TV Icon Norman Lear Flew 52 Combat Missions in WWII

Norman Lear didn’t just change television—he changed America. Creator of over 100 groundbreaking shows like All in the Family and The Jeffersons, he turned sitcoms into a powerful force for social change.

But behind his iconic scripts lies an untold story: a WWII veteran who flew 52 combat missions and a relentless activist who fought for democracy off-screen. Lear’s life is a masterclass in pushing boundaries, both on and off the battlefield.

A TV Legend with a Wartime Legacy

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Before becoming famous for creating hit shows like All in the Family and The Jeffersons, Norman Lear had an incredible experience as a young man in the military.

In September 1942, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Force and served as a radio operator and gunner on Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers during World War II. 

He was stationed in the Mediterranean theater, where he flew 52 combat missions and played a part in bombing targets in Germany. For his bravery, Lear was awarded the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters. (ref

After being discharged in 1945, Lear’s experiences in the war remained an important part of his life, and his wartime crew members are featured in the book Crew Umbriago by Daniel P. Carroll. 

From Public Relations to TV Pioneer

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After World War II, Lear started a career in public relations, inspired by his Uncle Jack, who was a press agent. Lear wanted to be like him and imagined a career where he could flip a quarter to his nephew one day. 

He moved to California, driving cross-country with his young daughter to restart his career. He began as a comedy writer and then became a film director.

After a few failed attempts, he created the hit sitcom All in the Family, which CBS picked up after two rejected pilots. 

The show premiered in 1971 and initially struggled with ratings but eventually became a massive success, staying at the top for five years.

Lear went on to create more iconic shows like Sanford and Son, Maude, The Jeffersons, and Good Times. His shows were known for addressing social and political issues, using a live studio audience, and being shot on videotape instead of film. These sitcoms changed TV forever. 

In 1997, Norman Lear and Jim George produced the Kids’ WB cartoon Channel Umptee-3. It was the first show to meet the new educational programming rules set by the Federal Communications Commission.

Honored for Changing TV & American Culture

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Lear has received many awards for his huge impact on television and American culture. In 1999, President Bill Clinton gave him the National Medal of Arts, saying Lear “held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it.” (ref)

That same year, he and Bud Yorkin were honored with the Women in Film Lucy Award for their work that helped improve how women were seen on TV. In 2006, Lear received the Producers Guild of America’s Achievement Award in Television.

The next year, they renamed the award in his honor, calling it the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.

In 2017, he was given the Woody Guthrie Prize for using his work to bring about social change, just like the legendary musician. That same year, Lear became the oldest recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors at the age of 95. 

He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6615 Hollywood Boulevard, as a lasting tribute to his influence on TV and culture. (ref)

Lear passed away at his Los Angeles home on December 5, 2023, at the age of 101 due to cardiac arrest from heart failure. His body was cremated. (ref)

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Nancy Maffia » nancy
Nancy Maffia
Author & Editor | + posts

Nancy received a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.