1. WWII’s Sudden but Welcome End Spared Johnny Carson From Combat, but Not From Dealing With Combat’s Aftermath
Johnny Carson was sent to Columbia University, and after he completed his course, he was commissioned as an ensign in 1945. He was dispatched to the Pacific and assigned to the battleship USS Pennsylvania as a communications officer. Carson also took up amateur boxing while in the Navy, and ran up a 10-0 record, with most of the matches taking place aboard the Pennsylvania. He had been en route to the combat zone in August of 1945 when the war ended, so he saw no combat. However, he did see its aftermath: the Pennsylvania had been torpedoed just two days before he joined the ship.
The damaged vessel sailed to Guam for repairs, and as the newest and most junior officer, Carson was tasked with the removal of twenty dead sailors. When he reminisced about his naval experience, the star talk show host thought that the highlight of his naval career came when he performed a card trick for James Forrestal, the notoriously cantankerous Secretary of the Navy. Forrestal was amused, and the realization that he could entertain somebody so crabby boosted Carson’s confidence. After the war, he graduated college and then went to work for Red Skelton’s show as a TV writer. He eventually moved to New York City, became the host of The Tonight Show in 1962, and the rest is history.
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Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading
Corkery, Paul – Carson: The Unauthorized Biography (1987)
Doohan, James – Beam Me Up Scotty: Star Trek’s ‘Scotty’ in His Own Words (1996)
Encyclopedia Britannica – David Niven
Goldman, Albert Harry – Ladies and Gentlemen, Lenny Bruce! (1971)
Grunge – The Truth About Mel Brooks’ Time in World War II
History Collection – 10 Famous Americans Buried at Arlington National Cemetery
History Network – The French Resistance’s Secret Weapon? The Mime Marcel Marceau
Imperial War Museums – Five Film Stars’ Wartime Roles
Internet Movie Database – James Doohan Biography
Military Network – Famous Veterans: Johnny Carson
Military Network – Famous Veterans: Mel Brooks
National WWII Museum – Bea Arthur, US Marine
Niven, David – The Moon’s a Balloon: Reminisces (1986)
History Collection – Historic Figures Who Set Out to Save Jews From the Holocaust
Paris, Barry – Audrey Hepburn (1996)
SitRep – Mel Brooks Talks About His Combat Experience in WWII
Smoking Gun – Lenny Bruce’s Gay Naval Ruse
History Collection – These Tragic and Triumphant Teenagers Who Fought in World War II
US Department of Defense – Before Stage and Screen, Bea Arthur Shined as a Marine
Vintage News – Mel Brooks Fought in One of WWII’s Most Famous and Horrific Battles
War History Online – One of the Funniest Men Alive, Mel Brooks, Spent WWII Clearing Land Mines
War History Online – Star Trek Star Shot Two Snipers on D-Day and Was Shot Seven Times in WWII
History Collection – Famous People You Won’t Believe Are WWII Veterans