I'll bet you didn't know......

[bethandkevin]

WHY MR. ROGERS WORE
A SWEATER?



Captain Kangaroo passed away on January 23, 2004 at age 76 , which is odd,
because he always looked to be 76. (DOB: 6/27/27 )
His death reminded me of the following story.

Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin,
is buried in a grave alongside 3 and 4-star generals at
Arlington National Cemetery His marker gives his name,
rank (PVT) and service (USMC). Nothing else.
Here's a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time,
why the heck does he rate burial with these guys?
Well, following is the amazing answer:

I always liked Lee Marvin, but didn't know the extent
of his Corps experiences.

In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country
in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they
were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform
for the cameras in war bond promotions,
Lee Marvin was a genuine hero.
He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima There is only one
higher Naval award... the Medal Of Honor!

If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man,
he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery.

Dialog from "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson":
His guest was Lee Marvin....
Johnny said,"Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware
that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima ..
and that during the course of that action you earned
the Navy Cross and were severely wounded."


"Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the bottom and they gave me
the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi.
Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting
shot hauling you down. But, Johnny, at Iwo , I served under
the bravest man I ever knew... We both got the Cross the same day,
but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison.
That dumb guy actually stood up on Red beach and directed his
troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach..
Bullets flying by, with mortar rounds landing everywhere and he
stood there as the main target of gunfire so that he could get his
men to safety. He did this on more than one occasion because
his men's safety was more important than his own life.

That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought
me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and
passed it to me, lying on my belly on the litter and said,
"Where'd they get you Lee?" "Well Bob....
if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse!"


Johnny, I'm not lying, Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man
I ever knew.
The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan.
You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo."






On another note, there was this wimpy little man
(who passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet.. Mr. Rogers is
another of those you would least suspect of being anything
but what he now portrays to our youth.
But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in

Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name.
He wore a long-sleeved sweater on TV, to cover the many
tattoos on his forearm and biceps.
He was a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat,
able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat


After the war Mr. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister

and therefore a pacifist. Vowing to never harm another human and also dedicating the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life... He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm..

America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy.
Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst.
Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened.

Take the time to thank anyone that has fought for our freedom. With encouragement they could be the next Captain Kangaroo or Mr. Rogers..

[Glenn the fifth]

Although I am not sure about Lee Marvin and Captain Kangaroo, the urban legend about Mr. Rogers being a Navy Seal and/or Marine sniper have been proven to be incorrect time and again. This is one excerpt from his biography:

"After graduating from Rollins College in Florida with a degree in music in 1951, he immediately embarked on a broadcasting career — a career that continued uninterrupted for nearly 50 years, even while he studied for a Bachelor of Divinity degree, eventually becoming an ordained minister in 1962. Far from hiding a secret past as a trained killer, Fred Rogers was a truly gentle soul who devoted his entire adult life to educating and bettering the lives of children, and as such he deserves to be remembered."

Great guy that did a lot of great things, but not a Navy Seal.

[BB_TX]

Unfortunately the Lee Marvin and Bob Keeshan stories are also not true as reported by snopes.com and other web sites.

But those who served (but not necessarily fought) do deserve thanks for their service to our country.

[bethandkevin]

True story or not, it should serve to illustrate that we really don't know what the stranger next to us may have endured. I'm sure there are many of you here.....Thank you for your service. Those of you that can, please share your experiences that you can with those that you love. They will pass it along long after you are gone. I still remember some of the stories my dad told of others that sacrificed much.

[richfaa]

Those stories about those folks have been around for a very long time.
Lee Marvin was a marine in WWII and was wounded but it was Saipan.

Bob Keeshan was also a Marine during WWII but never left the States.

Mr Rogers graduated High School in 1946 and never served in the Military

[Tom S.]

Some urban legends just refuse to die. That's why I check Snopes.com before posting or forwarding emails like this. 9 times out of 10, they turn out false.

[Hooker]

Also, Lee Marvin is in Arlington.

Check him out: http://arlingtoncemetery.net/lmarvin.htm

[gkidsdlite]

If you want a true war hero to read about, check out a book or two on Audie Murphy! When I was in high school we were given the opportunity to do a book report on anyone that we wanted to, so I chose him. I know a lot of his movies were a stereotype of his war experiences but I was really impressed that one of my favorite actors really "walked the walk" so to speak! I am sure there are others and everyone has a story and most will not tell it for whatever reasons!

[Recumbent]

One of my favorite heroes is Alvin York, he lived about 60 miles from us and was in later life a farmer and sunday school teacher. The York's were in financial distress from farming loses and the expenses of raising a very large family (10 kids I think) during the depression. They were able to pay off their mortgage on the farm from the sale of their story (movie rights) in 1939. My parents liked Gary Cooper so much in that movie roll that they decided to give a similar name to one of their sons. I believe the family still keeps the house open for tours.

[Artemus Gordon]

Urban myths take on a life of their own! Great stories, but proof, don't believe what you read, without doing a search! Almost as good as Mr.Green Jeans being Frank Zappas father?

[Rainer]

I hate to say it, but I am offended when folks repost bogus stuff they received from a buddy, believing it to be factual.

Before reposting stuff, take a minute to determine with it's true or not. Snopes.com is a great place to start.

That being said, I wish this entire thread were deleted, because it tends to continually ridicule the original poster.

Sure, all of us make mistakes, but by deleting posts like this, these mistakes aren't perpetrated.

It's just a good example of a bad example. . .