Lee

Lee Marvin, born 19-02-1924 in New York City, the son of Lamont Waltman Marvin, an advertising executive and the head of the New York and New England Apple Institute and his wife Courtenay Washington Davidge, a fashion writer and beauty consultant. He was named in honor of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Lee died age 63, on 12-10-1870, who was his first cousin, four times removed.

     His father was a direct descendant of Matthew Marvin, Sr., who emigrated from Great Bentley, Essex, England in 1635 and helped found Hartford, Connecticut. Marvin studied violin when he was young. As a teenager, Marvin "spent weekends and spare time hunting deer, puma, wild turkey and bobwhite in the wilds of the then-uncharted Everglades." He attended St. Leo Preparatory College in St. Leo, Florida after being expelled from several schools for bad behavior. Marvin left school to join the United States Marine Corps, serving as a Scout Sniper in the 4^th Marine Division, nickname "Fighting Fourth"  . Tani Masuo,   He was wounded in action during the World War II Battle of Saipan, during which most of his platoon were killed.  Marvin's wound, in the buttocks, was from machine gun fire, which severed his sciatic nerve. He was awarded the Purple Heart and was given a medical discharge with the rank of Private First Class. After the war, while working as a plumber's assistant at a local community theatre in Upstate New York, Marvin was asked to replace an actor who had fallen ill during rehearsals. He then began an amateur Off-Broadway acting career in New York City and served as an understudy in Broadway productions. In 1950, Marvin moved to Hollywood. He found work in supporting roles, and from the beginning was cast in various war films. As a decorated combat veteran, Marvin was a natural in war dramas, where he frequently assisted the director and other actors (see actors) in realistically portraying infantry movement, arranging costumes, and even adjusting war surplus military prop firearms. His debut was in You're in the Navy Now.  

      He died of a heart attack 29-08-1987, age 63, after being hospitalized for more than two weeks because of "a run-down condition related to the flu." He is interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 7A, where his headstone reads "Lee Marvin, PFC US Marine Corps, World War II". Next to his grave are buried 101 Airborne   General Maxwell Taylor (see Taylor) and boxing champ, Joe Louis (see Louis), Flying Ace "Pappy" Boyington (see Boyington), James Doolittle (see Doolittle) and General Bruce Clarke (see Clarke).