Famous Veterans Celebrating Birthdays Today (June 5th):

Famous Veterans Born June 5, 1925:

Bill Hayes – Actor (Days of Our Lives) and recording artist (The Ballad of Davy Crockett) – (Navy Air Corps) – Died: January 12, 2024

In March 1943, while a freshman at DePaul University, Hayes enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Corps, and received his welcome letter on his eighteenth birthday ordering him to report for active duty on July 1st.  For the next 27 months, he trained to be a fighter pilot. He was two weeks shy of receiving his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Air Corps, scheduled to fly an F8F off a carrier, when World War II ended. He was awarded the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Given the choice of reenlisting in the Navy or getting out immediately, he opted for civilian life.

Famous Veterans Born June 5, 1924:

Art Donovan – NFL: Baltimore Colts – (Marine Corps WWII 1943-1945) – Died: August 4, 2013

Pro Football Hall of Famer and former #DefensiveTackle for the #BaltimoreColts, #NewYorkYanks and #DallasTexans.

Art “The Bulldog” Donovan received a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame in 1942 but left after one semester to join the #UnitedStatesMarineCorps, enlisting in April 1943. He served four years, to include service in the Pacific Theatre during #WorldWarII. He took part in some of the conflict’s fiercest engagements, such as the Battle of Luzon and the #BattleofIwoJima. He also served as an ammo-loader on a 40mm gun on the aircraft carrier #USSSanJacinto and as member of 3rd Marine Division. His earned citations, which included the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the Philippine Liberation Medal, and would later earn him a place in the U.S. Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame, the first pro football player so honored. After the war, he completed his college career at Boston College.

Art Donovan… another on a long list of FamousVeterans.com