If you look at any film, there’s a non-zero chance Clint Eastwood had a hand in it. Acting, directing – even musical compositions, he kept his portfolio very diverse. But before Eastwood established himself as one of the most influential forces in Hollywood, he very nearly died in a horrific plane crash in the name of love.
Eastwood has been active in the industry since the ‘50s and went on to prove himself a Renaissance man with many talents in front of and behind the camera. In addition to acting, he’s also directed, produced, and even composed – and yes, that’s really him doing the horseback riding scenes in his films. But it was the time when Eastwood wasn’t in control that things nearly went horribly, fatally wrong.
Clint Eastwood nearly died in a plane crash the same year he was drafted into the Army
Before Eastwood’s Hollywood career took off in earnest, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in the 1950s, just at the start of the Korean War. This interrupted not hunts for an agent or touching base with casting directors, but rather Eastwood’s goal of attending Seattle University with an interest in music.
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Eastwood ended up stationed at Fort Ord in northern California, where he served as a lifeguard. During his time there, Eastwood ended up courting the daughter of one of the Fort Ord officers. He would make trips to visit her and it was because of this trek, Eastwood very nearly lost his life.
Eastwood took a ride on a naval plane that was headed toward his destination because of these passionate trysts. “It was a naval torpedo bomber – there were no seats – and I had to squeeze into the radar compartment on the plane,” Eastwood recalled. In short, the plane was not designed to run with passengers and the door ended up flying open. Eastwood found himself in the fight for his life to slam the door back shut and even victorious, lack of oxygen quickly sent him briefly into unconsciousness. When he came to, the sight he beheld was actually even worse than before.
Eastwood got into a bit of everything
When Eastwood came to, the doomed plane was nosediving for the ocean; it had run out of fuel and there were only so many options for the pilot to help them make it out alive. The Douglas AD bomber crashed into the water near Point Reyes and both Eastwood and the pilot found themselves treading water. They had survived – but they weren’t done fighting for their lives. An exhausting two mile swim awaited them and the experience would haunt Eastwood for some time.
“I don’t recall how long it took to get out,” he admitted, “but as I’ve said, it was an ordeal I never want to repeat. I collapsed on the beach.”
That was the closest Eastwood got to a life-threatening scenario while drafted. “He always dropped the Korean War reference, hoping everyone would conclude that he was in combat and might be some sort of hero,” said Eastwood’s former longtime companion Sondra Locke. Eastwood’s high school friend, Don Loomis, theorized that the Fort Ord officer whose daughter Eastwood was dating might have been inclined to look out for him when names came up for postings.
Ultimately, Eastwood was discharged in February 1953, remarkably with quite the action-filled story to tell of his enlistment.
