December 23, 2022: Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear was born in July 1922 in New Haven, Connecticut, to Herman Lear and Jeannette Seicol, and was raised in a Jewish household. After graduating high school in Hartford, Lear started a bachelor’s degree at Emerson College in Boston. In 1942, he attended a rehearsal for the play “The Two Orphans” when he learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Shortly after, he decided to drop out of school and enlist in the Army.
Lear attended basic training at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and for a short time in Atlantic City. Afterward, he was stationed at a pilot training camp in Buffalo, New York, and then sent to Nashville, where he took pilot examinations. He failed the math test and instead received training to be a radio operator and gunner in the top turret of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. He served with the 772nd Bombardment Squadron, 463rd Bombardment (Heavy) Group of the Fifteenth Air Force.
After his training, Lear’s squadron flew from Florida to Foggia, Italy, on their B-17, which they called “Umbriago.” He took part in 52 missions across occupied Europe, including over Berlin, Stuttgart and Frankfurt. He also served alongside the Tuskegee Airmen on a few missions. In an interview with the West Point Center for Oral History, he recollects feeling particularly at ease with their escort: “When we saw the red tails, which were the Tuskegee guys, it was a particular comfort because they seemed to fly closer.”
As the war came to an end, Lear volunteered to deliver men and supplies because he was interested in seeing Cairo, Egypt. Shortly after Victory in Europe Day, his crew completed their assignment and returned to Florida. In 1945, he was honorably discharged as a technical sergeant, and for his service, he was awarded an Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters.
After his service, Lear worked as a publicist in New York City and then a comedy writer in California. He went on to produce and write some of the most popular television shows of his era, including “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons.” He also published a memoir, “Even This I Get to Experience,” in 2014. He has received four Emmys, a National Medal of the Arts and has been inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
We honor his service.
Nominate a Veteran
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s “Honoring Veterans” social media spotlight is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission
Writer: Taryn Gehman
Editors: Tayler Rairigh
Researchers: Vivian Hurney
Graphic Designer: Kiki Kelley
Topics in this story
More Stories
In honor of National Park Service's National Park Week, this week's Honoring Veterans spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Michael Trevino, who today works as a facility manager at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran Ken Mattingly, who served as a pilot during the 1950s and later became an astronaut during the Apollo missions.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Gavino Cavazos, who served from 1949 to 1973 during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
