Foo - Another sad day

Bob Keeshan A.K.A Captain Kangaroo died today :cry:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4038505/


QUECHEE, Vt. - Bob Keeshan, known to generations of children as TV personality Captain Kangaroo, has died at 76. Keeshan died of a long illness, his family said in a statement.

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Keeshan’s “Captain Kangaroo” debuted on CBS television in 1955 and ran for 30 years before moving to public television for six more. The program was wildly popular among children and won six Emmy Awards, three Gabriels and three Peabody Awards.

The format was simple: Each day, Captain Kangaroo, with his sugar-bowl haircut and uniform coat, would wander through his Treasure House, chatting with his good friend Mr. Green Jeans, played by Hugh “Lumpy” Brannum.

He would visit with puppet animals, like Bunny Rabbit, who was scolded for eating too many carrots, and Mr. Moose, who loved to tell knock-knock jokes. A favorite sketch involved Mister Moose dropping ping-pong balls on the Captain's head.

But the show revolved about the grandfatherly Captain Kangaroo, whose name was inspired by the kangaroo pouch-like pockets of the coat Keeshan wore.

“I was impressed with the potential positive relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, so I chose an elderly character,” Keeshan said.

Before portraying the Captain, Keeshan was the first actor to play sidekick Clarabell the Clown on the "Howdy Doody Show."

Keeshan was the author of numerous books, including "Growing Up Happy: Captain Kangaroo Tells Yesterday's Children How To Nurture Their Own" and "Good Morning Captain: 50 Wonderful Years With Bob Keeshan: TV's Captain Kangaroo." He also wrote a series of books about a character called "Itty Bitty Kitty."

© 2004 MSNBC Interactive

I loved him as a child. I remember sitting and watching him every day for a long time.

Too bad there do not seem to be any current kids charactors of similar quality and wholesomeness.

God bless him and his family.

I was getting my email and saw the same announcement. The only thing I could think was "first Mr. Rogers, now Captain Kangaroo". :( :cry:

He was a good guy. May he rest in peace.

Koffee

:( Rest in peace Captain Kangaroo!

:cry:

I was getting my email and saw the same announcement. The only thing I could think was "first Mr. Rogers, now Captain Kangaroo". :( :cry:

He was a good guy. May he rest in peace.

Koffee

I believe both were Marines and were on Iwo Jima. At least that is what been told in some circulated emails.

bummer

Here's a Captain Kangaroo story many of you may have never heard. It gives further insight into what a great man he was. Rest in peace, Captain, and thanks for caring for all the children of the world.

Dialog From The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson:

His guest was Lee Marvin.

Johnny said, "Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima... and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded."

"Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the ass and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Sibachi...bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys gettin' shot hauling you down. But Johnny, at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew... We both got the Cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. The dumb bastard actually stood up on RED beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me lying on my belly on the litter and said, 'Where'd they get you Lee?' "Well Bob... if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse!" Johnny, I'm not lying...Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew..... Bob Keeshan... You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo."

Claim: Lee Marvin, actor, and Bob Keeshan, television's "Captain Kangaroo," fought together at the battle for Iwo Jima.
Status: False.

Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2002]


Dialog from a Tonight Show... Johnny Carson...His guest was Lee Marvin.
Johnny said..."Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima...and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded."

Uran Myths got to love him



http://www.snopes.com/military/keeshan.htm


And you know how Lee was..."Yeah, yeah...I got shot square in the ass and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys gettin' shot hauling you down. But Johnny at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew...We both got the Cross the same day but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. The dumb bastard actually stood up on Red Beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. That Sgt. and I have been life long friends...When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sgt. and he lit a smoke and passed it to me lying on my belly on the litter..."Where'd they get you Lee?"...."Well Bob...if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse."..... "Johnny, I'm not lying...Sgt. Keeshan was the bravest man I ever Knew - Bob Keeshan....

You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo."




Variations: A
later version tacked on a prologue about Lee Marvin's burial in Arlington National Cemetery:


Many people have always been a bit offended that Lee Marvin is buried in a grove of 3 and 4 star generals at Arlington. His marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC). Nothing else.
I thought to myself, damn here's a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time, why the heck does he rate burial with these guys? Well, following is the amazing answer:

I always liked Lee Marvin, but did not know the extent of his Corps experiences. Including award of the Navy Cross. There is only one higher award...the Medal Of Honor.

Origins: We can't say for sure whether actor Lee Marvin ever related something like the story described above to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show (Marvin was a guest on the show seven times during Carson's tenure as host), but the details of the anecdote are undeniably false.
Lee Marvin did enlist in the U.S. Marines, saw action as Private First Class in the Pacific during World War II, and was wounded (in the buttocks) by fire which severed his sciatic nerve. However, this injury occurred during the battle for Saipan in June 1944, not the battle for Iwo Jima, which took place several months later, in February 1945. (Marvin also did receive a Purple Heart, and he is indeed buried at Arlington National Cemetery.)

Bob Keeshan, later famous as television's "Captain Kangaroo," also enlisted in the U.S. Marines, but too late to see any action during World War II. Keeshan was born on 27 June 1927 and enlisted two weeks before his 18th birthday, months too late to have taken part in the fighting at Iwo Jima. A 1997 interview with Keeshan noted that he "later enlisted in the U.S. Marines but saw no combat" because, as Keeshan said, he signed up "just before we dropped the atom bomb."

In 2003 someone thought to throw Mr. Rogers into the mix by add the following bit to the existing e-mail about Lee Marvin and Bob Keeshan:


On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who just passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long sleeve sweater to cover the many tattoo's on his forearm and biceps. A master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat. He hid that away and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm. America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did, they quietly go about their day to day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy. Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst. Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened.
Numerous rumors about children's host Mr. Rogers having a violent or criminal past have been bandied about for years, but there is nothing to any of them. As our Mr. Rogers page explains, not only did Fred Rogers never serve in the military, there are no gaps in his career when he could conceivably have served in the military. Moreover, Fred Rogers was born in 1928 and was therefore far too old for an active combat position in the Vietnam War.

Last updated: 13 January 2004

Crap....can't trust anybody these days....sorry. I bought it hook, line, and sinker.

I am sad to see Captain Kangaroo AND Mr. Rogers are gone. They were both great.

I was getting my email and saw the same announcement. The only thing I could think was "first Mr. Rogers, now Captain Kangaroo". :( :cry:

He was a good guy. May he rest in peace.

Koffee
For those die-hard early-A.M. Chicagoland kids of the 70s-80s, Ray Rayner also passed away, one day before Capt Kangaroo. Ray Rayner was THE best kids show I watched as a youngster. Getting old sucks

For those die-hard early-A.M. Chicagoland kids of the 70s-80s, Ray Rayner also passed away, one day before Capt Kangaroo. Ray Rayner was THE best kids show I watched as a youngster. Getting old sucks

How can anyone who watched Chicago TV in the 70s-80s forget Ray. I'll never forget when he played Oliver O. Oliver on "Bozo's Circus." Getting old definitely sucks.

:cry: I watched Captain Kangaroo all the time when I was a kid.

I hate getting older. Everyone I knew as a child is dying. It makes getting old so "real".

I loved Captain Kangaroo.. It was a sad day indeed!

:(