Mickey Rooney Received the Bronze Star for Entertaining Troops on the Frontlines

Mickey Rooney was one of the most celebrated actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood . Known for his work with fellow child star Judy Garland and for portraying quirky characters, he was, for a long time, among the most-sought after individuals in the industry. What many might not realize, however, is that he took a break from acting to serve with the Special Services overseas during World War II .

Mickey Rooney's early life

Mickey Rooney was born on September 23, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were entertainers - his father a vaudevillian and his mother a burlesque dancer and former chorus girl - and they were actually performing a production of A Gaiety Girl when he was born. This meant it was no surprise that Rooney, then known as Joseph Yule, Jr., began performing at the young age of 17 months.

A year after his parents' separated, in 1925, Rooney and his mother moved from New York to Hollywood, California. Following an appearance in the short film, Not to be Trusted (1926), the youngster began securing parts alongside some of the industry's major names, including Humphrey Bogart , Jean Harlow and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Golden years in Hollywood

Mickey Rooney reached the peak of his fame in the years after he moved to California. Over the course of 10 years (1927-36), he starred in 78 Mickey Maguire short films , and during that time scored what became his first acclaimed role: Puck in the Warner Bros. production of William Shakespeare 's A Midsummer Night's Dream .

Upon signing with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Rooney became paired with Judy Garland . The pair appeared in several films together (most notably 1939's Babes in Arms ) and went on to become a powerhouse entertainment duo. Similarly to Garland, the young Rooney was struggling with addiction at this time, due to MGM's gruelling work schedules.

With successful parts in A Family Affair (1937) and Boys Town (1938), Rooney's star continued to grow, with Hollywood seeing he could perform both comedic and series roles. His talent was such that acting legend Laurence Olivier called him " the greatest actor of all them ."

Mickey Rooney served with the Special Services

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , Mickey Rooney was drafted into the US Army, but was denied because he had high blood pressure. Wanting to still do his part for his country, he worked on improving his health while helping on the home front via the USO and the promotion of war bonds.

Over two years later, in 1944, Rooney reapplied and was accepted, with his induction taking place at Fort MacArthur, California. He underwent basic training at Fort Riley , Kansas, and was said to have enjoyed the rigorous schedule, and while sent to Camp Sibert, Alabama, for chemical warfare training was assigned to the 6817th Special Service before this could get underway.

Once overseas, Rooney was tasked with entertaining combat troops on the frontlines via Jeep tours. His first allegedly took place in front of 60 soldiers during a Belgian snowstorm. His team's stage: the space between two parked M4 Shermans . The actor put on many shows during his time in Europe and went on to broadcast on the American Forces Network (AFN), allowing his talents to reach service members across theaters.

For his work, Rooney was awarded the Bronze Star, along with the Sharpshooter Badge, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the American Campaign Medal. He received an honorable discharge in March 1946, having reached the rank of technician, third grade.

Suffering a career slump after his US Army service

Upon his return to the United States, Mickey Rooney tried to restart his acting career, but quickly found the task difficult. He was in his late twenties, meaning he was too old for his previous roles, and he was short - not what studios were looking for in leading men. As such, his credits were all over the place in the decades that followed.

While Rooney was able to score some successes - Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), The Black Stallion (1979), The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), etc. - he largely struggled on the big screen. He found some success on television, securing several guest roles on big-name series, as well as on-stage , but, overall, his fame was nowhere near where it was prior to his deployment.

Despite his lack of success, Rooney kept acting, going on to have a career that spanned an impressive 88 years. Over the course of his time in Hollywood, he secured four Academy Award and two Tony nominations, as well as a Golden Globe and an Emmy. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences also presented him with the Academy Honorary Award in 1988, for his lifetime of achievement.

Mickey Rooney struggled behind the scenes

Throughout his life, Mickey Rooney struggled with a gambling addiction, which contributed to him having to file for bankruptcy twice in his life. When discussing his situation in 2005, he went so far as to describe himself as "broke."

Known for his womanizing ways , Rooney was married eight times, first to the then-relatively unknown Ava Gardner . One of his wives, Barbara Ann Thomson, was murdered be her lover , Milos Milos, in 1966, while Rooney was filming in the Philippines. It was made worse by the fact that his personal firearm was used in the commission of the crime.

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On April 6, 2014, Mickey Rooney died of natural causes in Studio City, Los Angeles, California. At the time of the 93-year-old's death, he was among the last surviving stars of Hollywood's silent film era.