsey also excelled at football during high school. Upon graduating, he entered Walker Junior College in Jasper, transferred to Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri, and finally transferred to Florence State Teachers College (now the University of North Alabama) after winning a football scholarship as quarterback of the school's Lions. Lindsey also began participating in the school's theater productions, deepening his interest in acting.
After graduating in 1952 with a bachelor's degree in secondary education and physical education, Lindsey enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in Orlando, Florida, as a recreation director at Pinecastle Air Force Base. While there, Lindsey produced variety shows, performed stand-up comedy, and acted in local theater. He also met his future wife, Joyanne Herbert, in Orlando, with whom he would have two children. Lindsey was discharged in 1956, and the couple returned to Alabama, where Lindsey took a position as a teacher and basketball coach at Hazel Green High School outside Huntsville. In the late 1950s, Lindsey and his wife moved to New York City. There, Lindsey enrolled in acting classes at the American Theater Wing and studied under legendary actress and teacher Helen Hayes.
In addition to acting, Lindsey pursued training in voice and speech, ballet, and other activities relating to the dramatic arts. He was so successful in his studies and classwork that he earned the lead role in the culminating play of the program. After graduation, Lindsey landed small parts in local theaters and performed in comedy clubs and dinner theaters. His career began to take off when he won major roles in the off-Broadway musicals All-American and Wonderful Town. Lindsey stayed on with the touring company of the latter production, and when it closed in San Francisco in 1962, he decided to go to Los Angeles to pursue roles in television.
After signing with the powerful William Morris Agency, Lindsey appeared in small parts on several television shows, including The Rifleman and the Twilight Zone, and he appeared in the film Ensign Pulver in 1964. That same year, he won the role of Goober Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show. Despite his previous efforts to improve his voice and lose his southern accent, Lindsey ironically took on the persona of an uneducated "yokel," a role that would define much of his film and television work for the remainder of his professional career. Lindsey had originally tried out for the part of Gomer Pyle, which went to fellow Alabamian Jim Nabors, and Lindsey's character was written in three years after the show premiered as Gomer's cousin. Goober became a popular character on the show, and Lindsey attracted attention and appreciation from fans back in Alabama by mentioning people and places from his home state on the show.
After a successful eight-year run, The Andy Griffith Show was cancelled in 1968. Many of the actors associated with the show, including Lindsey, simply moved their characters to a new series, Mayberry R.F.D., which starred Ken Berry in the lead role. The series ran for three years, and Goober Pyle remained a central figure in Mayberry's civic and social life. His popularity helped Lindsey continue his career after the series was cancelled in 1971. That same year, he recorded a comedy album entitled Goober Sings! The recording brought him to the attention of the producers of the hit country-themed variety show Hee Haw, where Lindsey would spend the next 20 years as a cast member.
In addition to his television work, Lindsey lent his voice to a number of animated Disney characters, most notably in The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973), and The Rescuers (1977), which also featured characters voiced by fellow Alabamian Pat Buttram. He also played guest roles on such series as M*A*S*H and Banacek and appeared in the films Take This Job and Shove It (1981) and The Cannonball Run II (1984), among others.
Although Lindsey lived in the Nashville area for most of his life, he maintained close ties to his north Alabama home. A strong supporter of the Special Olympics, Lindsey helped raise more than $1 million for the program in Alabama through the George Lindsey Celebrity Weekend and Golf Tournament, established in 1971. The event was held annually for 17 years in Montgomery and also raised $50,000 for the Alabama Association of Retarded Citizens. Always interested in supporting the arts, Lindsey helped to establish the George Lindsey/University of North Alabama Television and Film Festival in 1998. Events during the weeklong festival include screenings, panel sessions with industry professionals, and competitions for such categories as professional feature documentaries, feature screenplay, and young filmmaker. Lindsey earned a number of awards for his achievements and philanthropy over the years. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and in 1995 received the Governor's Achievement Award from the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. The state of Alabama named a section of Birmingham's Highway 78 as the "George Lindsey Highway." He was the 2007 recipient of the first ICON Award presented by the Nashville Associations of Talent Directors. Lindsey died on May 6, 2012, in Nashville.
Source: "https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/george-lindsey/"
Dartmouth ski team star who went on to have a long and influential career in the sport. Born July 21, 1917, in Lisbon, Maine, he joined the 10th Mountain Division and was sent to Italy in 1944 during World War II. He received a Bronze Star for valor. After the war he joined Friedl Pfeifer and Percy Rideout as co-director in the newly founded Aspen Ski School. He was also an original director of the Aspen Ski Company. In 1945 he opened Aspen's famous Red Onion Restaurant. He later became chief instructor and executive director of Sun Valley Ski School. When the Korean War broke out, he was recalled to active duty and served as an intelligence officer at the Pentagon.
Ragtime keyboard artist on the Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1959, Tiny Little was a BARman in the National Guard before joining the Air Force during the Korean War. His tour of duty took him to the Far East. He was born August 31, 1930, in Worthington, Minnesota and died March 03, 2010, in Carson City, Nevada. His father was a famous musician and band leader. After leaving the Welk Show, he recorded over 45 albums and was a regular on television music and variety shows. He performed in USO shows in Vietnam in 1966. He also performed at Ronald Reagan's presidential inaugural ball in 1985. In 2004 he began a tour with other Welk alumni on the Live Lawrence Welk Show. He was the father of eight children.
Father of actress Heather Locklear, William was a Colonel in the Marine Corps who served in the Korean War.
Major league baseball pitcher. Born December 13, 1929, Billy Loes died July 15, 2010. He spent 11 seasons in major league baseball: Brooklyn Dodgers (1950, 1952-56), Baltimore Orioles (1956-59) and San Francisco Giants (1960-61). He missed one season in 1951 due to military service in the Army. He was ordered to report for induction on February 16, 1951. Stationed stateside, he received an early discharge on October 19, 1951, as a hardship case.
USMA Class of 1945. From St. Louis, MO. He was the Captain & Quarterback of the undefeated 1944 Army Football Team. He was KIA while serving as Company Commander of Item Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, on September 24, 1950, during the fighting near Ch'ogye, South Korea.
Actor. Born December 17, 1927, in Chicago. Died December 21, 1974. Served at Ft. Ord during the Army in the early 1950s during the Korean War. Special Services. His first film role was in "Tomorrow is Forever" starring Claudette Colbert and Orson Wells. He then had leading roles in The Big Valley (Jarrod Barkley), Nanny and the Professor, and Bourbon Street Beat.
Country music singer. Born July 7, 1927, in Section, Alabama, Charlie's birth name was Charlie Elzer Loudermilk. He served as an auto mechanic in the Army Air Corps at the end of World War II (1945-late 1946) and was recalled for duty in the Army during the Korean War in June 1953. He served in Korea for ten months beginning in December 1953 to 1954. He was in the 24th Infantry Division in the Army Post Office on Koje-do island where prisoners were held. He and Jesse McReynolds, who was also a country western artist serving in the Army on Koje-do, played in a group called "The Dusty Roads Boys". In the autobiography, "Satan is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers," Charlie provides details and opinions about his time in the Korean War. After discharge, Charlie and his brother Ira had 11 hit singles between 1956 and 1963. In 1963 Charlie and his brother Ira wrote and recorded the song, "From Mother's Arms to Korea". Charlie and Ira first performed in 1942 as "The Radio Twins" (they were not twins). On November 9, 2010, their new 12-track studio record, "The Battles Rage On" (inspired by Charlie's military service) was released. The record is a tribute to the men and women in service. The Louvin Brothers also recorded, "Weapon Through Prayer", a song encouraging a home front effort through prayer. Charlie and Ira were made members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Charlie died January 26, 2011.
Producer of the syndicated television series Hee Haw. Lovullo was born September 30, 1928, in Buffalo, New York and died January 03, 2017. He attended Manual Arts High School, Los Angeles City College, and UCLA (receiving a degree in accounting and finance). He served in the US Army during the Korean War. He produced 86 episodes of Hee Haw.
Actor and professional basketball player. He was born November 2, 1928, in East Harlem, New York and died July 7, 2002, in California. In 1953-54 James was a guard on the Baltimore Bullets basketball team. During his acting career James was most known for his role as policeman Lt. Doug Chapman in the 1970s TV series Rockford Files and was Chuley Carr in the Sporting Chance segment of The Rifleman. He served in the US Army during the Korean War.