Biography

Who the Hell Am I?

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How about we play another fun and exciting game of Who the Hell Am I?

In this game you get 10 clues to guess the name of a famous person. These clues are numbered countdown-style, 10 to 1, with the first clue numbered 10. Your score is determined by the highest numbered clue that evokes the correct answer.

At the end of the clues you can click a link for the answer. However, the link is numbered zero, so if you haven’t figured out the answer by the time you click it, you get no points.

Who the hell am I?

10. I was not well educated, having dropped out of school after the 5th grade to pick cotton and find other work to help my family. And yet I’d eventually become a war hero, famous book writer, song writer, and movie actor.

9. I was 16 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked. I immediately tried to enlist, by lying about my age, but was turned down due to being underweight. But eventually I got my weight up enough to join the Army. I saw my first action at age 18, during the Allied invasion of Sicily.

8. In September 1944, while fighting in northeastern France, I was awarded the purple heart for a heel wound from a mortar shell blast. On October 2, 1944, I killed four German soldiers, and wounded three, at a German machine gun position, for which I was awarded a Silver Star. Three days later, I led my men against direct German fire, and we took a hill. We killed 15 Germans and wounded 35 in that action, and for it I was awarded a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster to go with my Silver Star. Then, on October 26, 1944, I captured two German snipers, and was shot in the hip by a third, before I returned fire, shooting that son-of-a-bitch right between the eyes. For this I got a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster for my Purple Heart, and gangrene in my hip. The gangrene was removed, along with part of my hip muscle, leaving me with a 50% disability. But I continued to fight on.

7. On January 24, 1945, I was shot in both legs during a German counterattack at the Colmar Pocket in France, for which I received a second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster to go with my Purple Heart. Two days later, I was made Commander of my company. That same day, six German tanks and several hundred infantrymen attacked my company. I ordered my men to fall back, while I covered their retreat. Then the Germans hit an American tank destroyer, setting it on fire. I jumped on top of that burning tank destroyer, mounted its .50 caliber machine gun, fully exposing myself to the advancing Germans. For the next hour I blasted away at those Huns, repelling their attack and killing over 20 of them. I then led my company on a counterattack, killing or wounding 50 more German soldiers. For this heroic action, I was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

6. After World War II, I was celebrated as a national hero, having been one of the most decorated combat soldiers of World War II. In fact, I had received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army. I was feted with parades and banquets, and was featured on the cover of Life Magazine.

5. My fame as a war hero led to a career as a Hollywood actor, initially with help from actor James Cagney. I would eventually star in over 40 feature films and one television series. Most of the films were Westerns.

4. In 1949, I wrote a book about my war exploits, entitled, To Hell and Back, although I had help from a ghostwriter named David “Spec” McClure. In 1955, the book was made into a movie, which I starred in. The movie was a huge commercial success, and I made over a million dollars from it.

3. I invested lots of my money in thoroughbreds, and raced horses at Del Mar. But I had a bad gambling habit and lost a ton money at this hobby. I also lost $260,000 in a busted Algerian oil deal. And I got into trouble with the IRS over unpaid taxes. I reached a point where I needed money, and I could have made all kinds of money by appearing in alcohol and cigarette commercials. But I always turned down that kind of work, because I didn’t want to be a bad influence for kids.

2. Although I was a big war hero, my combat experiences affected my mental health. I suffered from PTSD, which was called “combat fatigue” back then. I slept with a loaded gun under my pillow. I took sleeping pills to avoid nightmares, and was addicted to sedatives for awhile. I spoke publicly about these problems, and lobbied the government to increase their study of the emotional impact of combat experiences. My PTSD left me feeling moody, which often left my friends alarmed. On one occasion I held my first wife at gunpoint. And in May 1970, I was arrested for attempted murder, but was later cleared of the charges.

1. On May 28, 1971, at age 45, I was a passenger in a private plane that crashed into a mountain in Virginia, under foul weather conditions and zero visibility. I was killed, along with four other passengers and the pilot. I was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Some of those who attended my funeral were U.N. Ambassador George H.W. Bush, and Army Chief of Staff William Westmoreland. My gravesite remains the second-most visited gravesite at Arlington, after that of President John F. Kennedy.

0. Still can’t figure out my dog tag? Ha, looks like I really stumped you! But don’t worry, I’m not mad about it, and won’t shoot you. You can click on this link and read all about me on Wikipedia. But you get zero points. However, this is Veteran’s Day, so I’m willing to give you one point if you’ll thank a vet today, for their service.

Categories: Biography

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