The actor, James Maitland “Jimmy” Stewart needs little introduction. Perhaps the most popular movie star of his era; on the eve of World War II, he had already claimed his fame through movies like “The Philadelphia Story” which won him an Oscar and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Stewart was also a pilot with a commercial license who owned his own airplane. In 1940, he was drafted but flunked the exam because he weighed less than what his six-foot four height demanded. He enlisted the following year as a private and was commissioned as an officer in the USAAF at age 33.
Stewart angled for a combat assignment. Needless to say, he met heavy resistance from his studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who weren’t about to see their cash cow go down in flames. Stewart’s pay as a flight officer was $21 a month, about $12,000 ($238,500 today) less monthly than what MGM paid him. The brass complied by assigning Stewart to stateside flight instructor duty but he raised hell to get himself transferred to the 445th Bomb Group stationed in England. There, he flew 20 combat missions as the commander of the 703rd Bombardment Squadron which used the B-24 Liberator, a big four-engine, twin-tailed beast that resembled a truck compared to the more graceful B-17.
As I wrote years ago when honoring Colrain USAAF veteran Walt Schneider, missions with the Eighth Air Force were perilous affairs where your life expectancy dropped precipitously. After Stewart was promoted out off the 445th, it suffered in one day the worst losses of any other American aerial group in the war.
As squadron commander, Stewart never lost a crewman during his 20 missions. By all accounts, he was well-liked and respected by his comrades. His aw-shucks, down-home-boy persona wasn’t some Hollywood affectation but the real thing. Stewart was a quiet and low-key presence who regularly played the piano at the officer’s club dances. He deliberately skipped all the “Milk Runs” as easy missions against undefended targets were called for more dangerous flights, much to the annoyance of his higher-ups. On his days off, he rented a small wooden boat with a friend, listening to swing music on a portable radio as they floated along. After promotion to group operations officer, which took him out of combat duty, he nevertheless helped provide morale and comfort to bomber crews who were suffering debilitating PTSD after surviving catastrophic missions. A fellow group commander observed that “He had tremendous rapport with the men — that languid, humorous way he had of settling them down in some pretty stressful situations.” By the end of the war, Stewart had risen from the rank of private to colonel and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters and the French Croix de Guerre with palm. He served in the Air Force Reserve as a brigadier general until retirement in 1968 when he was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal.
There have been several unsubstantiated claims that Stewart suffered such severe PTSD that he was plagued by nightmares and almost grounded during his service. While these allegations have been discounted, I would think that even if surviving physical injury, the mental and psychic toll of 20 combat missions would be difficult to avoid. Some biographers have suggested that the anguish expressed by his character George Bailey in the 1946 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” may have found its roots in Stewart’s combat service.
Nowadays, it’s impossible to imagine a famous movie star, athlete or politician giving up their careers to serve in the military. Red Sox legend Ted Williams interrupted his stellar reign as the “Splendid Splinter” to fly with the Marines in both World War II, where he did basic training at Turners Falls airport, and Korea, flying combat missions with astronaut John Glenn as his wingman. Matinee idol Clark Gable flew several combat missions while Yankees phenom, Joe DiMaggio spent his service career stationed stateside although he applied for combat duty. His Sicilian immigrant parents, however, were classified as “Enemy aliens.”
Despite being a lifelong Republican conservative, Jimmy Stewart lobbied for gun control after the assassination of Bobby Kennedy and supported public education. His stepson, Ronald lost his life in the Vietnam War. He and Henry Fonda were lifelong friends despite Fonda being a liberal Democrat. After a highly publicized (and perhaps apocryphal) fistfight in 1947, they agreed to never again discuss politics together which ensured their enduring friendship.
But that was a bygone era.
Daniel A. Brown lived in Franklin County for 44 years and currently lives outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife, Lisa and dog, Cody.