Lee Marvin left school to enlist in the United States Marine Corps August 1942, serving with the 4th Marine Division in the Pacific Theater. He was wounded in action during the World War II Battle of Saipan, in the assault on Mount Tapochau, during which most of his unit ("I" Company, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division) were killed. His injury was from machine gun fire, which severed his sciatic nerve. Marvin was awarded the Purple Heart and was given a medical discharge with the rank of Private First Class in 1945 at Philadelphia. Marvin's awards were the Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Contrary to rumors, Marvin did not serve with producer and actor Bob Keeshan (later best known as Captain Kangaroo) during World War II. Marvin left school to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, serving with the 4th Marine Division in the Pacific Theater. He was wounded in action during the World War II Battle of Saipan, in the assault on Mount Tapochau, during which most of his unit ("I" Company, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division) were killed. His injury was from machine gun fire, which severed his sciatic nerve. Marvin was awarded the Purple Heart and was given a medical discharge with the rank of Private First Class in 1945 at Philadelphia. Marvin's awards were the Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Contrary to rumors, Marvin did not serve with producer and actor Bob Keeshan (later best known as Captain Kangaroo) during World War II. Lee Marvin, the academy award winning actor during filming of "The Big Red One" July 1978. In the film which is directed by Samuel Fuller, Marvin plays the roll of a Sgt. In the U.S.Army's 1st infantry division, nicknamed the "Big Red One." The movie is being filmed in Natanya, Israel. (AP Photo/Max Nash)
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