Most people know Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry as the "Singing Cowboy." From the late 1920s until the mid-1960s, he appeared in 93 movies, hosted his own radio and television shows, and made over 600 records. and became one of the most influential country musicians in United States history. The Discography of American Historical Recordings describes his music career as such:
During the 1930s and 1940s, he personified the straight-shooting hero—honest, brave, and true. Autry was also one of the most important pioneering figures in the history of country music, considered the second major influential artist of the genre's development after Jimmie Rodgers. His singing cowboy films were the first vehicle to carry country music to a national audience. In addition to his signature song, 'Back in the Saddle Again' and his hit 'At Mail Call Today,' Autry is still remembered for his Christmas songs, most especially his biggest hit 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' as well as 'Frosty the Snowman,' 'Here Comes Santa Claus,' and 'Up on the House Top.'
But Autry didn't just portray the "honest, brave, and true" hero on screen or in his music. He did it in real life, too. In the midst of his successful career, he dropped everything to join the United States Army and fought in World War II.
Determined to do his part — and at the Pentagon's request — he was sworn into the Army on July 26, 1942, live on his radio show "Gene Autry Melody Ranch." Many in Washington, D.C., felt it might help boost morale.
The next week, his show had a new name, "Sgt. Gene Autry Radio Show."
Gene Autry was C-47 Skytrain pilot in US Army Air Forces flying dangerous missions over Himalayas. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/SQtkGHkLQ4
— Classic Movie Hub (@ClassicMovieHub) May 28, 2018
Autry started out as a tech sergeant. He attended basic training at Santa Ana Air Force Base and served in various other locations. In the meantime, he kept up his radio show as part of his official military duties. According to his website, he "still had his music, comedy, and action in a dramatic story but now with a military theme. The songs were patriotic, the comedy based on military life as a soldier, and the stories were dramatizations based upon an actual incident recorded in the files of the United States Army Air Forces, and characters were portrayed by a cast of professional actors.' Many shows were broadcast from Luke Field in Arizona with an audience of soldiers stationed there."
Related: Major Clark Gable
But Autry, who was already a private pilot with a passion for flying, wanted to do more. He wanted to become a fighter pilot and was willing to put in the work. He was eventually accepted for flight training at Love Field in Dallas. His radio show ended as he got his new orders, and by June 1944, he was promoted to Flight Officer and qualified to fly 16 different Army Air Force aircraft.
Here's more on the specifics of his service:
On June 21, 1944 Gene earned his service pilot wings and was promoted to Flight Officer. He was assigned to the 91st Ferrying Squadron of the 555th Army Air Base Unit, Air Transport Command at Love Field. Flight Officer Autry served with this unit from July 1942 to October 1945.
During that time Gene performed duties as a pilot on cargo type aircraft including AT-6s, 7s and 11s, C-104s and C-109s. The C-109's were used to haul fuel in the China-Burma-India theatre of operations. Flight Officer Autry made one trip to the CBI theatre via the Azores, North Africa and the Middle East. Enroute to the Azores the plane he was co-piloting had to reverse course to avoid a typhoon, flying five hours back to Newfoundland, where it landed at Gander Bay with one engine out and low on fuel. Fog rolled in and the crew was grounded for two weeks. But they completed their mission.
During the war, he received several honors, including the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After the war ended, he transferred to Special Services and returned to entertaining with the USO. In 1946, he was honorably discharged.
While many have celebrated Autry's military career and praised his patriotism over the years, his website states that no one was prouder of his service than Autry himself. In 1999, he was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame (he was born in Tioga in 1907).
After leaving the military, Autry returned to his career in Hollywood but retired from entertainment in 1964. Instead, he opted to focus on his business ventures, which include real estate investments and the ownership of everything from TV and radio stations to a baseball team. He was eventually inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and he "is the only person to be awarded stars in all five categories on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for film, television, music, radio, and live performance."
He died in California in 1998. The epitaph on his gravestone lists all of his accomplishments, and among them are the words "patriot and veteran" and "American hero."
American hero indeed. How many big stars do you think would stop in the middle of their careers to go serve their country if World War III broke out today? They just don't make guys like Gene Autry anymore, and that's a shame.
