Largely circulated through an email hoax, one of the most popular claims is that rogers was an exnavy seal sniper with over 25 confirmed kills during the vietnam war. Also the marines didnt start to wear cammies somewhere around early 2001. So i decided to look it up because it didnt sound right to me and on every biograghy i read it never said mister rogers was a sniper. Mister rogers sniper navy seal tom hanks beautiful day in the.
Navy seal, combatproven in vietnam with over twentyfive confirmed kills to his name. Rogers was a tv host, he was as a sniper or perhaps a navy seal during the vietnam war, with a. I heard it from a from of mine friends that mister rogers was a marine sniper with 75 or more confirmed kills. The amount of melodramatic fictionalization of everything charles hendersons marine sniper is a dramatized account of the life of a vietnam war sniper. There have been various false rumors about him including one that claims he always wore longsleeved shirts to hide his tattoo. Sonytristars new film, a beautiful day in the neighborhood, depicts fred rogers friendship transforming a cynical journalists life. Rogers was a christian and an ordained presbyterian minister. Myths about rogersthat his sweaters covered up tattoos or that he was a vietnam sniperare debunked, revealing instead that he was exactly as he appeared. He was known as the creator, composer, producer, head writer, and host of the preschool television series mister rogers neighborhood from 1968 until his retirement in 2001. Jan 08, 2014 well michael keaton definitely doesnt think so. Theres a crazy urban legend that the star of the kids show mr rogers neighborhood, mr rogers himself was this super combat trained killing sniper in vietnam. There is a long standing rumor that childrens television host fred rogers of mr.
Rogers was known for his trademark cardigan sweater and the shows theme song, wont you be my neighbor. Thankful for mister rogers handiwork, officer clemmons sings youve got to do it. He wis kent as the creautor, componer, producer, heid writer, an host o the preschuil televeesion series mister rogers neighborhood frae 1968 till his reteerment in 2001. Experts uncovered the truth about the missing vietnam war pilot. The urban legend durring the korean and vietnam war, mr. Fred rogers simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Mar 17, 2015 in march, 2008, somebody combined the stories of captain kangaroo, lee marvin, and another about the popular childrens television personality mr. No, mister rogers was not a deadly marine corps scout sniper. There is one other book that looks interesting, the simple faith of mister rogers, but again it is not a full bio.
Rogers was a sniper during the vietnam war, which of course is not true, holstein revealed. During our tour there is a photo of fred rogers wearing bdus and a white tshirt. In 1994, rogers wrote, produced, and hosted a special for pbs called fred rogers heroes, which featured interviews and portraits of four people from across the country who were having a positive impact on children and education. Dec 12, 2017 12122017 an interview with master sgt.
He went directly from high school to college in 1946 and did not serve in korea. He wore a longsleeve sweater to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. Ive looked on all the urban legends sites as well and ive come up with nothing. He was a master in small arms and handtohand combat. The tet offensive was one of the largest military campaigns of the vietnam war, launched on january 30, 1968, by forces of the viet cong and north vietnamese peoples army of vietnam against the south vietnamese army of the republic of vietnam, the united states armed forces, and their allies. Mr rogers was important and the subject is worth the book. Rogers ran the gamut, from claims that he had an earlier career as a marine sniper or navy seal he did not serve in the military in any capacity, to the accusation that he was a. Green jeans on the childrens television show captain kangaroo. Mister rogers alone provides children with what they and adults need the most. Before fred mcfeely rogers became a beloved tv legend, he was a sniper in the vietnam war. Although its easy to find these crazed claims on the internet. A marine snipers twoyear odyssey in the vietnam war ed kugler on. For those of you that served in the marine corps you all know your knowledge book. He too is rumored to have been a sniper, with even his penchant for longsleeved cardigans ascribed to his hiding tattoos from the eyes of curious little tykes.
Marine corps sniper who saw action during the vietnam war, racking up 25 confirmed. Fred mcfeely rogers march 20, 1928 february 27, 2003 was an american television. A popular form of humorcumlegend is to float a rumor that some mildmannered, physically unimposing celebrity such as john denver or don knotts not only served in the military. He wore a longsleeved sweater to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. One, i love war books and two, i love history books marine sniper is set in the vietnam war. He was at his death a presbyterian minister, song writer, wrote books, and what he. For example, one of the urban myths was that fred rogers was a navy seal and was a sniper in vietnam. So, my question to the teeming millions is, was mr. His kind, curious and unjudgemental demeanor was, by all accounts, not an act. Fred mcfeely rogers march 20, 1928 february 27, 2003 was an american television personality, musician, puppeteer, writer, producer, and presbyterian minister. As is fred rogers of televisions mister rogers neighborhood. Rogers neighborhood author michael long on the iconic television hosts unique brand of pacifism and his gradual embrace of lgbt rights. Rogers, a very close personal friend and adviser, had wanted to leave at. After vietnam he became an ordained presbyterian minister and a pacifist.
Which shows just how deadly and effective a trained military sniper really is. Marine sniper pens books, is still dealing with vietnam wars. Marine corps during the vietnam war in the 1960s are still never far from his mind. Now if you grew up in the 80s you probably were at some point in time a fan of the show mr. Rogers opposed the vietnam war, and in the very first week his program went national in 1968, he broadcast a story about lady aberlin and daniel striped tiger successfully resisting king fridays plans to prepare the neighborhood of makebelieve for war. He hosted an earlier version of the show in canada between 1963 and 1966 which rules out any involvement in vietnam. Rogers was a tv host, he was as a sniper or perhaps a navy seal during the vietnam war, with a large number of confirmed kills. Rogers rumor neighborhood childrens television show host fred rogers has been the focus of many rumors, including that he hid a violent and criminal past and served as a sniper or a navy seal. Rogers is never ever seen with a shortsleeved shirt.
That was about the same time that the john denver was a sniper story was circulating, and sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy was about his rifle. He opted for sweaters so hed have a comfortable appearance while interacting with. A marine snipers twoyear odyssey in the vietnam war. Rogers and the military is that he was possibly a sniper in the marine corps. Rogers was never a sniper in the military nor was the reason he wore sweaters because he had tattoos all over his arms and body. Fred rogers served as a sniper or as a navy seal during the vietnam war, with a large number of confirmed kills to his credit. From the time mister rogers neighborhood first appeared in 1968, to its final episode more than 30 years later, it seemed like the quintessential. There is a lot of urban legends out there that said he was a sniper in vietnam or he was a navy seal. The word sniper was coined from snipe, which is a bird found in india and known for the difficultly of hunting it. Naval history blog blog archive 12 people you didnt know. Born in 1928, rogers would have been a bit too young for world war ii action, the right age for the korean war, and maybe a little too old for the vietnam war.
A us marine sniper team at work in khe sanh, south vietnam, february by david douglas duncan. Like denver, rogers never served in any branch of the military. Rogers was a very good sniper back in his hayday during the korean war. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of open field, killed nva general with one shot, then crawled back. Actor lee marvin gives tribute to fellow marine bob keeshan. Bush presents fred rogers l with the presidential medal of freedom award during a ceremony july 9, 2002 at the white house in washington, dc. A quick look at his biography and you can see that he never had time to be a member of. He was the creator, showrunner and host of the preschool television series mister rogers neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001. The sniper story during our humping through the boonies the nva could hear us a mile away and we would sometimes be caught in an ambush.
The retired sergeant, who has lived on a mountainside south of big arm since 2000, has written several books about his war experiences, starting with dead center in 1999, in which he intimately shares his twoyear odyssey as a sniper. You may wonder what nudity has to do with being a sniper. Despite the rumors, rogers was never a sniper, navy seal, green beret, or marine corps drill instructor. Oct 30, 2016 the two years kugler spent as a sniper with the u. There have been various false rumors about him including. Rogers neighborhood was exactly what he seemed, but. Mister rogers there is a long standing rumor that childrens television host fred rogers of mr. Rogers neighborhood was a marine sniper who racked up a record number of confirmed kills and wore his famous sweater to hide born to kill tattoos. Mister rogers was the host of a pbs childrens program called mister rogers neighborhood for around 40 years.
Mister rogers neighborhood debuted a month after the tet offensive began. Fred mcfeely rogers 20 mairch 1898 27 februar 2003 wis an american televeesion personality, muisicker, puppeteer, writer, producer, an presbyterian meenister. Rogers wasnt a sniper or navy seal, but heres how that. Mr rogers neighborhood ran between 1968 and 2001 with fred rogers as host for the entire time. He added, and then theres this internet rumor that mr. Episode 1024 the mister rogers neighborhood archive. Rogers was born in 1928 and thus at the time of the u. Some even claim the television personality, known for his colorful sweaters, notched as many as 150 kills during the vietnam war. Reports regarding the longest recorded sniper kills that contain information regarding the shooting distance and the identity of the sniper have been presented to the general public since 1967. Myths about rogers that his sweaters covered up tattoos or that he was a vietnam sniper are debunked, revealing instead that he was exactly as he appeared. He never served in the military and was certainly not a sniper in the vietnam war, but weve embraced that longtime rumor for this build.
He didnt explicitly preach on mister rogers neighborhood, but his faith was an integral part of the series author amy hollingsworth wrote a book called the good neighbor. Rogersaka the late fred mcfeely rogers, host of the childrens television show mr. Nov 19, 2019 rogers is the subject of a movie staring tom hanks and the screenwriters of a beautiful day in the neighborhood nailed down where the story started. One day orders came down that there was an opportunity to go to long range firing training for those who were classified as an expert rifleman. King presents mister rogers as the loving and compassionate neighbor whom everyone wants to have as a neighbor, and through kings book, i am trying very hard to be that sort of person. Im no computer wizard, but im fairly certain wasnt around yet. Jan 20, 2019 since at least the 1990s, an urban legend has circulated claiming that mr. Born in latrobe, pennsylvania, near pittsburgh, rogers earned a bachelors degree in music from. Fred rogers, the founder and host of the popular u. Also, i would like to see if anyone can come up with a picture of mr.
Fred rogers 19282003 was an enormously influential figure in the history of television. Rogers was a marine sharpshooter during the vietnam war. Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the kindle edition of this book. Weekend picks for book lovers, including a new bio of. Jim carrey on getting serious with a mister rogersstyle. Rogers a sniper for the us army during the vietnam war. He never served in the military, and was just as sweet and soft spoken as he was on his long running childrens television show. Rogers, the television personality most of us grew up with, served in the us armed. Rogers into a single emailsaying that all three of them were war heroes. The unassuming softspoken mister rogers lookalike who ran up a score of as much as 300 confirmed and unconfirmed vietcong and north vietnamese military kills during his two tours in nam. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of open. Fred rogers never served in the military, he was a member of the clergy. The rumor that rogers was not a sniper was proven false when someone saw him naked.
Based on the life and times of sergeant carlos hathcock an american soldier who apparently eventually became the posterboy of the marine sniper program the book seemed an interesting prospect at first. Rogers at length about religion and how he quietly. Nov 15, 2004 in the summer of 2001 i was on a guided tour of the united states pentagon conducted by a member of the united states air force. Also according to legend, he also has a tattoo for every confirmed kill which is why he always wore long sleeves. Childrens television personality fed rogers was a navy seal and a sniper in vietnam with 25 confirmed kills to his credit. Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001, was radical for its time, covering war, death, divorce, and other controversial topics honestly and respectfully for childrens understanding. This same rumor has often been applied to boyish country singersongwriter john denver among others, and its just as false when told of fred rogers. He tells about his chronological experiences in the jungles of vietnam where he was deployed for a year. Some old war photos from vietnam i dont know the context of them, sorry carlos white feather hathcock imgur.
As the creator and star of mister rogers neighborhood, he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness, fiercely devoted to children and taking their questions about the world seriously. In a nutshell, this email states that before he was a childrens television show host, mr. Hollingsworth before relaxing in corneys new kite rockit. Marine sniper with 98 confirmed kills 2nd highest marine sniper of the vietnam war. During his days with fred waring and his pennsylvanians, he. Rogers also opposed the vietnam war and often said on his television show, isnt peace wonderful. Back at the house, officer clemmons passes by and is delighted to find that mister rogers has repaired his chair. Nor was he an accomplished marine who sought to hide his deathdealing skills by presenting himself as a kind and gentle soul. Usa today s picks for book lovers include a new biography of beloved childrens tv host fred rogers and an indepth book at the disastrous war in vietnam. He was a master in small arms and handtohand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat. Rogers was the model or mentor for millions of young children. Rogers have emerged, as if to warn donald trump against an arms race. Rogers a sniper for the us army during the vietnam. Fred rogers, american television host, producer, and writer best known for mister rogers neighborhood 19682001, an educational childrens show that aired on public television.
Hugh brannum january 5, 1910 april 19, 1987 was an american vocalist, arranger, composer, and actor best known for his role as mr. He was not a navy seal sniper with thirty confirmed kills during the vietnam war. It continued every weekday through the rest of that year. Rogers neighborhood was a marine sniper who racked up a. Nothing out of the ordinary, but i have also heard that he got a tatto on one or both of his arms for each confirmed kill. Nixon, in making the announcement at the beginning of his news conference in san clemente, calif. Back inside, mister rogers continues singing as he talks. Mr rogers sniper marine corps one other commonly searched connection between mr.
Rogers a sniper during the war and if so, did he get a tattoo for each confirmed kill. Rogers did not have an armful of tattoos that he hid under colorful cardigans. Rogers never served in the military and was a pacifist. Mar 16, 2020 fred rogers, american television host, producer, and writer best known for mister rogers neighborhood 19682001, an educational childrens show that aired on public television. The good neighbor is the first fulllength biography of. Tmz has consistently been credited for breaking the biggest.
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