Pass in Review - Military School Celebrities (Volume Three): Pass in Review - Military School Celebrities: One Hundred Years (1890s - 1990s), #3

By Raymond C. Wilson

Military schools in the United States were established out of necessity due to the difficulties faced by the American colonists fighting for their independence. During the Revolutionary War, British forces were commanded by officers educated at the Royal Military Academies at Sandhurst and Woolwich. It wasn't until 1802 that the United States established its first military school: the United States Military Academy at West Point. Under the outstanding leadership of Brevet Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer, West Point became the model for American military schools. From 1802 until 2017, there have been approximately 844 military schools in operation in the United States. Many well-known celebrities have attended such institutions. In Volume Three, you will find the names and accomplishments of military school celebrities who began their careers in the entertainment industry during the 1950s through the 1960s. Subsequent volumes will contain additional names of well-known celebrities who have attended military schools.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raymond C. Wilson
• Release date: May 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005747503

Raymond C. Wilson

Raymond C. Wilson is a military historian, filmmaker, and amateur genealogist. During his military career as an enlisted soldier, warrant officer, and commissioned officer in the U.S. Army for twenty-one years, Wilson served in a number of interesting assignments both stateside and overseas. He had the honor of serving as Administrative Assistant to Brigadier General George S. Patton (son of famed WWII general) at the Armor School; Administrative Assistant to General of the Army Omar Nelson Bradley at the Pentagon; and Military Assistant to the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army at the Pentagon. In 1984, Wilson was nominated by the U.S. Army Adjutant General Branch to serve as a White House Fellow in Washington, D.C. While on active duty, Wilson authored numerous Army regulations as well as articles for professional journals including 1775 (Adjutant General Corps Regimental Association magazine), Program Manager (Journal of the Defense Systems Management College), and Army Trainer magazine. He also wrote, directed, and produced three training films for Army-wide distribution. He is an associate member of the Military Writers Society of America. Following his retirement from the U.S. Army in 1992, Wilson made a career change to the education field. He served as Vice President of Admissions and Development at Florida Air Academy; Vice President of Admissions and Community Relations at Oak Ridge Military Academy; Adjunct Professor of Corresponding Studies at U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; and Senior Academic Advisor at Eastern Florida State College. While working at Florida Air Academy, Wilson wrote articles for several popular publications including the Vincent Curtis Educational Register and the South Florida Parenting Magazine. At Oak Ridge Military Academy, Wilson co-wrote and co-directed two teen reality shows that appeared on national television (Nickelodeon & ABC Family Channel). As an Adjunct Professor at U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Wilson taught effective communications and military history for eighteen years. At Eastern Florida State College, Wilson wrote, directed, and produced a documentary entitled "Wounded Warriors - Their Struggle for Independence" for the Chi Nu chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. Since retiring from Eastern Florida State College, Wilson has devoted countless hours working on book manuscripts.

Book preview

Military schools in the United States were established out of necessity due to the difficulties faced by the American colonists fighting for their independence. During the Revolutionary War, British forces were commanded by officers educated at the Royal Military Academies at Sandhurst and Woolwich. Our French allies had officers educated at various military schools including reportedly the world’s first military school (Ecole Royale Militaire of Soreze). It wasn’t until 1802 that the United States established its first military school: the United States Military Academy at West Point. Under the outstanding leadership of Brevet Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer, West Point became the model for American military schools.

Preceding the Civil War: Military schools in the United States increased to 171 institutions before the Civil War. By the onset of the ‘War between the States’, seventy-five percent of military schools in the nation focused on secondary education. Four collegiate military schools of the South (Virginia Military Institute, The Citadel, Georgia Military Academy, University of Alabama Corps of Cadets) participated as units in combat, while many other schools (including secondary schools) on both the Union and Confederate sides provided drill instructions that were vital to the initial training of their respective armies.

Following the Civil War: Military schools sharply declined after the Civil War due to the devastation of the south and its occupation by Federal forces. However, it didn’t take very long before the number of military schools began making a comeback -- reaching their peak just prior to the Great Depression of 1929. This rise in the popularity of military schools can be attributed to four factors: (1) the realization of the positive impact of military school education on young men; (2) the efforts of returning Civil War veterans; (3) the glorification of the cultural phenomena known as the ‘Lost Cause’; and (4) the swell of patriotism known as the ‘Spirit of 1898’ surrounding the Spanish American War. As a result of these four factors, the number of military schools in the United States rose to a high of 280 institutions in 1926.

During the Vietnam-era: Military schools once again lost their popularity. Progressive views dominated the field of education, as schools adopted changes such as open classrooms, student-designed curricula, and so forth. Many military schools did not survive this era. They either closed or became traditional boarding or day schools. The few surviving military schools were forced to adopt progressive ideas such as co-ed classes and more liberal arts studies.

Current situation: Of the approximately 844 military schools that have operated in the United States from 1802 until 2017, there are only 96 military schools (5 federal service academies; 12 military colleges and universities; 5 military junior colleges; 38 private secondary or primary schools; 36 public and charter secondary schools) currently in operation.

During my sixteen years of recruiting students for three reputable military schools (West Point, Florida Air Academy, Oak Ridge Military Academy), I began assembling a list of celebrities who had attended such institutions. My initial intention was to provide the names of well-known celebrities to parents so they would feel good about their decision to send their sons or daughters off to military school. Over time, my interest in this subject grew as my list of famous celebrities who have attended military schools got longer.

In Volume Three, you will find the names of military school celebrities who began their careers in the entertainment industry during the 1950s through the 1960s. Subsequent volumes will contain more names of well-known celebrities who have attended military schools.

Raymond C. Wilson (author)

Robert Fuller

Actor

Robert Fuller was born Leonard Leroy ‘Buddy’ Lee in Troy, New York, on 29 July 1933 to Betty Lee, a nightclub dancer. After moving with her son to Key West, Florida, Betty Lee married Robert Simpson, Sr., a Naval Academy officer. ‘Buddy’ Lee took the name of his step-father, becoming Robert Simpson, Jr. The early highlights of Robert’s life were acting and dancing (his parents owned a dancing school). Robert attended Miami Military Academy and Key West High School.

Robert in military (Tumblr.com)

In 1950, he traveled to Hollywood with his family, where Robert's first job was a stunt man. Upon establishing his acting career, Robert Simpson, Jr. changed his name to Robert Fuller.

Fuller's first small role was 1952's Above and Beyond. This part led to landing a few small roles in movies such as I Love Melvin (1953) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), which starred Marilyn Monroe.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (20th Century Fox, 1953)

In 1953, Fuller's career was placed on hold for two years when he was drafted into the military during the Korean War. He did a tour of duty in Korea with the 19th Infantry Regiment, then returned to Hollywood in 1955.

Fuller landed a small role in Friendly Persuasion (1956), where he worked with his future Laramie co-star John Smith. The following year, his first major movie role was Teenage Thunder (1957). During that same year, he also starred in the science fiction film The Brain from Planet Arous (1957).

Friendly Persuasion (Allied Artists, 1956

Fuller became an immensely-popular character actor, guest-starring in dozens of TV series, including Crossroads (1956), Flight (1958), Official Detective (1958), The Californians (1958), Panic! (1958), Buckskin (1958), M Squad (1958), The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1958), Lux Playhouse (1958), Highway Patrol (1959), The Restless Gun (1959), and Lawman (1959). He also made more appearances in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1959) and Mike Hammer (1959), among many others. His guest-starring appearance on Cimarron City (1959) led him to starring in his own TV series later that year, Laramie, which ran from 1959 to 1963. When Laramie’s run ended in 1963, Fuller jumped to another western, Wagon Train. Fuller remained with the series until its conclusion in 1965.

Over the next six years, Fuller appeared in a handful of nondescript films; it seemed his career was stalling as