A bit of a squib of a quiz this week. Sorry it's late, but I expect you'll have this one wrapped up by noon.
He was an ambulanceman in World War I, and later served in the Second World War as a non-commissioned officer. Between the wars, he became famous for a career having nothing to do with military service. After WW2, his affiliation with a left-wing organization made him the target of FBI investigations. He was sent to jail for refusing to name contributors to the organization. When he died after a long period of seclusion, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover tried to block his burial at Arlington National Cemetery, but was overruled. He is possibly the most well-known practicioner of his trade buried there.
What is his name? Bonus point: what is his full name as it appears on his headstone?
First correct answer posted to comments wins a coupon for the pay-per-view broadcast of Sen. Frist pushing the "nucular option" button, produced by Rev. Donald Wildmon and Showtime. No Googling or calling the FBI. (They're busy chasing down animal-rights activists domestic terrorists.) One guess per comment, please, but comment as frequently as the spirit moves you.
Hemingway, Ernest John?
Posted by: Jonathan on May 20, 2005 11:50 AMI think the ambulance driver thing is a bit of a red herring. The idea of Papa as a commissioned officer, much less a communist buried in Arlington, is kind of a hoot.
I'm going with Dalton Trumbo.
Posted by: KF on May 20, 2005 03:25 PMNote: non-commissioned officer (a corporal or sargeant).
Nothing yet, though Dalton Trumbo is an interesting guess. However, he wasn't ever in the military -- he was a war correspondent during WWII. He was, however, imprisoned for his refusal to testify as part of the Hollywood Ten. The person we are looking for, despite strong Hollywood connections, was not one of those ten names -- and is more famous than any of them, incidentally, except MAYBE Ring Lardner, Jr.
I hope that I didn't go too far in excluding other biographical details, but I didn't want to make it too easy (look at last week!)
So, where is everybody?
Posted by: BT on May 20, 2005 04:30 PMI'm here, I just can't think of anybody I can't reject out of hand.
Serving in both wars should narrow it down pretty well, I'd think.
Jimmy Durante.
Posted by: boxjam on May 20, 2005 06:09 PMWaldo Salt?
Posted by: Gavin on May 20, 2005 07:01 PMWoody Guthrie?
Posted by: art on May 20, 2005 08:54 PMDashiell Hammett?
Posted by: art on May 20, 2005 09:05 PMOf course, neither of those guesses are likely to be accurate tombstone "names". If it isn't obvious, I'm aiming for left-wingers of the '30s, without heed for biographical detail (I know none, 'ceptin' that Hammett and Hellman did get into some trouble in the 50s I think).
Posted by: art on May 20, 2005 09:07 PMPoint to Latrobe University's own Yankee Wonder. Art nails it with Dashiell Hammett. Let us all bow to his superior knowledge of left-wing history and hum a few bars of "The Internationale" in his honor.
The bonus point refers to Hammett's full name, which is actually guessable even if you don't know it.
By the way, I was originally following up on a note I read that mentioned the first person buried at the Arlington House was a "Confederate prisoner of war," but couldn't find anything else to back that up. What I did learn (at http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/historical_information/arlington_house.html) was a bunch of interesting stuff about the cemetery, such as the fact that the house was originally built by George Washington's "adopted grandson," or that Union General Montgomery C. Meigs had a vault containing thousands of remains of Bull Run/Manassas casualties interred in the garden of the house, with the idea that if he turned the place into a graveyard, the Lee family could never return to their old estate. Now, THAT's what I call old-time sportsmanship.
Posted by: BT on May 21, 2005 08:23 AM