The one and only, JT, Justin Timberlake of N’SYNC fame brought classy back this past week when he attended the Marine Corps Ball with combat instructor Kelsy De Santis.
He said he was moved by the occasion and was glad to be among some of his heroes. He also said it was interesting that many of them were SOOOO younger than he is. JT turned the big Three-OH this year.
He said he had a good time. Ok, there was no crack, no hookers, and no Hollywood starlets throwing themselves at the superstar, but, the Marines are sacrificing for our country, so why shouldn’t he?
I’m glad he went, I’m glad he had a good time, and it’s very nice to see Hollywood supporting our troops even if they don’t support the wars in which they are fighting. This is very, very different from the Hollywood of Viet Nam.
But, Hollywood wasn’t always anti-war, anti-GI.
We’ll start with Bob Hope. Bob Hope took the USO to more wars than anyone else. He took along Hollywood beauties, comedians, bands, and he entertained our troops no matter where they were. And frankly, I don’t think anyone ever really knew, or knows now, how he felt about the war, the President, or the government. He didn’t much say!
During WW II, Robert Montgomery, Ronald Reagan, Wayne Morris, James Arness, Jimmy Stewart, Jason Robards, Neville Brand, Audie Murphy, and Ed McMahon all served in one way or another.
Even Desi Arnaz loved Lucy enough to enlist!
Clark Gable, the King of Hollywood at the time and past the draft age, enlisted in the AAF as a private. He eventually went to OCS and graduated as a Second Lieutenant. He wasn’t the only big star to stop working in Hollywood and enlist. Henry Fonda joined the Navy; Lee Powell, the first Lone Ranger, and Sterling Hayden were Marines.
The list goes on: Charlton Heston, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Durning Jr, Charles Bronson, Glenn Ford, George C. Scott, Eddie Albert, Lee Marvin, John Russell, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr, Tyrone Power, Scotty from Star Trek – James Doohan, Alec Guiness, David Niven, Dashiell Hammett who was later blacklisted in the Hollywood HUAC mess, Rex Harrison, William Holden, and Brian Keith. It’s an endless list, and includes writers, directors, actors and other Hollywood occupations.
That’s just the men!
Martha Raye, Judy Garland, Jeannette McDonald sang for the boys, and Nancy Culp, the orignal Miss Hathaway of the Beverly Hillbillies was a WAVE Lieutenant.
Carole Lombard died serving her country selling War Bonds. Her TWA commercial plane crashed on they way home from Indiana to Hollywood.
And, then, there was the Hollywood Canteen!
Not just the movie, the real thing.
The Canteen provided food, drink and dancing for Allied service men and women of all branches. FREE! People were thankful for what the soldiers were doing.
Spearheaded by Bette Davis, 
John Garfield, 
and Jules Stein. 
Hollywood came together to support the troops. The guilds and unions donated the work, materials and money to construct it, and stars volunteered time to wait tables, cook, clean UP and entertain. Bette Davis spent a great deal of time there, and dragged her friends in to cheer UP the troops. A soldier might look UP and see Rita Hayworth as his waitress, 
Roddy McDowell busing tables, 
Bogart behind the bar, 
and Red Skelton 
introducing Sinatra as the next act. 
By the time the Canteen closed its doors, nearly three million servicemen and women had been there.
Again, FREE!
I’m glad Justin Timberlake went to the Marine Corps Ball and I’m glad Mila Kunis went to the Marine Corps Ball in Greenville, NC with Sgt. Scott Moore! They’re bringin’ classy back.
And I think Jane Fonda should take a Viet Nam veteran to lunch…every day…for the rest of her life!
