Though I was vaguely aware of Jimmy Stewart’s World War II military service (I once read somewhere he experienced a “nervous breakdown” during the war), I didn't know many details—partly because, like many of his generation, Stewart didn’t speak much about it. So while looking for a book in exchange for one I received as a birthday present, when I saw this on the bookshelf,
Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert Matzen, it seemed right up my alley since I’ve always enjoyed military history and memoirs, as well as stories of old Hollywood.
Many Hollywood stars served in the military during World War II; that said, not to take anything away from their service, many served in roles to boost morale and recruitment. This was admittedly partly due to national morale as much as personal safety—the death or capture of a celebrity in combat would have been a propaganda coup for the enemy and hurt morale at home. (Clark Gable served as a tail gunner on several missions, partly to shoot footage as part of the First Motion Picture Unit, and reportedly had a bounty on his capture placed on him by Nazi Germany.)
Actor James Stewart would have none of it and saw real combat, one of a few in the military who rose through the ranks from the rank of private to major in the span of four years during the war.
Stewart came from a line of family members who had served their country in war: his two grandfathers served in the Civil War and a great uncle died in that same conflict. Though his father was too old for military service in World War I, he nevertheless volunteered to fight despite being 40 years old and having a family and children (which included young Jimmy).
Stewart was a plane nut from a young age, even building airplane models with fellow budding star and roommate Henry Fonda. Seeing the coming war and wanting to serve in the army air force, he got his pilot’s license and gained experience flying larger aircraft. He enlisted just months before the war, though he was initially turned down for being underweight. It also should be added that when he enlisted, Stewart was already in his mid-30s and deemed too old for enlistment. Though he was originally earmarked to be a flight instructor, he eventually pulled strings to get his wish to serve in combat. He was assigned to the 445th Bomber Group as an operations officer, based in England. (Neither Hollywood nor Washington, DC initially wanted him in harm’s way).
Stewart saw real action, flying more than 20 combat missions with distinction—during the course of the war, he flew as a B-29 command pilot, wing commander and squadron commander. As squadron commander, he rotated onto different planes as co-pilot during missions. He crash landed once (on a non-combat flight) and, on another mission, flak blew a two-foot hole in the cockpit mere inches from him. He successfully flew back exposed to subzero weather with a direct view of the ground below him through the hole next to him. He also led a 1000-bomber raid against Berlin in 1944.
The book successfully conveys the visceral feel of the tough and draining physical experience of bombing missions. Pilots were glued to their seats for grueling and terror-filled 8 to 9 straight hour sets, in wintertime braving temperatures from 20 to 40 degrees below where heated suits barely made a difference; the cold formed icicles below their oxygen masks that they had to break off periodically or risk asphyxiation. The cold could also freeze equipment like guns and bombay doors. And while they sometimes enjoyed the protection of U.S. and British fighter pilots flying Mustangs and Spitfires, other times they were at the mercy of flak and German fighters with only their own gunners to protect themselves. The aim of the bombing was to destroy Nazi Germany’s supply and materiel resources, which included emasculating the enemy air force as much as possible prior to the eventual invasion of Europe—and, yes, to terrorize. By D-Day and after, the allies achieved that goal for the most part. Stewart’s missions throughout Europe included runs into Berlin (“the Big B”) as well as over Paris, where his wing flew past the Eiffel Tower. (My only minor complaint about the book is the borderline salacious way it covers Stewart’s sexual escapades as a young bachelor in Hollywood, which included relationships with Norma Shearer, Olivia DeHavilland, Dinah Shore and more, though these experiences convinced him not to marry an actress! On the other hand, it was fun to hear of others within his circle of friends like Burgess (“Buzz”) Meredith.)
Though Stewart lost his share of men under his command, he was considered somewhat of a good luck charm because his losses were not as bad as others. While this can be attributed somewhat to simple good luck since combat can be fickle, the book suggests this was also partly due to Stewart's leadership and insistence on discipline, keeping tight formations which made for a smaller target and made it easier for ships to cover each other. In this case, Stewart's age and maturity relative to the young 20-somethings under his command may have been an advantage.
Not unlike Yossarian in the Joseph Hellerman novel, Catch-22, the stress of combat and the constant eyewitnessing of the downing of planes and the fates of the airmen on those aircraft would come to deeply affect Stewart, as it did many others, leading to his commanding officers to give him a break from flying. Though he assumed operations duty to give some relief, he eventually took on an executive command in another squadron where he continued to serve with competence and effective leadership.
When Stewart returned, people were shocked by how much he had aged. Hollywood also had changed, with the studio system having begun to break—Stewart signed with Lew Wasserman, who had bought out MCA, and became an independent. Stewart was adrift for a time, not sure how he fit in or what roles would suit him now. As is well known, Stewart’s first project was the beloved It’s A Wonderful Life (Stewart later said the movie and filmmaker Frank Capa “saved his life.”) Indeed, anecdotes from the shoot bookend the book. Stewart, of course, would continue to have a successful film career, his postwar Westerns particularly being known for revealing a dark brooding side of Stewart that otherwise belied his “aw, shucks'' image. (His wife would later say that was the “real” Jimmy Stewart she knew.)
World War II ultimately didn’t break Stewart, but like anyone who served, it of course deeply affected and colored him for the remainder of his life and career. This book is another sobering contribution to many other great works that recount and honor the sacrifice and experiences of the Greatest Generation.
