In 1943 Gil played Mickey Rooney’s best friend, Bud Livermore, in the movie Girl Crazy. In this movie he got to sing a line to Judy Garland and even dance a few steps with her to the song Embraceable You. Gil actually was in line to play the boy next door in the next Garland film, “Meet Me in St. Louis.” However, he was called to the Army Air Forces, during World War II. Gil enlisted in the United stated Army Air Corps. He became a decorated bombardier in WWII.

Gil gets to see a plane closeup at an airshow. A B17 Bomber just like the one that Gil rode in during World War II as a bombardier.
Gil’s motorcycle ride from the West Coat to his army induction in Chicago was covered by Magazine…