Captain Kangaroo passed
away on January 23, 2004 as age 76, which is odd, because he always looked to
be 76. (DOB: 6/27/27.) It 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.
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.
During a dialog on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson", Johnny's 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..." Lee replied. " 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.
"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
also 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.
Forwarded by Verna Brown