I Never Saw This One Before

[Jimbo]

Sort of long, but worht the read.
Captain Kangaroo turned 76 recently, which is odd, because he's never looked a day under 76.
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 did not 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 ass 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 gettin' 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. The dumb bastard actually stood up on Red Beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. Bullets flying by and mortar rounds landing every where and he stood there as the main target of gun fire 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 just 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 sleeve sweater on his show to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. 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 dedicating his life to helping children on the right path in life. He hid the tattoos and his past life away 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

[chris L]

thats a good read . the bravest never think what they did was special , " just doing my job " . I had heard about " the Capt " before but never in detail and I am some what surprised about Fred Rogers tattos and all . Just goes to show ya , you never know who the real heros are !

[BigFish]

Great thread Jimbo, very enlightening.

[Jimbo]

Sorry, folks. Someone else I know traced this one on one of those hoax sites. Marvin was in the Marines but not wounded at Iwo Jima and Keesham didn't even join the Marines until after the A-Bomb was dropped. I hate the losers who perpetrate this stuff. I just can't see the point.

[beachwalker]

Jeez Jimbo,

I had NO idea. I knew Fred Rogers well enough to say hello and give him a fishing report from Smiths Point. He had a house about 100 yds from the access point and one day our paths crossed and we struck up some conversation about the beach and fishing and the like. He was always very keeny interested in my comments about how they fed and swam, what they ate and what the time and tide was when I was out there. He always knew the exact, current tide and more amazingly the EXACT lag which was occuring that day. Pretty incredible since I NEVER saw him in the water or tacking a cast. Some neighbors told me he would often swim in Madaket Harbor which his property abeached (hmm, that might be a new word ?).
He loved walking that beach and from his quiet, friendly demeanor I always left feeling that I was blessed to meet people like that in this crazy world of ours. And to think what an integral part of the defense of our ways he was !

Thank you for this and I have a great feeling inside recalling the conversations we had right up to his last season.

[Jimbo]

Beachwalker, again, I feel bad for putting something out there that I did not validate. I guess that's what the person who made up these stories wanted in the end, for some unsuspecting person like me to feel bad about sending out a heartwarming story which plain and simply wasn't true. People who do things like this suck and I wish them all a rusty treble hook right in the corner of their eye.

Here's some links to information regarding those claims.

http://www.snopes.com/military/keeshan.htm

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-mr-rogers.htm

[beachwalker]

Ouch,

Oh man. Well at least I didn't open up my contentment with anyone else on that yet. Whew.........

But Fred really was a piece of work and he did know and have a love for the sea so that's good enough for me.

And anyone else for that matter

Thanks for the update.

Reminds a person to: Think first to understand and then be understood.

But what the hell do you do if the unfo erroneous ?

[HighTide]

Well Jimbo, there goes your credibility

[Jimbo]

Did I have any to begin with?