"He immediately landed a minor role in the film Sands of Iwo Jima starring John Wayne."
Man, was he young in that movie. But you know what? Not a bad casting call at all...a lot of boys 17-18 years old enlisted in the wake of Pearl Harbor and didn't live to see 20. Operation Pacific and Mr Roberts were good flicks too. In the latter wasn't he the SP with the Southern accent?
Another of my fathers generation.
R.I.P.