Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Dead Page: Tuskegee Airman-- Scarlett's Beaux

HOWARD LEE BAUGH, 88

Lt.-Col. Howard Lee Baugh died August 23rd at age 88. He was one of the of the famed Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. Through their meritorous servive, they helped bring about the desegregation of the American military.

He enlisted in 1942 and flew 135 combat missions earning a Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the French legion of Honor andmany other awards.


FRED CRANE, 90

Back on August 16th, actress Evelyn Keyes, who played Scarlett O'Hara's sister Suellen, died. On August 27th, Fred Crane, one of her beauxs died.

His Southern accent helped him land the role and he spoke the very first lines in the movie Gone With the Wind. He was one of the Tarleton twins, the other being played by George reeves of TV's Superman fame.

The film opens with him saying, "Whatdo we care if we were expelled from college, Scarlett? The war is going to start any day now, so we'd have left college anyhow."

Then came Scarlett's classic reply, "Fiddle-dee-dee. War, war, war. This war is spoiling all the fun at every party this spring. I get so bored I could scream."

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