James Arness the veteran actor of Gunsomoke and a veteran of WW 2 that was wounded at Anzio passed away from natural causes, he was 88. He left behind a letter to his fans that was read upon his death. He was a class act and I was a BIG fan. He was a role model for me and other impressionable young men....
That is sad to hear, I was also saddened when his younger brother (Peter Graves) passed last year. Two very decent men and fine actors. Rest in Peace.
It is amazing, you think of him and your thoughts go right away to when you were young and times were so simple......
Here is a photo of him during WWII. He served in the 3rd Infantry Division and apparently landed with the first wave at Anzio as the first man out of landing craft so he could "check the depth" (he was the tallest man there).
He had a particular gait which I recall was due to one leg longer than the other, was this from his wound? Otherwise would he not be rejected for service?
Here is a quick bit of trivia for our "older" posters. What do James Arness and William Conrad (Jake and The Fat Man, Cannon) have in common? Try not to google up the answer immediately, think radio.
I'll admit to using good old Google on this. It seems that William Conrad played Matt Dillon on the radio version of Gunsmoke. Evidently, Conrad was not really considered for the TV show because of his "figure".
Yeah I always liked him, rest in peace Mr. Arness. You lived a good life, fought the good fight, you touched many lives and your memory will live on, now it's time to rest.