Category: Real men
Steven Spielberg’s 1998 film Saving Private Ryan is pure Hollywood fiction, but it was inspired by the true — and all too tragic — story of the five Sullivan brothers. The siblings enlisted/re-enlisted in the U.S. Navy following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and insisted they serve together on the same warship.
All were killed less than a year later when the Altanta-class light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52) was sunk at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942.
In total, 687 officers and sailors lost their lives as a result of the ship’s sinking, with only 10 survivors rescued after eight days in the water.
Their story was the subject of a 1944 film, while two warships have been named for brothers, and last year, New York Governor Kathy Houchul announced that the Empire State would help fund the restoration of the first of those vessels, which is now preserved as a floating museum outside Buffalo.
The Fighting Sullivans
The Sullivan brothers became national heroes, with President Franklin Roosevelt sending a letter of condolence to their parents, while Pope Pius XII sent a rosary with his message of regret.
Their story was told in the film “The Fighting Sullivans.” The semi-fictionalized account of brothers George, Frank, Joe, Matt, and Al saw them from their upbringing in Waterloo, Iowa, to their enlisting in the Navy after learning of the death of their friend Bill Ball — also boyfriend of their sister Genevive — while aboard USS Arizona (BB-39) during the Pearl Harbor attack.
The film didn’t get all the details right, but that didn’t matter. Their sacrifice was no less great.
As noted by the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, George and Francis (Frank) had previously enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1937 and served on the destroyer USS Hovey (DD-208) but were discharged before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Sullivans were also not the only brothers serving on the same ship, and according to The Medal of Honor Hall of Fame there may have been as many as 30 groups of siblings on the USS Juneau.
“The Fighting Sullivans” (spoilers) erroneously suggested that the brothers died together, likely for dramatic effect — although the film leaves the details vague. According to the survivors, Frank, Joe, and Matt were killed instantly when the USS Juneau was struck by a torpedo fired by the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Amatsukaze. The torpedo is believed to have hit the thinly armored light cruiser near its ammunition magazine, which caused the ship to blow in half and quickly sink.
Around 100 of the U.S. warship’s crew survived the explosion and were even spotted by a U.S. Army Air Force’s Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. The aircraft was under strict orders not to break radio silence, and it wasn’t able to report the location of the survivors until after it landed several hours later.
Even worse, due to a mix-up with paperwork, a rescue operation was delayed by several days. Had the message been relayed earlier, it is possible that brother Al, the only one to be married and with a child, and brother George may have been saved.
Instead, Al drowned a day after the warship sank.
George Sullivan is reported to have survived for four or five days in the water, until he likely suffered from delirium from hypernatremia, and jumped out of a life raft and was never seen again. It has been suggested that he may have been “driven insane with grief” after the loss of his brothers and possibly the guilt of being the only one left.
Due to wartime security, the U.S. Navy did not reveal the loss of USS Juneau — or other ships, for that matter so as not to provide information to the enemy. After several weeks of not hearing from them, in January 1943, Alleta Sullivan (mother of the five brothers) wrote to the Bureau of Naval Personnel. Soon after, on January 12, the family was told of their fate.
Three men in uniform went to the family house, and the naval officer told Tom Sullivan, “I have some news for you about your boys.”
“Which one,” Tom Sullivan asked.
“I’m sorry,” was the response. “All five.”
“We Stick Together”
Following the deaths of the five Sullivan brothers, the United States Navy announced it would honor their memory by naming a Fletcher-class destroyer in their honor. Originally laid down as Putnam just a month before the sinking of USS Juneau, the ship’s name was initially changed to Sullivan. At the behest of President Roosevelt, the name was changed to honor all five brothers.
USS The Sullivans (DD-537) became the first vessel commissioned by the United States Navy to honor more than one person. Alleta Sullivan was the ship’s sponsor, and the destroyer was given the most fitting of mottos: “We Stick Together.”
DD-537 was commissioned in September 1943 and, following a shakedown and training operations, joined Battleship Division (BatDiv) 9 in early 1944, where she was part of the U.S. Navy’s protective screen for the aircraft carriers USS Essex (CV-9), USS Intrepid (CV-11), and USS Cabot (CVL-22) as the flattops launched nearly continuous raids on the Japanese-held Kwajalein Atoll.
The warship went on to see action in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, engaging Japanese aircraft, and later supported the Leyte landings. The destroyer took part in the U.S. Navy’s invasion of Okinawa while then serving as an escort for USS Enterprise (CV-6).
Her last combat operations of World War II occurred in May 1945, after which USS The Sullivans returned to Mare Island, California, for an overhaul — missing the final combat activity of the war.
Sent to the Pacific Reserve Fleet after the end of World War II, USS The Sullivans was recalled to duty during the Korean War, serving in the screen of fast carriers that supported United Nations (UN) ground forces. As part of the U.S. Navy’s Cold War fleet, the destroyer took part in the U.S. naval blockade of Cuba in October 1962 and was among the vessels that played a role in the investigation following the loss of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593) off the coast of Boston in April 1963.
USS The Sullivans was decommissioned on January 7, 1965 — but remained in the reserve fleet until she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in December 1974. The destroyer named for the five brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country received nine battle stars for World War II service and two more for Korean service.
Among the U.S. Navy sailors to serve on USS The Sullivans was James Sullivan, son of youngest brother Al.
Saved as a Museum Ship
In 1977, the retired destroyer — along with the cruiser USS Little Rock (CG-4) were sent to the city of Buffalo, New York, to serve as a floating museum. Today, USS The Sullivans is one of just four surviving Fletcher-class destroyers, along with USS Kidd (DD-661), which is now in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; USS Cassin Young (DD-793), in Boston; and the Greek Navy’s Velos (D16), the former USS Charrette (DD-581), in Palaio Faliro, Greece.
However, the nearly five decades in the water, along with Buffalo’s harsh winters and hot summers, had taken their toll on the historic vessel. In April 2022, the situation became so bad that USS The Sullivans partially sank at her mooring at the Buffalo & Erie County Naval and Military Park. Though the destroyer was eventually refloated and multiple holes in her hull were patched, it was clear more needed to be done.
At issue was the cost.
Last fall, Governor Hochul announced the Empire State would provide $10 million, helping the military park reach the estimated $21 million needed to send the ship and its Gato-class submarine USS Croaker (SS-246) to dry-dock for much-needed repairs.
Current plans call for the vessels to head to a repair facility in the fall of 2025, with the work expected to be completed by the spring of 2026. The efforts will ensure USS The Sullivans continues to pay homage to the brothers, as well as the other sailors who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Korea, and the Cold War.
The Second USS The Sullivans
Though USS The Sullivans was the first U.S. warship to be named for more than a single person, it wasn’t the last — and a second vessel honoring the brothers is now in service.
The Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided-missile destroyer (DDG-68) was built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, and launched in 1995 with Kelly Ann Sullivan, granddaughter of Al Sullivan, as the ship’s sponsor. The vessel was among the escorts of the Royal Navy’s flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, during her 2021 deployment to the Indo-Pacific. USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) has been among the U.S. Navy warships sent to the Middle East to bolster the deterrence posture in the region.
As with the now-retired destroyer, the motto of the current USS The Sullivans remains “We Stick Together.”
SM Mike Vining, a serious Badass!
Mike Roger Vining[1] (born August 12, 1950) is a retired sergeant major in the United States Army, who was one of the first members of Delta Force. He joined the Army in 1968, and served until 1999.The man has been to the Vietnam War,
Operation Eagle Claw, Operation Urgent Fury
Operation Just Cause, Gulf War
Born into poverty in the woods of West Virginia, Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager was a World War II aircraft mechanic, fighter pilot, double ace, military commander, and a test pilot who broke the sound barrier. His journey from Army private to USAF Brigadier General is an inspiration to all.
Yeager began his Air Force career in September 1941 as a private in the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving as an aircraft mechanic. While he wanted to be a pilot, that career path was initially closed to him due to his age and lack of education, as the Air Corps required two years of college and a minimum age of 20.
After Pearl Harbor, however, the standards were revised due to the urgent need for pilots, and Yeager was accepted into the flight officer program. While Yeager had excellent eyesight and other attributes for flight training, his first few flights were memorable for another reason: Yeager vomiting in the cockpit.
With time, the queasiness went away, and Yeager excelled at flying. He graduated from pilot training at Luke A.F.B. in March 1943. He then transferred to the 363rd Fighter Squadron at Tonopah, NV, and was trained with the Bell P-39 Airacobra. Once while he was showboating, he clipped a farmer’s tree during a training mission and was grounded for a week.
In November 1943, the unit shipped out to RAF Leiston and began training with the P-51 Mustang.
Shot Down
On his eighth mission, Yeager, who had one aerial victory so far when he took out a Me-109 on the way to Berlin, was shot down over occupied France. He bailed out and hit the ground running for the tree line, evading the Nazis.
Initially, he trained the French Resistance (Maquis) in the use of explosives and timers, which he learned from his father, who worked in the gas fields. He escaped to Spain with the help of the resistance while helping another wounded aviator over the Pyrenees. He then spent time in Malta before returning to England.
A Talk With Eisenhower
After his downing, Yeager’s days of combat were over. Or were they? At that time, there was a regulation that prohibited downed pilots (evaders) from flying over enemy territory again. This was to prevent the resistance groups from being compromised if the pilot was captured and interrogated.
Yeager’s desire to fly again was so intense that he spoke with Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower to request a return to combat status. Actually, Yeager wrote in his memoir that “I raised so much hell that General Eisenhower finally let me go back to my squadron.”
When they met, “Eisenhower said, ‘I’ve got guys shooting themselves in the foot to go home. What is the matter with you?” Yeager replied, “General, I haven’t done my job. I don’t want to leave my buddies after only eight missions. It just isn’t right. I’ve got a lot of fightin’ left to do.”
Eisenhower told him that it was the War Department’s policy, but he would ask for permission to send Yeager back. While waiting, Yeager was limited to short-range missions, but managed to bag a Junkers Ju-88 bomber flying over the English Channel for his second kill.
In August 1944, Yeager returned to combat status and was issued a P-51C Mustang with a Malcom Hood canopy and, almost immediately, a P-51D, which he christened Glamorous Glen III, after his future wife, Glennis Dickhouse. On Oct 12, 1944, Yeager made squadron history when he became their first “Ace in a Day” with five kills of Luftwaffe Me-109’s.
On November 27, 1944, Yeager continued his hot streak, downing four Fw-190 fighters. He would also score one of the first victories of a Me 262 jet fighter and end the war with 13 kills. On January 15, 1945, he flew his last mission and returned to the U.S., having completed 61 missions in total.
Due to his status as an Evader, Yeager was given his choice of assignments and chose to be a functional test pilot of repaired aircraft at Wright Field.
Test Pilot
With the war now over, Yeager graduated from the Flight Performance School and landed a dream job as a test pilot at Muroc Army Airfield (Edwards A.F.B.)
After a Bell Aircraft Test pilot demanded $150,000 to break the sound barrier with their new rocket-powered X-1, Col. Albert Boyd, the chief of the Flight Test Division, successfully lobbied to get the X-1 project under his command. Boyd had already assembled a team of the best test pilots around. Now, Yeager was selected to be the first to break the sound barrier.
Two days before the record-breaking flight attempt of the X-1, Yeager was out horseback riding with Glennis and broke two ribs. Yeager, certain the injury would get him scrubbed from the mission, found a civilian doctor in nearby Rosamond to patch him up.
Now comes the hard part. In order to close the hatch on the X-1, Yeager had to hold it down and slam down a lever to seal it. This was not going to happen with two broken ribs. He asked his pilot/flight engineer friend, Jack Ridley, to help him come up with a solution.
Ridley chopped off a section of broom handle, and the pair tested it on the ground. The next day, the broomstick hatch tool worked perfectly, and Yeager was on his way to the history books. Yeager broke the sound barrier with a speed of Mach 1.05 at an altitude of 45,000 feet.
The 50’s
Yeager was the first American pilot to fly a MIG-15 due to the defection of a North Korean Pilot. In 1953, Yeager was a part of the X-1A team in search of breaking the Mach 2 barrier. Yeager set a new speed record in December 1953 when he flew the X-1A to Mach 2.44, breaking a recent Navy record and spoiling their planned celebration of the event.
The new flight record, however, almost killed Yeager. Just before reaching Mach 2.44, the X-1A became uncontrollable when it experienced “inertia coupling,” a condition that caused the aircraft to pitch, roll and yaw simultaneously. The X-1A dropped from 51,000 feet to 29,000 feet in less than a minute before Yeager regained control of the plane.
The 60’s
In 1962, Yeager, now a full colonel, became the first commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School. The school was the first stop for pilots wishing to become astronauts. While Yeager was arguably the best pilot at the time, his lack of a college degree kept him from serving as an astronaut.
In December 1963, Yeager began test flights of the M2F1 “Lifting body, also known as the “Bathtub”. You may recognize this aircraft from the opening crash scene of the “Six Million Dollar Man” television series. It was here that Yeager suffered his most serious injury.
Another program in the works at the time was the NF-104, which was a rocket-assisted Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. It was one of the first programs created to train pilots for astronaut duties.
Yeager took off and reached nearly 100,000 feet when the aircraft became unresponsive and entered a flat spin. The Starfighter lost approximately 95,000 feet of altitude with Yeager attempting to gain control all the way down. At one point, Yeager deployed the Starfighter’s drag chute in hopes of straightening the aircraft and restarting the engine.
With only a few seconds left, Yeager ejected from the Starfighter. During the ejection sequence, the ejection seat base struck him in the head, and the hot rocket motor broke his faceplate, which caused the oxygen supply to catch fire and severely burn his face. Yeager suffered through numerous operations for his facial burns. This was the end of his test flight career.
Vietnam, Retirement and Beyond
In 1966, Yeager assumed command of the 405th Fighter Wing at Clark Air Base, Philippines, which rotated throughout Southeast Asia and South Vietnam, flying 127 missions.
In the early 1970’s, Yeager was assigned as the air attaché to the Pakistani Air Force, assisting them with integrating the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile onto their fighter aircraft.
In March 1975, Yeager finally retired with 34 years of service. Not one to sit around, Yeager kept busy with a variety of projects. He made a cameo appearance as Fred the bartender in the movie “The Right Stuff,” which, in part, told his story of breaking the sound barrier. He drove a Corvette pace car at the Indianapolis 500. He flew an F-15D Eagle in celebration of the 50th anniversary of his record-breaking flight. He was a spokesman for AC Delco auto parts and a consultant to Northrop Grumman for the F-20 Tigershark.
Yeager passed away on Pearl Harbor Day, 2020, at the age of 97.
Legacy
His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon, and the Congressional Medal of Freedom.
Yeager was a command pilot and had flown more than 12,000 hours in 361 different makes and models of military aircraft in service to his country.
Categories
What a real old sweat looks like
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Long Range Smoothbore
The Cimarron 1876 Centennial “Tom Horn” Rifle chambered in .45-60 is the ultimate addition to any western gun collection. Cimarron, and their affiliate company Texas Jack (TexasJacks.com), also offer other western-style guns and accessories like this Remington 1890 replica revolver which is the same type that was carried by Tom Horn ($624.48), Tom Horn hat ($514.00), and replica ammunition box ($6.30). (Photo by Mike Anschuetz)
Spoiler alert — You know the deal. You’ve been warned. Tom Horn was Steve McQueen’s penultimate film. Based upon a true story, the movie’s eponymous central character is a brooding loner with a dark past whose sense of frontier morality puts him in conflict with the progressive social ideals of the day.
In many ways Tom Horn is actually Steve McQueen and vice versa. The two men experienced tremendous hardship and tragedy but ultimately faced the end at peace.
The film Tom Horn is as much about a rifle as a man. While not necessarily historically accurate, the film narrative orbits around Tom’s unique Winchester. A massive Model 1876 chambered in .45-60, the unusual particulars of this weapon ultimately condemn Horn to death.
Most historians state that the real Tom Horn’s rifle of choice was a .30-30 Winchester, likely a Model 1892.
However, many historians claim that Horn did own a Winchester Model 1876 rifle and a recent discovery of a Winchester 1876 rifle, chambered in .45-60, which was acquired from a museum many decades ago, is now believed to have been owned by Tom Horn.
Some of the evidence includes a sling with “JC Coble, Bolser, Wyoming” carved on it — John Coble was the employer of Tom Horn.
Colbel also paid for Horn’s funereal costs and had a book published about Horn’s life. A cleaning rod found with the rifle was wrapped with an envelope which had the lyrics of Life’s Railway to Heaven written on it, a song sung at Tom Horn’s funeral.
The song was written by Glendolene M. Kimmell, a schoolteacher that Horn was romantically connected with. Did Horn stash the rifle with his girlfriend? Was it used in the murder Horn was convicted of? Did someone else use his rifle? There are still questions unanswered.
Adding more confusion to the riddle is the fact that Horn had three rounds of ammunition on him when he was arrested: a .38-40, a .30-40 Government, and a .45-60 (this was in addition to his .30-30 rifle and ammunition).
In any case, the Winchester 1876 used in the film has a great deal more character than a Model 1892. Cimarron offers a beautiful spot-on replica of this very rifle chambered in the quirky but powerful .45-60 cartridge.
The Gun
The Model 1876 Winchester was called the Centennial Model as it was released coincident with the American Centennial Exposition. Where the previous Models 1866 and 1873 were chambered for pistol cartridges, the beefed-up Model 1876 was designed to handle the big game rounds of the day.
The Cimarron Model 1876 Winchester in .45-60 is shown along-side a vintage original 19th century Model 1873 chambered for the .44-40 pistol round. The differences between the two actions are obvious.
Winchester produced four versions of the 1876 in at least three different chamberings. The Carbine sported a 22-inch barrel, the Express Rifle had a 26-inch tube, and the Sporting Rifle reached out 28 inches. The Musket had a massive 32-inch barrel, before the Model 1886 supplanted it the production run totaled 63,871 copies.
Oliver Winchester was a master marketer. His standard rifles had a blued finish, while the deluxe variants were casehardened. Winchester also offered his famous One of One Hundred and One of One Thousand grades, seven of the former and fifty-four of the latter. The Model 1876 chambered for .50-95 Express was the only lever action rifle to see widespread service among buffalo hunters.
The Canadian North-West Mounted Police bought 750 Model 1876 guns in .45-75 in 1883. The Texas Rangers used the same rifle. President Theodore Roosevelt used a Model 1876 on some of his hunting forays out West and raved about it. Teddy’s copy sported a pistol-gripped stock, a half-length magazine, and extensive engraving. When the famed Apache chief Geronimo was captured in 1886 he was carrying a Model 1876 Winchester.
Photo Gallery
The Cimarron Tom Horn Rifle
The Model 1876 from Cimarron is a splendid rendition of the gun used in the movie. Featuring a 28-inch octagonal barrel and a 49-inch overall length, this massive lever action tips the scales at just over ten pounds. The steel is blued, and the stocks are a deep stained walnut.
Tom Horn’s name is engraved across the receiver. In addition, a removable Marble tang rear sight affixes behind the action and perfectly replicates the setup in the movie.
While the actual hero gun used in the film was an original 1882 vintage Model 1876 firing .45-75 WCF — some sources state that this caliber was chosen by the movie production due to availability of .45-70 blanks which would work in the rifle. The Cimarron rifle runs .45-60 in keeping with the movie’s narrative.
The removable Marble tang sight is a spot-on replica of the one used in the film and gives the big gun plenty of character.
The Cimarron replica is absolutely gorgeous. The fit and finish are flawless, and the action runs like greased glass. At more than four feet long this gun projects authority. For anyone with an interest in period Western firearms the Tom Horn Centennial Model 1876 from Cimarron pegs the awesometer.
How Does She Run?
The Tom Horn Model 1876 Centennial is a monster of a firearm. Just hefting the thing will bounce a guy’s serum testosterone up a few notches. The rounds are as big as your index finger, and the elegant angles exude a near-sensual vibe.
Lifting the rifle to your shoulder settles it in place like an old friend. The graceful curved buttplate locks into the human form, while the gentle drop orients the sights right where they should be. The big action runs smoothly and comfortably. However, it did take a few rounds before the action loosened up, and it must be run authoritatively. Lube the firing pin a bit for optimal reliability.
The massive action is designed to accommodate large-bore cartridges like the .45-60.
The rear sight is an adjustable ramp, but that’s not the one you’ll use. The Marble tang sight incorporates an aperture for precision and a vernier adjustment for range. The mechanism folds out of the way when it isn’t needed and slides free for storage.
The sight adjusts to compensate for the drop of those big fat lead bullets, but there are no graduations. A man running a rifle this awesome knows his iron well enough not to need them.
.45-60 ammunition is available, but be prepared to pay $50 – $80 for a box of 20.
The rounds are big, but the gun is bigger. That means the shooting experience remains recreational. This portly rifle rocks back under recoil and cycles as fast as the operator’s rheumatism might allow. The long heavy barrel keeps those big slugs nicely under control.
The Cimarron Model 1876 Winchester Tom Horn rifle hits like a freight train downrange. This fifty-yard group could likely be tighter with some younger eyes behind the gun.
Ancillary Iron
Sundry other characters wield Model 1892 Winchester rifles that are period correct for a movie set in 1903. Actor Slim Pickens’ character carries a long-barreled side-by-side 12-bore with exposed hammers. McQueen uses a similar coach gun liberated from a cattle rustler to put paid to another ne’er-do-well.
A variety of rustlers pack the obligatory Colt Single Action Army in several different configurations. Colonel Colt’s Peacemaker is the archetypal Western revolver. Cimarron offers a wide array of these iconic wheelguns.
Horn loses his favorite horse to a brigand armed with a heavy .44-caliber Colt Walker revolver. The Colt Walker was designed in 1846 as a collaborative effort between Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker and Sam Colt. There were only 1,100 original guns produced, 1,000 of which went to the military. Sam Walker died wielding a brace of his eponymous revolvers while fighting in the Mexican-American War in 1847.
The .44-caliber Walker Colt was the most powerful handgun in the world in its day. (Wikipedia)
One of Horn’s adversaries wields a Smith and Wesson Model 3 Schofield revolver. This single action top-break wheelgun debuted in 1870 and was the first cartridge-firing handgun adopted by the US Army. Bob Ford used a Schofield Model 3 to kill Jesse James in 1882.
Déjà vu
Tom Horn bears a strange resemblance to my personal favorite Western, Quigley Down Under. In fact, Steve McQueen was initially approached about starring in Quigley in the 1970’s. The exigencies of show business intervened, and the movie was not made until 1990 with Tom Selleck and his Shiloh Sharps .45-110 rifle in the lead roles.
There is a pervasive melancholia about Tom Horn. McQueen’s character does some bad things, but he has a good heart. The viewer wants him to prevail.
However, the Cattleman’s Association, a timeless personification of faceless greed, ultimately takes his life unjustly. A special gallows was constructed that was activated by Horn’s own weight, no one in attendance being willing to throw the lever.
Tom Horn seems oddly similar to the Tom Selleck classic Quigley Down Under. (Moviestillsdb.com)
Tom Horn hit theaters in March of 1980. Steve McQueen died of malignant mesothelioma eight months later at age fifty. The cumulative effects of a terminal disease and McQueen’s Hollywood lifestyle were beginning to take a toll during the making of the film. This toxic combination likely contributed to the movie’s gritty edge.
Denouement
The historical Tom Horn, like the character in the movie, was a frontier Renaissance Man. He served as a civilian scout for the US Cavalry, a ranch owner, a Pinkerton detective, a deputy sheriff, and a “Range Detective.” In the latter role he was essentially a paid assassin who meted out frontier justice to cattle rustlers in exchange for a stipend for every dead outlaw he could produce.
Tom Horn is a Hollywood classic coming at the end of the golden age of Western films. The movie is avail-able to stream for free on Vudu. (Moviestillsdb.com) (Moviestillsdb.com)
Unlike the film’s title character, the real Horn was more morally complex. He likely killed at least seventeen men, the first in a duel over a prostitute.
It was his conviction for the murder of a 14-year-old boy named Willie Nickell near Iron Mountain, Wyoming, for which he was hanged the day before his 43rd birthday.
The film was inspired by his autobiography The Life of Tom Horn: Government Scout and Interpreter as told by Himself that he wrote while in jail while awaiting execution.
Steve McQueen was in his time the highest paid actor in Hollywood, and he carries a gravitas to which other lesser actors still aspire. The tale of Tom Horn has all the elements of ruggedness, passion, and justice ill-served that make for a compelling Western. Tolerate a few commercials and you can catch it for free on Vudu.
Cimarron Tom Horn Winchester 1876
- Caliber: .45-60
- Barrel Length: 28-inch octagon
- Frame: Blued
- Stocks: Walnut
- Magazine Capacity: 11+1
- Overall Length: 49 inches
- Weight: 10.05 pounds
- MSRP: $1,864.17
- Contact: Cimarron Firearms, (877)-SIXGUN1, Cimarron-Firearms.com
An Interview with Actor Mel Novak
Firearms News Editor, Vincent DeNiro, asked me to reach out to his friend Mel Novak as he acted in the movie Tom Horn.
Mel Novak is the veteran of fifty-four movies. A legendary martial artist, he’s died twenty-three times on screen and worked alongside the likes of Yul Brynner, Isaac Hayes, Sybil Danning, and Chuck Norris. He fought Bruce Lee’s character to the death in Game of Death as “Stick” and lived to tell the tale. He was also a friend and spiritual mentor to Steve McQueen.
Mel’s real calling is to serve those society finds the most unlovely. An ordained minister, Mel has for more than thirty-six years led services in prisons and skid row areas reaching the homeless and the incarcerated for Christ.
Starting out with a stint playing professional baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, that was cut short by a severe shoulder injury, he has gone on to a long career in movies and along the way reached countless souls for Jesus.
A perennial villain in dozens of familiar action movies, martial arts legend Mel Novak has devoted his life to Christian ministry. (Wikipedia)
WD: Tell me something memorable about Steve McQueen. What was he really like up close?
MN: Steve was a real down-to-earth kind of guy. One day I was out trap shooting with Stephen Spielberg, Ken Hyman, and John Milius when up walks this guy with really long hair and a full beard.
Once I saw those bright blue eyes I realized it was Steve. This was maybe seven months before he died. I had first met Steve McQueen, through his karate instructor Pat Johnson, years before at a birthday party.
Coppola and Milius were making Apocalypse Now, and they wanted Steve to play the part of LTC Kilgore. They offered him $2 million on the spot for one week’s work in the Philippines, and he turned him down cold.
Steve didn’t have anything else going on at the time, but he just didn’t feel like leaving the country.
WD: Hard to imagine “Charlie don’t surf!” and “I love the smell of napalm in the morning!” coming from anybody but Robert Duvall, but apparently that was almost Steve McQueen. Share with us a memory about making the movie Tom Horn.
MN: The movie was already cast, but Steve fired the director Steve Guercia right after filming began. He got rid of several of the cast members and said he wanted me in the film. I got a call from the producer Fred Weintraub at 3pm telling me I needed to be on a plane for Arizona at six.
The next morning, I went through wardrobe and makeup but still had not seen a script. On the drive out to the set, they told me I was getting a different role with a lot of dialogue, and I still hadn’t seen any of it. As soon as I got there they were ready to shoot.
I said a quick prayer for help, and the new director announced unexpectedly that it was time for a lunch break. I skipped lunch and went back to my trailer to learn my lines. When it was all over Steve was happy with it.
Mel Novak was a friend and spiritual mentor to Steve McQueen. Here is seen on the movie set of Tom Horn. (Photo courtesy of Mel Novak)
WD: Tell us about Steve’s last months.
MN: He had a horrible cancer, but I know Steve McQueen is in glory with the Lord. Billy Graham went down to Mexico to meet with him. I was once giving him some scriptures and he told me,
“Mel, you sound just like my pastor.” We both laughed, and I said, “Well, Steve, we read the same book.” I was blessed to know him and to minister to him. He’s someone that you never forget.