I was a senior in HS when the episode Rodger Young aired starring James MacArthur on the series The Great Adventure. I remember little about the entire TV series, but this episode about Medal of Honor recipient Young has stuck with me since then. In my humble opinion, today's TV producers would do well to produce quality factual shows about American history and heroes from all walks of life instead of all the violent, meaningless junk now being aired. America's youth could use the education.
2 Reviews
A Great Episode About a Forgotten Hero
jr-565-2636617 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This episode aired 20 years after his death in the Pacific during WWII and I believe is the only TV show to tell his tale. It was also the only episode of the series that was set in the 20th Century and the only episode involving WWII. James MacArthur plays Rodger Young in an episode that is as vivid in my memory today as when I saw it as a 10 year old.
Rodger Young is a keen athlete who tries out for the high school football team but is rejected as being too short. He tries out for the basketball team, but suffers a head injury when he was fouled during a game. The injury gradually affects both his eyesight and hearing. Nevertheless, he later successfully enlists in the Ohio National Guard as an infantryman.
Small in stature and wearing glasses, he is not seriously considered as infantry material during basic training. When the drill sergeant (played by George Kennedy) orders the trainees to conduct a unsupervised 12 mile road march, the platoon convinces a convoy of supply trucks to give them a ride to the base. Young is the only soldier who refuses to participate. The trainees are caught by the drill sergeant who makes them start the road march all over. As they leave, Young arrives having completed the march. Despite the fact that he had followed orders, the drill sergeant orders Young to start over as well because he should have stuck with his platoon. However, Young's integrity and leadership abilities is noticed and he is soon promoted to corporal.
I was watching this episode with my dad who was a career soldier at the time and I asked why Young was punished with the rest of the platoon. My dad told me something that I never forgot - that the Army values teamwork above all else and that Young should have stayed with his platoon no matter.
Young's unit is soon activated for WWII and shipped to the South Pacific. By now he is promoted to sergeant and is leading a squad of 12 men. However, his hearing deteriorates and in one skirmish, several of his soldiers are wounded because he could not hear. He requests a demotion to private which his commander reluctantly approves. It is an open secret about Young's disabilities, but he is allowed to stay with the unit.
Day's later his squad is pinned down by a Japanese machine gun and several of his buddies are killed and wounded. Young crawls forward to within grenade range of the machine gun, but is shot as he rises to throw the grenade. He is killed, but not before the grenade destroys the machine gun. Young's actions enabled his platoon to withdraw from the ambush without further casualties. The episode ends with his buddies gathered around the fallen Rodger Young, recognizing that they owed their lives to his bravery.
Private Rodger Young was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and sacrifice. A song was later written about Young that was recorded by Burl Ives and was very popular during and after the war. The lyrics start with the following words:
No, they've got no time for glory in the Infantry. No, they've got no use for praises loudly sung. But in every soldier's heart in all the Infantry, Shines the name, shines the name of Rodger Young.
The high production values and superb acting in this episode was such that I only saw it once over 50 years ago, but it is still vivid and memorable to this day. My only wish is to see this episode one more time before I die.
Rodger Young is a keen athlete who tries out for the high school football team but is rejected as being too short. He tries out for the basketball team, but suffers a head injury when he was fouled during a game. The injury gradually affects both his eyesight and hearing. Nevertheless, he later successfully enlists in the Ohio National Guard as an infantryman.
Small in stature and wearing glasses, he is not seriously considered as infantry material during basic training. When the drill sergeant (played by George Kennedy) orders the trainees to conduct a unsupervised 12 mile road march, the platoon convinces a convoy of supply trucks to give them a ride to the base. Young is the only soldier who refuses to participate. The trainees are caught by the drill sergeant who makes them start the road march all over. As they leave, Young arrives having completed the march. Despite the fact that he had followed orders, the drill sergeant orders Young to start over as well because he should have stuck with his platoon. However, Young's integrity and leadership abilities is noticed and he is soon promoted to corporal.
I was watching this episode with my dad who was a career soldier at the time and I asked why Young was punished with the rest of the platoon. My dad told me something that I never forgot - that the Army values teamwork above all else and that Young should have stayed with his platoon no matter.
Young's unit is soon activated for WWII and shipped to the South Pacific. By now he is promoted to sergeant and is leading a squad of 12 men. However, his hearing deteriorates and in one skirmish, several of his soldiers are wounded because he could not hear. He requests a demotion to private which his commander reluctantly approves. It is an open secret about Young's disabilities, but he is allowed to stay with the unit.
Day's later his squad is pinned down by a Japanese machine gun and several of his buddies are killed and wounded. Young crawls forward to within grenade range of the machine gun, but is shot as he rises to throw the grenade. He is killed, but not before the grenade destroys the machine gun. Young's actions enabled his platoon to withdraw from the ambush without further casualties. The episode ends with his buddies gathered around the fallen Rodger Young, recognizing that they owed their lives to his bravery.
Private Rodger Young was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and sacrifice. A song was later written about Young that was recorded by Burl Ives and was very popular during and after the war. The lyrics start with the following words:
No, they've got no time for glory in the Infantry. No, they've got no use for praises loudly sung. But in every soldier's heart in all the Infantry, Shines the name, shines the name of Rodger Young.
The high production values and superb acting in this episode was such that I only saw it once over 50 years ago, but it is still vivid and memorable to this day. My only wish is to see this episode one more time before I die.
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