Trivia - GREAT READ!!!! Who'da thought!!!
Captain Kangaroo turned 75 recently, which
is odd, because he's never looked a day under 75
(birthday 6/27/27).
Some people have been a bit offended that
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? And
what does that have to do with Captain Kangaroo?
Well, following is the amazing answer.
Most people don't know or don't remember
the extent of his Corps experience. 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. Here is an
excerpt of dialog from The Tonight Show with Johnny
Carson, when 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. 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?'
I said "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 . . .
Sergeant Bob Keeshan. . . you and the world
know him as Captain Kangaroo."
