# Hollywood legend Paul Newman dead at 83



## syscom3 (Sep 27, 2008)

> Usually I post obituary's in the proper thread. But for this gentleman, I am making an exception. Not many people know he was a naval aviator in WW2. His legendary status as an actor AND his involvement in charitable work distinguishes him from the crap that is currently walking around Hollywood these days.



You can read one of many obituary's of Paul on the web. But here is his military service.

Newman served in the Navy in World War II in the Pacific theater. Newman was sent to the Navy V-12 program at Ohio University, with hope of being accepted for pilot training, but this plan was foiled when a flight physical revealed him to be colorblind. He was sent instead to boot camp and then on to further training as a radioman and gunner. Qualifying as a rear-seat radioman and gunner in torpedo bombers, in 1944, Aviation Radioman Third Class Newman was sent to Barber's Point, Hawaii, and subsequently assigned to Pacific-based replacement torpedo squadrons (VT-98, VT-99, and VT-100). These torpedo squadrons were responsible primarily for training replacement pilots and combat air crewmen, placing particular importance on carrier landings. He later flew from aircraft carriers as a tail gunner in the Avenger. As a radioman/gunner, he served aboard the USS Bunker Hill during the battle for Okinawa in the spring of 1945. He was ordered to the ship as radioman/gunner in an Avenger with a draft of replacements shortly before the attack, but by a fluke of war was held back because his pilot had an ear infection. The rest of his detail died.


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## evangilder (Sep 27, 2008)




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## wilbur1 (Sep 27, 2008)




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## FLYBOYJ (Sep 27, 2008)




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## Micdrow (Sep 27, 2008)




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## comiso90 (Sep 28, 2008)

A titan has passed.


.


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## Maestro (Sep 28, 2008)




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## Lucky13 (Sep 28, 2008)

It's getting fewer and fewer left of the GREAT ones....!


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## Wayne Little (Sep 28, 2008)




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## RabidAlien (Sep 28, 2008)




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## ToughOmbre (Sep 28, 2008)

TO


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## Thorlifter (Sep 28, 2008)

A big  to your military service.

And a big thank you for your career in movies.


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## lesofprimus (Sep 29, 2008)

We watched Slapshot last night, and to think that Reg Dunlop is gone from this planet is a sad sad thought....


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## Njaco (Sep 29, 2008)

"I don't care if it rains or freezes,
long as I got my plastic Jesus.
sitting on the dashboard of my car."


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## renrich (Sep 29, 2008)

Many thanks, Sys, for your very informative post. He was a fine actor.


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## Wurger (Sep 29, 2008)




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## CharlesBronson (Sep 29, 2008)

One of the biggest, today actors compared with Newman are horse manure.

Rest in peace.


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