In God We Trust
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Boxer and US Army officer. Born Vladislovas Sabaliauskas in Lithuania, he was a professional boxer from 1929 to 1937, winning 31 of 33 fights. He served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, receiving multiple decorations that included the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, eight Bronze Stars, four Purple Hearts and three air medals. In Korea he served with the 187th RCT and 25th Infantry Regiment. He died August 9, 1993.
Author of military-related books and pioneer of New Journalism. He is best known for his reporting from the battlefields of Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan, He was also a contributor to Harper's, The Atlantic and The New Yorker, a contributing editor of Esquire, a writer, producer, and special correspondent for CBS News and its bureau chief in Spain. After graduating from Harvard he joined the Army Reserves in 1951 and went on active duty in Korea the next year as a Private First Class. He reported for Stars & Stripes in 1953. His literary career included over nine military-related books. He died March 27, 2004 in San Francisco at the age of 74.
Novelist James Salter was born June 10, 1925 in Passaic, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. Salter was his pen name; his birth name was James Arnold Horowitz. He was commissioned an officer in the Army Air Corps at the end of World War II. He returned to combat duties during the Korean War, flying 100 combat missions in an F-86 Sabre jet. He was credited with one kill. When the war ended, he was assigned to Germany. He gave up his career in the military to pursue a writing career. In 1957 he published his first novel, The Hunters, based on his experiences as a fighter pilot. The novel was sold to Hollywood and turned into a feature film story starring Robert Mitchum. Other novels by James Salter included A Sport and a Pastime, Light Years, and Solo Faces. Salter died June 19, 2015.
Award-winning academic and successful poet. Saner was born in 1929 in Jacksonville, Illinois. He graduated from St. Norbert College in Wisconsin in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Reserve Officers Training Corps commission as 2nd lieutenant in the Army. He was called to active duty in January 1951 and sent to the army's arctic survival school in Alaska. He was deployed to Korea in April 1952 where he served with the 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division until January 1953--six months of that time as a platoon leader. He received a Bronze Star and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. He was discharged in April 1953, received an MA from the University of Illinois in 1954 and a PhD in 1962. He was hired by the University of Colorado's English Department in 1962 and remained there.
Baseball player of note. "On a barnstorming trip to the United States, Santiago caught the eye of John Beckwith, manager of the Atlanta Black Crackers in '45. He played half the season with Atlanta before jumping to the Cubans, where he played short and second. Two years later, he became the first black Puerto Rican to play organized baseball, signing with the Stamford Bombers in the Continental League. Santiago's signing created opportunities in the United States for Minnie Minoso, Roberto Clemente and other men with dark skin and Latino blood. In 1951, Bill Veeck invited Santiago to training camp with the Indians, but he didn't go. Uncle Sam drafted him and sent him to Korea. After he returned, he continued to play in various leagues in the United States and outside. His play in his homeland, Puerto Rico, earned Santiago induction into the country's Hall of Fame in 1993."
Minor/major league baseball player. Born May 28, 1926 at Leslie, Missouri, Saucier was a right-fielder for the St. Louis Browns in 1951--the only year he was in the majors. He entered the Navy's V-12 program during World War II and served as a deck lieutenant on the USS Barnstable in the Philippines, Japan and China seas. In 1949 he received a Silver Slugger bat for having the highest batting average in professional baseball. In 1950 he was an outfielder in the St. Louis Browns system. Simultaneously he invested in a Texas oil well, which began producing 150 barrels a day in February 1951. He then quit baseball. Saucier was recalled to the Navy during the Korean War (1952) and was sent to the naval station at Pensacola, Florida.
Minor league hitter and major league baseball catcher. Carl was born November 4, 1927 in Shickshinny, Pennsylvania and died November 24, 1991 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a left-handed batter who threw right-handed. He was in the major leagues on the following teams: Chicago Cubs (1948, 1950 & 1953), Chicago White Sox (1954), Milwaukee Braves (1957-58), Philadelphia Phillies (1958-59), St. Louis Cardinals (1960-63). He reported for duty for a two-year stint in the Amy in 1951 at Camp Chafee, Arkansas, returning to baseball in 1953.
M.I.T. professor. Born March 05, 1928 in Zurich, Schein immigrated to the United States in 1938. He entered the U.S. Army's clinical psychology program, graduating with a PhD from Harvard in 1952. He then served in the Army until 1956. According to an M.I.T. article, "During his service, Schein interviewed American prisoners of war about indoctrination attempts conducted by Chinese captors fighting on behalf of North Korea during the Korean War. In a 2012 interview with Indiana University's Tobias Leadership Center, Schein said talking with ex-POWs brought him to the concept of coercive persuasion." Professor Schein died January 26, 2023 at the age of 94.
Born March 12, 1923 in Hackensack, New Jersey, Schirra graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1945. He flew 90 missions in the Korean War, downing a Russian MiG. He was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, flying in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs. He commanded Apollo 7 in October 1968. Schirra logged more than 295 hours in space. He helped to develop the Sidewinder air-to-air missile as a Navy test pilot. Wally Schirra died of a heart attack on May 2, 2007 in LaJolla, California.
American composer for musical theatre. He was born September 12, 1929 in Dallas, Texas. After studying art at the University of Texas he was drafted into the Army and served during the Korean War. After leaving the military he collaborated with Tom Jones [see Thomas Collins Jones entry on this page] in the longest-running musical in history, "The Fantasticks" and other well-known musicals. He died February 28, 2018.
Minor league ballplayer. Born in 1930, Michael Scivoletti enlisted in the Army and took basic training at Ft. Dix. He was then stationed at Ft. Monmouth, where he joined the base's 1949 Signaleer team as a second baseman. The Signaleers were third place in the All-Army Tournament that year. When not playing baseball, Scivoletti worked at the base radio station. He was TDY at Ft. Meade in 1951, but returned to Ft. Monmouth in time for the 1951 season. In 1953 Scivoletti played on the Crowley Millers ball team managed by Tony York, playing in the Evangeline League.
Cape Cod radio personality. He was the morning announcer for radio station WOCB AM/FM for twenty years. He hosted a jazz show, sports talk show, and other programs. Serpico was born in Montclair, New Jersey. He served in the army artillery during the Korean War (1952) and then served out his enlistment in radio. He died June 7, 2015.
First black chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Born September 06, 1930 in Salem, Virginia, Judge Shaw received his law degree in 1957 from Howard University, Washington, D.C. Shaw was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1960. He was appointed in 1983 and retired January 2003. During the Korean War he served as an artillery officer.
Known as the "father of middle-ear surgery", this legendary Memphis, Tennessee physician developed a revolutionary way to treat otosclerosis--a calcification of the stirrup bone in the inner ear that causes hearing loss. On May 1, 1956, he performed the first stapedectomy on a 54-year old patient to restore her hearing. A graduate of Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, he graduated in 1947 from Harvard Medical School. While there he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve. While in his residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, he was called up to serve in the Naval Medical Corps during the Korean War. Born September 4, 1924, he died February 08, 2015 at the age of 90.
Founder of The Sheridan Companies. This Baltimore native graduated from Johns Hopkins University and then served in the Korean War. In 1967 he purchased the Everybody's Poultry Magazine Publishing Company. In 1982 he changed the company name to The Sheridan Press, a world-class print and publishing services company. Champ Sheridan died August 7, 2013 in Vero Beach, Florida.
Actor, director, executive producer. Edwin Sherin began his acting career in the mid-1950s and then began directing in the 1960s. He directed 36 episodes of the television series Law and Order and was executive producer of 151 episodes of the same. He directed James Earl Jones on Broadway's "The Great White Hope." Born January 15, 1930 in Danville, Pennsylvania, he graduated in 1952 from Brown University with a degree in international relations. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy and saw combat as a gunner aboard the destroyer USS Twining. He left the Navy in 1955. Edwin Sherin died on May 4, 2017 in Lockeport, Nova Scotial Canada.
Actor and lawyer. George Shibata was born November 14, 1926 in Garland, Utah. He was the first Asian-American graduate of the United States Military Academy in the Class of 1951. He was commissioned in the USAF in 1951 and flew F-86 Sabres out of Taegu AFB during the Korean War. His acting debut was in the film Pork Chop Hill in 1959, Among other films, he also starred in The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960) and The Ugly American (1963). After military service he became a lawyer in California. He died May 20, 1987 in Huntington Beach, California.
This 3rd generation Asian-American was a well-known actor best known for his roles in the movies "Flower Drum Song" and "Midway", as well as his appearances in the television shows: Perry Mason, Hawaii Five-O, Mission Impossible, Ironsides, Kung Fu, Streets of San Francisco, The Love Boat, and Beverly Hills 90210. He is also known for his 1988 role in "Die Hard" as businessman Joseph Takagi. He served in the USMC from 1951-54, achieving the rank of Sergeant. He served with the 2nd Replacement Company during the Korean War. Born in Honolulu, he died July 28, 2014.
Minor League baseball player. Born in 1930, Shirk was serving in the military when he was killed in an auto accident at Perryville, Maryland, on May 20, 1953. [Source: Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania) Area School District website]
Gilbert "Gil" Shirk was one of the most elite athletes to come out of Lancaster County. At Elizabethtown, Gil excelled in football, basketball, and baseball and was named County All Star for all three sports. In the 1948-49 school year, he played a major role in helping EAHS capture the section title and the county championship in all three sports, a "Grand Slam", a first by any school in the county. A quarterback/halfback, a forward, and a catcher, he was hailed by his coach as one of "E-town's greatest all-around athletes." At championship games, crowds of thousands would turn out to watch him play. After high school, Gil was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers and played in New York and Colorado before being drafted into the Army. It is widely believed that had Gil not been tragically killed in an automobile accident he most certainly would have been a Major League baseball player, the first from E-town. In honor of his accomplishments, the Gil Shirk Memorial Trophy was dedicated in his memory to award junior athletes on their leadership, personality, athletic, and scholastic ability. Accepting the award for the late Gil Shirk was his sister, Dottie Little.
CBS reporter and later co-founder of Chagal Communications in Los Angeles, California. Siegal joined the Navy ROTC program at Pennsylvania University and then joined the US Navy as an Ensign during the Korean War. He first MC'd Armed Forces radio and television programs in Washington before being sent to Korea to gather radio and television data for the Navy. He covered the Inchon Invasion from a flagship off Wolmi-do, and that eye witness account was aired on the Edward R. Murrow show on CBS. He recorded war activities under combat conditions during the remainder of the war, including action on the road to Seoul after the Inchon Invasion, and coverage of the cease fire and truce negotiations at Kaesong and Panmunjom. After discharge from the Navy he became a reporter for CBS television. In Vermont he established a broadcast group that served the Montreal, Canada area. He moved to Los Angeles in 1970 and founded Chagal Communications with two Korean business partners. Chagal served the Korean community in particular. Jack Siegal died in July 2004 at the age of 75.
Famed poet, children's book author, composer. Born in Chicago in 1932, Shel Silverstein died May 10, 1999 at the age of 68. He was drafted into the Army in 1953 and signed up for the infantry. He was on his way to Korea when he got an interview with Stars & Stripes. He was hired as a map maker and layout man, but became one of the newspaper's most well-known (and controversial) cartoonists. After discharge in 1955, Shel Silverstein got a job as a staff cartoonist for Playboy magazine in 1956. He contributed to Playboy until 1998. He was the author of numerous children's books and became a poet. He was also a composer, particularly of country western songs. He wrote the lyrics to Johnny Cash's hit song, A Boy Named Sue. He authored The Giving Tree, Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Missing Piece, and The Light in the Attic, among numerous other books.
Left-handed pitcher for New York Yankees. Frank was born on October 4, 1929 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the son of Mr. and Mrs. L.R. Simanovsky. Known for an extraordinary knuckle-curveball, he played for the Kansas City Blues (1948), Grand Forks Chiefs (1949), Joplin Miners (1950), Iola Indians (1954), St. Petersburg Saints (1954), Tyler Tigers (1954) and Binghamton Triplets (1954). He spent the 1950 season as a teammate of Mickey Mantle at the Yankees' Class C farm club in Joplin, Missouri. He was the League's top pitcher with a 21-3 record, 16 complete games and a 3.13 ERA. This up and coming Yankees pitcher joined the Marine Corps and served in F-2-7 during the Korean War. He was injured in combat. After being discharged in 1954, he tried to make a comeback as a pitcher but his war injuries ended his professional baseball career. He retired from US Airways in 1992 after 25 years of service. He died January 18, 2004 in San Diego, California, survived by his widow Pat and daughters Anne Simanovsky and Lynn Jamison.
Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. He joined the National Guard in 1948. With just a month left in a successful baseball season, the Whiz Kids' Simmons was drafted to active duty when his guard unit was activated due to the Korean War on September 4, 1950. He left the team on September 9, 1950, and reported to duty at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He was given a 10-day leave without pay, but couldn't play in the World Series in which the Yankees beat the Phillies in four games. Simmons was stationed in Germany during his military service. He missed the 1951-52 baseball seasons, but earned a World Series title with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964.
Prolific country music songwriter associated with the Bakersfield Sound. Born on March 06, 1934 in Higley, Arizona, Red Simpson served on the hospital ship USS Repose during the Korean War. In down times he wrote songs and formed a country band called the Repose Ramblers. After discharge from military service he became famous for his country songs. Buck Owens and Merle Haggard recorded more than 40 of Simpson's songs. He later co-wrote songs with Buck Owens.
Actor in the Western series, "Larado", and the television series "Hawaii-Five-O". Smith served in the Air Force as an interrogator/translator because he could speak several languages, including Russian. He flew secret missions over Russia during the Korean War and had CIA and NSA clearance. Born March 24, 1933 in Columbia, Missouri, he has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.
American economist, social theorist, political philosopher and author. Born on June 30, 1930 in North Carolina, Sowell grew up in Harlem, New York. He dropped out of high school, and served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. He received a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1958 and a master's degree from Columbia University in 1959. In 1968, he earned his Doctorate in Economics from the University of Chicago. Because of his experience in photography, he became a Marine Corps photographer; he also trained Marines in .45-caliber pistol proficiency.
A child actor who played one of the Little Rascals in Our Gang shorts from 1927 to 1929, Spear's legal name was Harry Bonner. He was born December 16, 1921 and died September 22, 2006 in San Diego. He served as a chief petty officer in the Navy during World II, Korea, and Vietnam.
Founder of SAS Marine Services. Born on November 11, 1928 in Ft. Mill, South Carolina, Alfred Spinks joined the Navy at age 14 and served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He received the Bronze Star for valor. After his military service he founded SAS Marine Services. Among his life achievements was directing the search and investigation of the Challenger Shuttle accident in 1986. Alfred died on January 07, 2018.
Actor who appeared in the following television series in the 1960s: The Streets of San Francisco, The FBI, The Fugitive, Ben Casey, Gunsmoke, and the Donna Reed Show. Don Spruance was a tap dancer in Special Services at Ft. Ord in 1953. His name appears in a military biography about actor David Janssen's time at Ft. Ord. Spruance was born November 17, 1933 in San Francisco, CA.
Craftsman, designer, metallurgist, inventor. This Korean War veteran was renowned for his reproduction pewter plates from the colonial era. He was a designer of toys of all types for the former Hubley Toy Company, designing Mr. Magoo's car. He worked for Wilton Armetale, where he made a Presidential Seal for Air Force One. He created a prototype for one of the origin al IUD birth control devices. He also created a mood ring. A Korean War veteran of the US Navy, he served aboard the dock landing ship, USS White Marsh. Tom died September 04, 2012.
Corporate turnaround specialist. One of the top resort and hospitality executives in the world, Stevens ran multi-million dollar projects for the Howard Hughes organization and for oil tycoon Jack Wrather, founder of Disneyland Hotel Resort in Anaheim, California. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Stevens was a Regular Army officer in the Korean War. He was later assigned to direct one of the largest logistics bases in the Pacific theatre--a $400 million electronics supply operation.
Broadcaster turned governor. Born September 16, 1929 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he moved to the United States at age 19. Prior to that, by age 7 he was a gifted trumpet player who played solos in the Calgary Symphony. He enlisted in the US Armed Forces Broadcast Network and served in the Korean War. After the war he enjoyed a 38-year career in broadcasting and community television. He was co-owner of radio station KOJM. From 1959 to 1984 he wrote and broadcast radio editorials. He also had ownership interests in cable television stations. He served as a Republican senator from Havre, Montana, for 16 years and then in 1989 he became Montana's 20th governor. He retired from public life in 1993 and died April 3, 2021 in Kalispell, Montana.
Senator from Illinois; tank commander in Korea. Great-grandson of Vice President Adlai Ewing Stevenson, born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., October 10, 1930; attended grammar schools in Illinois and Milton Academy, Massachusetts; graduated from Harvard College in 1952, and from the law department of the same university in 1957; entered United States Marine Corps as a private in 1952, served as a tank platoon commander in Korea, discharged as a first lieutenant in 1954 and from the Reserves in 1961 with the rank of captain; law clerk to justice of Illinois Supreme Court 1957-1958; admitted to the bar in 1957 and commenced practice in Chicago, Ill.; member, Illinois house of representatives 1965-1967; treasurer, State of Illinois 1967-1970; elected in a special election on November 3, 1970, as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the unexpired term caused by the death of United States Senator Everett M. Dirksen; reelected in 1974, and served from November 17, 1970, to January 3, 1981; was not a candidate for reelection in 1980; chairman, Select Committee on the Senate Committee System (Ninety-fourth Congress), Select Committee on Ethics (Ninety-fifth and Ninety-sixth Congresses); resumed the practice of law; unsuccessful Democratic candidate for governor of Illinois in 1982 and 1986; discontinued practice of law in 1992; founded and served as chairman of investment banking firm of SCM Investment Management 1992-; is a resident of Hanover, IL.
Actor. First major actor to wear a military uniform in World War II. A decorated World War II veteran, Stewart served in the Air Force Reserves during the Korean War. He was an Air Force Commander at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in the early 1950s.
Pulitzer Prize winning author. Born June 11, 1925, Styron died November 1, 2006. He was made a Lieutenant in the Marine Corps, and he was scheduled ship out of San Francisco but the Japanese had surrendered by then. His was recalled for the Korean War and it prevented him from immediately accepting the Rome Prize but was discharged in 1952 for eye problems.
Cook County (Illinois) judge and city alderman. "Robert J. Sulski, 69, former Cook County Circuit Court judge and alderman of the 32nd Ward, died Wednesday in Swedish Covenant Hospital. A lifelong resident of the Northwest Side, Judge Sulski was elected alderman of the 32nd Ward in 1959. In 1968, he was elected to the Circuit Court. He retired in 1987. Judge Sulski attended St. Viator School and Lane Technical High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the John Marshall Law School. During World War II, Judge Sulski served in the Army and received the silver and bronze star. He served as a lieutenant during the Korean War. After the war, he was an assistant state`s attorney until his election as an alderman. Mr. Sulski is survived by a son, Stephen; two daughters, Karen White and Linda Basil; his father, Bernard Szulski; and one brother." [Source: Obituary]
Publisher of the New York Times. Born February 5, 1926, he died September 29, 2012. Sulzberger graduated from the Loomis Institute and then enlisted into the Marine Corps during World War II serving from 1944 to 1946, in the Pacific Theater. He served in the Leyte and Luzon campaigns in the Philippines and then became a jeep driver at Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters in Japan. He married Barbara Winslow Grant on July 2, 1948 in a civil ceremony at her parents' home in New York. He earned a B.A. degree in English and History in 1951 at Columbia University. As a member of the Marine Forces Reserve he was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. Following completion of officer training, he saw duty in Korea as a public information officer and then in Washington D.C. before being inactivated. He returned to civilian life in December 1952, holding the rank of Captain. He divorced Barbara Grant Sulzberger in 1956 and married Carol Fox Fuhrman in December 1956. She died in 1995. Arthur Sulzberger died in September 23012 at the age of 86.
Civil rights activist and lawyer who represented controversial figures such as Malcolm X in 1965. Sutton became the highest-ranking African-American elected official in New York City in 1966. He was the elected president of Manhattan borough, serving until 1977. He was influential as leader of the Harlem Clubhouse. Percy Sutton was born November 24, 1920 in San Antonio, Texas. He enlisted in the army in World War II, and served as an intelligence officer with the Tuskegee Airmen. He was discharged as captain. He then enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War and worked as an Air Force Intelligence Officer. He returned to civilian life in 1953. Sutton died December 26, 2009 at the age of 89.
Minor League ball player. He was serving in the US Army when he was killed in action in Korea on October 4, 1951.