03/07/2024
🇺🇲WWII uncovered: Honoring Burgess Meredith of the Army Air Forces
Burgess Meredith was 32 years old when he filled out his draft card. Less than a year later on February 27, 1942, the Cleveland Ohio native, put his acting career on hold and joined Army Air Forces, First Air Force, where he eventually reached the rank of Captain.
According to his April 2022 Veterans Association biography "Burgess transferred to the Office of War Information where he made training films for the US military. He was discharged in 1945 to work on the movie "The Story of G.I. Joe," in which he starred - portraying War Correspondent Ernie Pyle."
After the war, Burgess Meredith continued his career on stage, screen and television. Already in established actor prior to his enlistment, Burgess gained critical acclaim for his performance in the 1939 film "Of Mice and Men." He would go on to portray such characters as The Penguin in the ABC series "Batman" and was featured regularly in such popular television series as "Rawhide", "Bonanza", "77 Sunset Strip," "Laredo" and "Burke's Law." Burgess would go on to have a career that spanned over 60 years.
According to the New York Daily News: "Meredith was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, in 1976 for Rocky, and in 1975 for The Day of the Locust, for which he also received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. That performance brought him a BAFTA Award nomination. Meredith won a Primetime Emmy Award for Supporting Actor in 1977 for "Tail Gunner Joe."
Burgess would go on to portray Mickey "Mighty Mick" Goldmill, in the "Rocky" film series. His performance in the first film earned Meredith a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Meredith received a Special Tony Award in 1960 for directing "A Thurber Carnival."
Captain Burgess Meredith passed away on September 9, 1997 at the age of 89 years old. Lest We Forget.
WWII uncovered©️ original description and photos sourced by US Army Center of Military History, New York Daily News, VAntage Point April 27, 2022 biography and Ancestry Database. (Fair Use Photos)
