By the time I got out, I could deal with things on a more realistic level. "The Marines gave me discipline I could live with. McQueen stayed in the Corps until 1950 when he was honorably discharged. Many drowned inside their tanks, but McQueen jumped in and saved the lives of five men.īecause of his heroism, McQueen was chosen to the Honor Guard protecting President Harry Truman's yacht. McQueen, his unit and their tanks were aboard a ship when it hit a sandbank, throwing several tanks and their crews into the water. His unit was in the middle of a training exercise in the Arctic that turned disastrous. Shore patrol apprehended him, but he resisted and spent 41 days in the brig the first 21 were spent living off bread and water.Īfter his time in the brig, McQueen righted the ship, literally. His rebellious nature came to a head when he let a weekend pass turn into a two-week tryst with his girlfriend. McQueen saw some success, being promoted six times - and demoted back to private seven times. He was promoted to private first class and served with an armored unit. He was the love child of a stunt pilot and an alleged alcoholic prostitute, and had a childhood that led him to cultivate his rebel image, which included stints of homelessness and time in a boys reformatory.Īfter a series of jobs that included working the door at a brothel in the Dominican Republic, he joined the Marines in 1947. Steve McQueen's legacy as the "King of Cool" began early. "It was all very pleasant just lying in the sun and watching the girls go by, but one day I suddenly felt bored with hanging around and went and joined the Marines."
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |