A lot of people will rightly say Audie Murphy, the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II. Although of small stature, with a generally pleasant and almost shy disposition in public, Murphy was a stone-cold killer who repeatedly (and often single-handedly) brought the war to German soldiers in the field and saved American lives even when he himself was wounded. Based solely on his war-hero status, Hollywood made Murphy a movie star, and he appeared in a number of films from the late 1940s through the 1950s and into the 1960s, despite his limited acting ability. Unfortunately, Murphy also suffered horrible flashbacks from the war for decades (as well as addiction) that made his post-WWII personal life a living hell, right up to his death in a 1971 plane crash.
However, I’d have to say that Canadian actor James Doohan was a legitimate tough guy, also, inasmuch as Doohan not only survived WWII, he did it without losing his mind and sense of humor. He went on to a very successful career as Star Trek’s unflappable Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott for decades in TV and film.
James Doohan was a combat veteran of WWII who was lucky to come home alive. He was a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Artillery (2nd Infantry Division) and was among the many troops that stormed Juno Beach during the Invasion of Normandy (D-Day) in 1944, literally sprinting through mine fields amid a hailstorm of bullets and mortar fire.
Doohan himself sniped a German machine-gun post, taking it out of action; he said he didn’t know if he actually killed the German gunners (but the machine-gun fire abruptly stopped, which is a clue). It seems likely that, in later years, Doohan simply did not want to admit to adoring fans that he had killed people in WWII, although that was the whole point of going to war.
That night, after taking the beach and establishing camp inland, Doohan was dispatched as a courier to run a message to another Canadian encampment. As he was returning on foot at around midnight, a jittery Canadian sentry opened fire on him, hitting Doohan 6 times: Four rounds hit him in the left leg, one round hit him in the chest, and another round exploded the middle finger of his right hand.
So, he was taken out by friendly fire. He still managed to stumble into camp.
Doohan knew he had been hit in the chest and hand, but he was in shock and was oblivious to his leg wounds, until a medic told him he had four bullets in and around his left knee. Doohan’s incredulous response was, “Well, I walked here.”
The mangled stump of his middle finger had to be surgically amputated at the knuckle, and I’m just amazed Doohan didn’t lose his leg, as well, with four gunshot wounds grouped around his knee, treated in the field, with several hours to evacuation.
The round that hit him in the chest actually deflected off a silver cigarette case (that his brother had given him) in his shirt pocket. Regardless, Doohan was pretty torn up. I’m guessing that’s about the time he started drinking straight whiskey.
Even with his hair-raising experiences in WWII, James Doohan remained well-balanced, good-humored and dedicated throughout his TV and film career that followed; and Doohan was always known as the kindest, most generous, outgoing and friendly guy that you’d ever meet in person. You’d never guess that he had been to hell and back.