Who are WE?

Brothers.

Born: Minneapolis, MN.

From hereafter, oldest will be known as O, and of course, youngest, Y.

P, that's parents if you're keeping score, or, pee, if you're old like me and ya gotta, almost any, every, hour of the day. 

P: dad's ancestry Norwegian,  mom's German.

O: not a big fan of school, poor student, skipped class a lot to load, unload boxcars at the railway.. finally graduating.

Y: I was a sophomore when O was a senior and skipping school. I liked school and was a decent athlete if I do say so myself, as I was a two-time Minnesota State Champ in the 120 yard high hurdles.

Neither O or Y could hurdle WWII, and neither wanted to.

Y:  was in the Army. Reached the rank of corporal, and was awarded the American Campaign Medal, and, the World War II Victory Medal.

O: I wanted to be a Navy fighter pilot, but feared my eyesight was too poor to do so. Turns out, didn't matter, I'm 6'7" and the max to be a pilot was 6'2". So....

(O) "You're in the Army now"... I was a rifleman.  On January 22, 1944, we (2nd Platoon,  E Company, 7th Infantry Regiment,  landed on Anzio Beachead. They looked at me and said, "Hey you, the tall guy..  jump off the boat first so we can tell how deep the water is." (O continued below)

Made it ashore, and in the battle I was severely wounded in the leg..  they airlifted me from Italy, back to the US to a hospital in Clinton, Iowa. After several surgeries and a long hospital stay I was honorably discharged in January of 1945.  I dealt with chronic leg pain that could become acute, the remainder of my life, especially when I mounted horses. (Oops)

O: looooooong list of honors.. Bronze Stars (3), Purple Heart, WWII Victory Medal, and the Combat Infantryman  Badge.

Y: remember me? I got out of the Army, went to see my brother in the Hospital,  then enrolled at the University of Minnesota on the GI Bill.

O: after I finally got out of the Hospital,  I got a job as a radio broadcasting announcer at WLOL in Minneapolis... after awhile, got the itch to go into acting..  hitchiked, bad leg and all, to Hollywood. Knocked on every door, finally, in 1947 I got my first part, a real movie, The Farmer's Daughter, as her brother.

Y: Big brother didn't have nuttin' on me. In my career, I appeared in over 70 total films, TV shows and TV movies. Actually had a major role in the 1953 WWII film Stalag 17.

(More Y) My longest gig was a TV series from 1967 to 1973... and it was actually reprised in 1988 and I was the Lone Ranger (no...that ain't it.) I mean I was the only actor to return from the original series.

(Even more, Y) during the 50's, 60's, 70's, I played mostly serious roles. By the time the 80's rolled around I was ready to let my hair down, have some fun in a comedy. Two, actually,  ______!, and ______2: The Sequel. You might remember the line "What's your vector Victurd?" Oh, and that hint will self destruct in two minutes. There, another. Until I went to my grave, I used the last name of my mother's family to honor them.

O:  I appeared in a couple Sci-fi films, but my primary gigs were of the Western variety.  I lucked into playing supporting roles in quite a few movies with some guy named John Wayne. We became really good friends.

(Mo' O) in fact, my biggest gig ever, THE longest running primetime drama series in TV history (20 years)... anyways, it was rumored they initially offered the role to The Duke - not so, but it is true he recommended me for it.

(Yet more O).. you might remember Doc, Festus, Chester, Ms. Kitty, and some young blacksmith Quint. "Quint would later say "THE most fun period of my life" and I guess it musta been as he wrote the forward in my autobiography. 

(Still mo' O) my role was kinda stoic..   I no likey'd publicity (we banned reporters from the set). I did like Fun, capital F. One role actor said "He'd laugh from his toes to the top of his head, and that's a long way.  In fact, he'd get the giggles and we'd have to suspend shooting for awhile."

Y (Remember me?) They wanted to make a movie outta our TV series but I turned it down..  because, they wrote the script for me to be a traitor, kill 3 of my IMF buddies, and eventually get shot down, killed in a helicopter crash. Nope, nada, John Voight, you go ahead and do it.

Getting long, sorry.

Two, highly successful chaps, Brothers.

Mission Impossible, Airplane, Gunsmoke. Wow!

Peter Graves, born Peter Dussler Aurness, and..  James Arness, born James King Aurness. 

One of them, I read, was a very good friend of Dick Howser, MLB player, manager, but damn daddy I've read, reread, and I can't find which. Oh well, lollypop if anyone can find out which. Hell it mighta been Burt Reynolds, I dunno. Using a phone to blog drives me cRaZy, but you knew I'm cRaZy.  

Enjoy the day,

Love, what's your vector Victurd