OT: relevant to US readers-AH Shoot! The Captain's Gone

Wow...Capt.Roo..is dead?...Ohh man..does Bunny Rabbit need a home?...I got some odd jobs Greenjeans could handle?...man what a bummer...I guess its the first crack in the wall of the American Empire?...Mister Rogers helped my kids along but The Capt'n covered my butt. We All Gotta Go Sometime Mike IPMS

I seem to recall a story where Johnnie Carson had Lee Marvin on his show years ago. They were talking about Marvin's service as a US Marine in the PTO during WWII. In addition to the talk of awful warfare, conditions and food, Lee Marvin said something to the effect that the bravest thing he witnessed during his tour was heroics on the beach by none other than Bob Keeshan, then in the thick of his Captain Kangaroo days. Now, I've also heard Fred Rogers was an Army sniper in Korea (not true) so this could be from left field but I recall someone of import telling me this - perhaps my father... Not that he couldn't hoodwinked, mind you... Anyway, rest easy Captain, and thanks for some fun memories of my youth...

Frank

According to articles the other day, Keeshan's USMC training was for naught. WWII ended before he could ship out. He said something about being the least aggressive Marine ever.

This is from

Origins: We can't say for sure whether actor Lee Marvin ever related something like the story described above to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show (Marvin was a guest on the show seven times during Carson's tenure as host), but the details of the anecdote are undeniably false.

Lee Marvin did enlist in the U.S. Marines, saw action as Private First Class in the Pacific during World War II, and was wounded (in the buttocks) by fire which severed his sciatic nerve. However, this injury occurred during the battle for Saipan in June 1944, not the battle for Iwo Jima, which took place several months later, in February 1945. (Marvin also did receive a Purple Heart, and he is indeed buried at Arlington National Cemetery.)

Bob Keeshan, later famous as television's "Captain Kangaroo," also enlisted in the U.S. Marines, but too late to see any action during World War II. Keeshan was born on 27 June 1927 and enlisted two weeks before his 18th birthday, months too late to have taken part in the fighting at Iwo Jima. A 1997 interview with Keeshan noted that he "later enlisted in the U.S. Marines but saw no combat" because, as Keeshan said, he signed up "just before we dropped the atom bomb."

In 2003 someone thought to throw Mr. Rogers into the mix by add the following bit to the existing e-mail about Lee Marvin and Bob Keeshan:

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 a U.S. Navy Seal, combat proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long sleeve sweater to cover the many tattoo's on his forearm and biceps. A master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat. He hid that away 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.

Numerous rumors about children's host Mr. Rogers having a violent or criminal past have been bandied about for years, but there is nothing to any of them. As our Mr. Rogers page explains, not only did Fred Rogers never serve in the military, there are no gaps in his career when he could conceivably have served in the military. Moreover, Fred Rogers was born in 1928 and was therefore far too old for an active combat position in the Vietnam War.

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net wrote:

Last year, I picked up a good book on the TV show, at our local "Half-Price Books", here in Austin. The copy was even inscribed by the good Captain, Mr. Keeshan, himself!

Does anyone remember the episode he would always run for July 4th? It did more to teach me (and other kids, I suppose) about the American Revolution, and the formation of our country, and government, than the years of elementary, and middle school.

He will be missed....

:o(

Reminds me of the owner of my favourite deli. He was in the Marines during Korea. He was sent over just as the truce was inaugurated. He jokingly says his arrival forced the North Koreans to agree. ;)

Bill Banaszak, MFE

In Cleveland, there was Captain Penny; also a train guy (WEWS, Ch.5 [ABC affiliate]) and Barnaby. (WKYC, Ch.3 [NBC])

Well if we're getting into all the old hosts and hostesses, one of the Baltimore stations had "Pete the Pirate" who had adventures between showing cartoons. Aaaaarh! The local station here in Lancaster had some local talent on Per-Ki Place. The name referred to puppets named Percy Platypus and Kiwi. they were always having trouble with Mr. Rat. The lady on our side of the puppet stage was Mary Jane Landis. However, my all-time favourite cartoon-shower was Sally Starr on WFIL Ch.6 out of Philly. She was interviewed on the same station the other day and she talked about the Captain. The same station also had Chief Halftown on in the mornings and he was really an Indian, Seneca as I recall. The Chief left this dirtball for bigger things last summer.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

I don't remember him,but I do remember Captain Chesapeake,who doubled late on saturday night as the Ghost Host And in DC they had a guy that dressed like Mr. Spock,but I can't remember the name. And how about local (Baltimore) weather man Stu Kerr doubling as Captain Stukerr in the 80s?

Well, one local thing I have fond memories of was a show at 10:15 Saturday nights in the early '70s out of Jackson, Miss, WAPT 'TV16'. It was called "Horrible Movie" hosted by "Scartisha", sort of like an Elvira (where is she now?) of the early '70s & co-hosted by "Scoop Gravely", a gravedigger. Think she had other co-hosts too. Anyway, they showed the old Universal & Hammer monster movies. Man, before we had cable (Ch 16 was UHF, hot stuff!) & before VCRs, I remember straining to stay awake when they showed a long one & I had had a busy Saturday!

I must be, uh, a trifle older than you. Pete was on in the early '60s. In the second half of the '60s we could see Kirby Scott hosting his own version of Bandstand. Since the cable company decided we can't see anything in Ballmer anymore I have no idea what's on there. It would probably be weird having all the VHF channels showing the 'wrong' networks. ;)

Bill Banaszak, MFE

In Buffalo, we had Commander Tom Jolls with Rocketship 7 on WKBW. His sidekick was "Promo the Robot" played by Dave Thomas (now Dave Roberts of Philadelphia), who's real family name was Borianus. His son plays "Angel".

-- John ___ __[xxx]__ (o - ) --------o00o--(_)--o00o-------

The history of things that didn't happen has never been written - Henry Kissinger

Not by too much.Capt C started in the late 60s,and I watched him in the early

Ahhhh...Svenghoolie - the ORIGINAL one; on WFLD in the Chi-Gary area! and in Detroit as well, I seem to recall. What a hoot for a "creature feature" host...especially when dubbing in his own soud effects over a particularly B-grade B movie.

...or back to local kids programing - BJ and Dirty Dragon on the same WFLD station...FIIIIIEEEE I say!...

Ah, good ol' Dave, the coolest weatherman in Philly! I think he was the last one to use a blue screen behind him whilst doing the weather. Now they have weather radar that can be 'turned' on its side to see underneath. I think our local guy's been having radar envy since his doppler ain't so 'Super' anymore!

I wonder why they changed the last name to Boreannaz. Borianus is different enough, IMHO.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

'Cause it was late and I mispelled it? Sorry....

-- John ___ __[xxx]__ (o - ) --------o00o--(_)--o00o-------

The history of things that didn't happen has never been written - Henry Kissinger

And you misspelled 'misspelled', too! ;)

I need a drink..... 8-P

-- John ___ __[xxx]__ (o - ) --------o00o--(_)--o00o-------

The history of things that didn't happen has never been written - Henry Kissinger

That's OK John. I thought it was some Hollywood agent's big idea. :)

Bill Banaszak, MFE