Today we remember two Famous Veterans born on September 28 whose lives took very different paths after serving our country — Tom Harmon, the legendary Heisman Trophy winner, World War II combat pilot and father of actor Mark Harmon, and Robert Hogan, the prolific television actor whose name became forever connected to one of television’s most recognizable military comedies.

🏈 TOM HARMON — Football Legend, Broadcaster & Decorated WWII Veteran

🎂 Born: September 28, 1919
🕊️ Died: March 15, 1990
🎖️ Military Service: U.S. Army Air Forces — World War II
🏅 Military Decorations: Silver Star and Purple Heart

Before entering the military, Tom Harmon had already become one of the biggest names in American sports.

Playing for the University of Michigan, Harmon became one of college football’s greatest all-around players. He led the nation in scoring in both 1939 and 1940 and won the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award in 1940.

His legendary final game for Michigan came against rival Ohio State. Harmon helped lead Michigan to a 40–0 victory, scoring three rushing touchdowns, throwing two touchdown passes, kicking four extra points and intercepting three passes. His performance was so impressive that the Ohio State crowd gave the Michigan star a standing ovation.

Harmon was then selected with the first overall pick in the 1941 NFL Draft.

✈️ From the Football Field to the Skies of World War II

Harmon enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in November 1941 and became a military pilot.

His wartime service included two extraordinary survival stories.

In 1943, while flying to North Africa, the aircraft Harmon was piloting crashed in the South American jungle. Harmon parachuted from the plane and spent several days making his way through the jungle before reaching safety.

Later that same year, Harmon was serving with the 449th Fighter Squadron and flying combat missions in the China-Burma-India theater when his aircraft was shot down over China.

Once again, Harmon survived.

For his service during World War II, Harmon received the Silver Star and Purple Heart.

Following the war, Harmon returned to football and played for the Los Angeles Rams during the 1947 and 1948 seasons. He later built a highly successful career as a sports broadcaster and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

🎬 The Harmon Family Legacy

Tom Harmon married actress and model Elyse Knox, and one of their children would eventually become a household name himself.

Their son, Mark Harmon, played quarterback at UCLA before becoming a highly successful actor. He is perhaps best known for his longtime role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS.

Long before Mark Harmon became one of television’s most familiar faces, his father had already built an extraordinary legacy as an athlete, decorated Veteran and broadcaster.

🎭 ROBERT HOGAN — U.S. Army Veteran & Prolific Television Actor

🎂 Born: September 28, 1933
🕊️ Died: May 27, 2021
🎖️ Military Service: U.S. Army — Korean War era

Born in Jamaica, Queens, New York, Robert Joseph Hogan served in the United States Army during the Korean War era before beginning the acting career that would make him one of television’s most prolific and recognizable character actors.

After his honorable discharge from the Army, Hogan initially studied engineering at New York University. An aptitude test, however, suggested that his talents might be better suited to the arts. He eventually attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, setting him on an entirely different career path.

Hogan began his professional acting career in 1961 and went on to work steadily for decades.

Over the course of his remarkable career, Hogan made appearances in more than 90 television shows, portraying recurring or guest characters on programs including Alice, Another World, As the World Turns, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, Law & Order, Murder, She Wrote, One Life to Live, Operation Petticoat, Peyton Place and The Wire.

He also appeared on such familiar television series as MASH, The Rockford Files, The Incredible Hulk, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., Hill Street Blues* and St. Elsewhere.

📺 The Fascinating Hogan’s Heroes Connection

One of the most interesting pieces of Robert Hogan’s television legacy involves a show whose title might make you think he starred in it — Hogan’s Heroes.

Hogan was friends with series co-creator Bernard Fein.

When Fein helped create Hogan’s Heroes, the show’s central character — U.S. Army Air Forces Colonel Robert Hogan, famously portrayed by Bob Crane — was named after his friend Robert Hogan.

So while Robert Hogan was not the actor who played Colonel Hogan, his name became part of television history through one of the best-known sitcom characters of the 1960s.

Adding another twist to the story, Robert Hogan himself later appeared as a guest actor in two episodes of Hogan’s Heroes.

His television career ultimately spanned nearly six decades.

Robert Hogan passed away on May 27, 2021, at the age of 87.

🇺🇸 Two men. Two very different careers. One shared commitment to serving their country.

Tom Harmon went from college football superstardom to the dangerous skies of World War II before returning home to professional football and broadcasting.

Robert Hogan served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War era before embarking on a television career that would span decades and more than 90 shows.

Today, on the anniversary of their September 28 birthdays, Famous Veterans remembers Tom Harmon and Robert Hogan and honors their service to our country.

See if your favorite celebrity proudly served: FamousVeterans.com

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