TV's "Captain Kangaroo," actor Bob Keeshan, has died at age 76

This is listed as "Breaking News" on the MSNBC.com front page.

Wow! I did't know he still had that great an impact on the daily life of U.S. citizens!!! I watched him as a kiddie, but really...

Hold the presses...

Mr. Moose and Mr. Green Jeans will be filing for unemployment soon.

My son is a big fan of "Clifford the Big Red Dog". John Ritter did the voice of Clifford.

"Mr. Noodle" from Sesame Street also died recently.

Fred Rogers ("Mr. Rogers Neighborhood") passed away some time ago.

Oh, to live in the wild world of kid's television...

1. I didn't know John Ritter did the voice of Clifford.
and
2. I didn't know Clifford HAD a voice.

It's really sad that those simple pleasures can't remain timeless. First time I realized that was when Mr. Rogers passed away.

Jen

I remember reading somewhere Captain kangaroo was a war hero. Do some good things in WW2, got a couple metals, Just about all of them but the CMH IIRC. I'm not sure, cause he wouldn't talk about it .

Fred Rodgers also was a marine IIRC, and and got a Bronze Star I think.

And then Pee Wee Herman, completed the trifecta of TV in my childhood. Well 2 outa three ain't bad.

1 - 2 - 3 Wake Up Grandfather!

Us 40something's will miss Bob.

76? He looked 76 back in 1965...

I watched him every day. Remember the cartoon, "Tom Terrific and Manfred, the Wonderdog?

Capt. Kangaroo ... wow, now THERE went a major flashback.

You reveal your age when you say you knew him and the original "Mr. Green Jeans."

He could not carry J P Patches jockstrap !

Captain Puget

Mr Noodle died? What the hell!? Don't tell my daughter!

We have a very diverse group her don't we? I'm sure the younger folks are ready to throw up reading this whole thread on kids' TV show hosts from the '60's and '70's. Nice flashback though for us who remember.

The person having the real crappy year is MRS Rogers. I just read something about how she was devastated by Fred's death and one of the few bright spots she had to look forward to was her annual New Years' Day phone call to..... Bob Keeshan. I guess she can scratch that off the list for 2004.

I may have killed the Captain.


M

In addition to getting a ticket today you offed Captain Kangaroo!?

He is my pot dealer, and an undercover cop..

Joking, totally! (about the undercover cop part)


M

Hey Neal, I think Capt. Puget passed away a couple of years ago. However JP Patches & Gertrude still rock Do you remember Sheriff Shot Badly? Ooppps now Iam dating myself

A friend of mine sent this to me just after Mr. Rogers passed away.




Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin, is buried in a grave alongside 3 and 4 star generals at Arlington National Cemetery. His marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC)? nothing else.
Here's a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time. Why the heck does he rate burial with these guys? Well, following is the amazing answer:
I always liked Lee Marvin, but did not know the extent of his Corps experiences. In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces, often in rear-echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima. There is only one higher Naval award... the Medal of Honor.
If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery.
What follows is dialogue from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His guest was Lee Marvin.

"Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima, and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded."
"Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the ass and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys gettin' shot hauling you down. But Johnny, at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew. We both got the cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison.
The dumb bastard actually stood up on Red beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. Bullets flying by and mortar rounds landing every where and he stood there as the main target of gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on more than one occasion because his men's safety was more important than his own life.
That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me, lying on my belly on the litter and said, ?Where'd they get you Lee?' ?Well Bob, if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse!?
Johnny, I'm not lying... that Sergeant was the bravest man I ever knew. The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo."

(End of dialogue)

On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who just passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name.
He wore a long sleeve sweater on his show to cover the many tattoos on his forearms and biceps. He was a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat. After the war Mr. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister and therefore a pacifist. He vowed to never harm another human and also to dedicate the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life. He hid the tattoos and his past life away and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm.



America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best. They have earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy.

Damn freakin' right! It's worse than pulling teeth to get some of these guys to talk about it (never could get grampa to talk about his WWI experience)

Hi,
For some of us really old guys. Capt. Kangaroo was also Clarabell the Clown on the Howdy Doody show.
Cheers, Elliot