Happy Veterans Day, 2023 -- Ernest Borgnine -- November 11, 2023

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Actor Ernest Borgnine Happy Veterans Day, everyone.

Actor Ernest Borgnine enlisted in the US Navy in 1935 and was honorably discharged in October, 1941. After Pearl Harbor, he reenlisted. He served on antisubmarine patrols until he was discharged again in 1945. I couldn't find a photo taken while he was in the Navy, but I did find one from his time portraying Captain Quintin McHale.

In interviews, he always sounded like a wonderful grandfather or uncle. In movies, he often played murderous villains. I first remember seeing him in reruns of McHale's Navy. Then I saw him in Emperor of the North Pole. Then The Dirty Dozen, then Marty, then The Wild Bunch, then Bad Day at Black Rock. I was confused about him, but I always knew he was a good actor, who wasn't afraid to open the throttle.

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Bad Day at Black Rock -- November 11, 2022

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Happy Veterans Day, everyone. In Bad Day at Black Rock, a streamliner stops in the high desert town of Black Rock. This is the first time the streamliner has stopped there in four years. Spencer Tracy, playing one-armed John J Macreedy, steps down from the train. Everyone in the village is showing signs of paranoia. Macreedy wants to give the Japanese-American father of a friend a medal that his son had earned. Macreedy learns what had happened in the town and does something about it. Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin gave great performances as bad guys in small roles.

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During World War Two, director John Sturges served as a commissioned officer making films for the US Army Air Force.

Spencer Tracy volunteered for the US Navy during the First World War, but the war ended before he finished training. He was honorably discharged in 1919. 

During World War Two, Robert Ryan joined the US Marine Corps and served as a Drill Instructor. 

Ernest Borgnine served in the US Navy before the war. He reenlisted after Pearl Harbor and served throughout the war. 

Lee Marvin served in the USMC and was badly wounded on Saipan. 

From Here to Eternity -- December 7, 2020

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79 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

From Here to Eternity was directed by Fred Zinnemann and based on the novel by James Jones. The film is set in the time leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Much of the film was shot on location in Schofield Barracks. Montgomery Clift played a Regular Army lifer. Burt Lancaster played his friend. Ernest Borgnine played a sadistic jailer. The movie climaxes with the attack on Pearl Harbor.  

Ernest Borgnine 100 -- January 24, 2017

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Actor Ernest Borgnine would have been 100 years old today.  In interviews, he always sounded like a wonderful grandfather or uncle.  In movies, he often played murderous villains.  I first remember seeing him in reruns of McHale's Navy.  Then I saw him in Emperor of the North Pole.  Then The Dirty Dozen, then Marty, then Bad Day at Black Rock.  I was confused about him, but I always knew he was a good actor, who wasn't afraid to open the throttle. 

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