Ernest Borgnine Has Left Us
…after 95 really good years. I always thought he’d be a helluva a cool guy to live next door to.
This is the trailer from one of my favorite movies of his, even though he had a smallish part. You can tell he had a great time in this cast of movie giants making a GUY film.
…Borgnine joined the United States Navy in 1935, after graduation from James Hillhouse High School[6] in New Haven, Connecticut. He was discharged in 1941, but re-enlisted when the United States entered World War II and served until 1945 (a total of ten years), reaching the rank of Gunner’s Mate 1st Class. He served aboard the destroyer USS Lamberton (DD-119). His military decorations included the Navy Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
In a British Film Institute interview about his life and career, Borgnine said of the war:
After World War II we wanted no more part in war. I didn’t even want to be a boy-scout. I went home and said that I was through with the Navy and so now, what do we do? So I went home to mother, and after a few weeks of patting on the back and, ‘You did good,’ and everything else, one day she said, ‘Well?’ like mothers do. Which meant, ‘Alright, you gonna get a job or what?’ [7]
In 2004, Borgnine received the honorary rank of Chief Petty Officer from the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry D. Scott—the US Navy’s highest ranking enlisted sailor at the time—for Borgnine’s support of the Navy and naval families worldwide
What a FULL life.
Now, THAT’S a man.
Aw, dang. That makes me sad. But he did have a full life.
RIP, Mr. Borgnine.
95 is considerally better than 3 score an 10.
Fair winds and following seas Petty Officer Borgnine.
Vale, Mr. Borgnine.
In 1953 he played Staff Sargeant “Fatso” Judson in “From Here To Eternity”. Judson was a vile, sadistic bully who ran the brig at Schofield Barracks.
In 1955 he played Marty in the movie “Marty”. Marty was one of the nicest, most decent people ever portrayed in the movies.
And he hit both of those portrayals out of the ballpark. That’s an acotr.
“actor” (GRRRRRRRRR, stupid fingers.)
He was ubiquitous for decades. It’s hard to downplay the kind of impact he had on a culture that still was proudly American. Sail on, Ernie.
“One of the gentlemen had a question about the seating arrangements. They’re working out the place-card settings now.”