Comments on: Friday Five: U.S. Marines

By: J.R. Journey

J.R. Journey — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:00:25 +0000

Wendy Bagwell died in 1996. I remember that because my grandma was a big fan of his – she played me a lot of his comedy monologues – and she made a pretty big deal out of his death at the time. I actually didn’t know that Wendy was a singer any more than I knew he was a Marine. He was a very entertaining and charming man. His story about the “old yeller cat” and the seeing eye dogs still makes me smile. Thanks for bringing back a nice memory.

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 01:52:27 +0000

Seemed a bit surprising that a woman “saw combat action”–as a U.S. Marine!?–during WWII.

So I did a bit of searching and saw that Wendy is, in fact, a man!–and is apparently still with us!

Learn something new every day.

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 13:26:20 +0000

Country gospel singer Wendy Bagwell also saw combat action in WW2

By: Jon

Jon — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 03:38:20 +0000

Well, I hope you don’t think I was being jerky, LeeAnn, because I don’t think I was. And as far as the substance of my point, I think I’m right. It’s an important enough part of Bobby’s story to turn up even in places like the bio entry on him on allmusic.com – an entry that, by the way, encompasses over 60 years in the country music business, including nearly a half-century as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, which puts him in a pretty small circle of people “involved in” country music. And he wasn’t in the Reserves, he was on the front lines, and he wasn’t just on the front lines, he nearly lost his life. If you’re going to go to the trouble of making up a list of country music Marines vets, he’s the place to start.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 01:02:09 +0000

Jamey Johnson mentions his stint as a Marine at Twentynine Palms in the lyrics of his song “Old Maple Guitar” off his indie debut album “They Call Me Country”. Apparently, unlike George Jones, Jamey played and sang primarily to entertain his fellow soldiers which makes sense when you are stuck out in the middle of the southern California desert!

By: Leeann Ward

Leeann Ward — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:33:47 +0000

And, of course, there’s always a nice way of pointing something out rather than the jerky method that some choose to employ.

By: Juli Thanki

Juli Thanki — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:30:52 +0000

My bad; didn’t know.

By: Barry Mazor

Barry Mazor — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:46:45 +0000

Of course, Jon believes Bobby Osborne should be number one on every list.

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 20:50:30 +0000

Really?
That trumps George Jones being stationed in California in the early ’50s and making money on the side with his Saturday night singing gigs?

I thought the picks seemed rather lame, given the subject matter. I’m sure when we’re talking U.S. Marines, there are plenty more heroic stories to tell than a guy injuring himself while attempting to do the obstacle course in Norman Oklahoma, and you certainly found one.

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 20:18:26 +0000

Come on, now – Bobby Osborne served as a Marine in Korea, where he saw heavy action, was seriously wounded and received the Purple Heart. He ought to be #1 on the list.