Clark Gable and the U.S. Air Force

Hollywood has plenty of actors and actresses who have served their country in the United States military over the years. Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Paul Newman, Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda … the list is lengthy.

Elvis Presley probably had the highest-profile stint in the Army. The King of Rock and Roll got plenty of attention from the international press when he did an 18-month hitch in Germany in the 1950s.

But it’s doubtful any Hollywood actor — A-lister or otherwise — could quite match the unique military legacy of leading man Clark Gable. Gable had already soared to the peak of the acting world, starring in “Gone with the Wind” and winning an Academy Award for “It Happened One Night” by the time the United States was forced to jump into the World War II fray.

Gable was 41 years old and had recently lost his third wife, Carole Lombard, in a plane crash when he made the startling decision to halt his film career and join the Air Force. He was past the draft age at the time, but enlisted as a private in August of 1942 in Los Angeles. It was shocking news in Hollywood — can you picture Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt pulling the plug today and saying they wanted to give up their day jobs and head to Basic Training?

Gable was sent to Officer Candidate School at Miami Beach, Fla., graduating as a second lieutenant. From there he went to aerial gunnery school and was eventually assigned to the 351st Bomb Group at Polebrook, England. Though he could have opted out of flying on any combat missions, Gable flew in at least five such missions in B-17s, at least some of which he used to get footage for a film he was making for the military.

His overseas stint ended in October of 1943 and he was relieved from active duty in June of 1944 after reaching the rank of major. By that point he was over the maximum age for combat. When he resumed his movie career, he was no longer able to fulfill all his AAF Reserve time commitments and resigned his commission in September 1947.

One thing is certain about Gable, he knew how to pose for a photo! He no doubt was the subject of many more portrait photo shoots than the average Air Force crewman, and the Hollywood alpha male knew how to look great in front of a camera. In addition to his posed studio shots, there are many fabulous photos of him hanging out of plane windows, saluting and doing other cool stuff that collectors and enthusiasts can enjoy. Nice photos of Gable in his uniform can be found for as cheap as $9.99, all the way up to $200-plus for vintage originals.

Clark Gable, Hollywood stud, and military man. No matter how you treated Scarlett O’Hara, we salute you!