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Donald Conroy (April 4, 1921 – May 9, 1998) was a United States Marine Corps colonel and a member of the Black Sheep Squadron during the Korean War. He was also a veteran of World War II and served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War.
- 1941–1974
- United States Marine Corps
May 14, 1998 · Col. Donald Conroy, a storied Marine fighter pilot whose domestic code dictated that he never strike his daughters and not begin beating his sons until after they had learned to walk, died on...
Donald "The Great Santini" Conroy. Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps. Donald Conroy was born on 4 April 1921 in Chicago, IL. He left Saint Ambrose College in Davenport, IA, to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Conroy was later commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and designated as a Naval Aviator. He was a pilot with VMF-214 when the ...
May 10, 1998 · By Deseret News. Col. Donald Conroy, the father of best-selling author Pat Conroy and the subject of his son's novel "The Great Santini," died Saturday of colon cancer. He was 77. Conroy, a Marine fighter pilot nicknamed "The Great Santini," spent 33 years in the service until he retired in 1974.
- I Am The Great Santini!
- Duvall A Natural For The Role
- The Gift of Fury
- Take The Warrior Out of The War, But Not The War Out of The Warrior
- Marines Are Family
- Col. Conroy Knew Everyone’S Name
- A Warrior’s Redemption
- About Colonel Donald Conroy
"The Great Santini" is the story of fighter pilot Colonel “Bull” Meechum who returns from the Korean War and has great difficulty re-assuming his role as a husband and father. The Great Santini is based on the book of the same name written by Pat Conroy—the son of Col. Conroy. Robert Duvall was kind enough to write a note about his experiences work...
Duvall was well-suited for the role—his father was career Navy and retired as a Rear Admiral. Like the Great Santini’s family, Duvall was used to moving from duty station to duty station. In an early scene, “Bull” Meechum paces slowly in front of his four kids in his crisp Alpha uniform. As he taps a swagger stick in his hand menacingly, he says, “...
When his son wins the game, “Bull” Meechum shoves his him into the wall. His daughter Mary Ann (played by Lisa Jane Persky) says, “Nice game dad” to which he replies, “Get away from me or I’ll knock every freckle off your face,” as he shoves the basketball at her. He then tries to change the rules of the game because he cannot stomach defeat, not e...
“Bull” Meechum and Col. Conroy (and my father to some degree) were warriors that didn’t handle failure well, and often took their aggressions out on family members seemingly without explanation, remorse, or apology. The life of Col. Conroy also illustrates the difficulty of transition, as in when “Bull” Meechum verbally or physically abuses his fam...
Some of the officers who served under Col. Conroy’s command agree that what Col. Conroy lacked in spit-and-polish, he made up for by engendering esprit de corps and respect. My father says, “We [pilots] were an extension for the son he wished he had. He led us as his sons—no women in those days—and led us accordingly, but could be volatile if disap...
Col. Conroy had a superb memory and an exceptional ability to recall personal experiences from individuals. They also say he was a gifted orator and could give a rousing impromptu speech. Vietnam and Gulf War Marine Colonel John “Hunter” Bioty (ret.) arrived to Marine Aviation Detachment in Pensacola Florida in 1968 (my father and Col. Bioty served...
In "The Great Santini," Ben witnesses a friend die at the hands of a local racist and instead of responding with compassion, “Bull” Meechum berates him for “disobeying a direct order” and leaving the house. This confrontation leads to the realization that he has failed as a father and Marine, prompting him to get into a drunken fight with his wife ...
Col. Conroy served in three wars, receiving three Distinguished Flying Crosses for “exceptional valor” during countless combat missions. In addition he also received an Air Medal (five awards), Navy Presidential Unit Citation with one Service Star, Army Presidential Unit Citation, and a Navy Unit Commendation with four Service Stars, among many oth...
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May 15, 1998 · May 15, 1998 12 AM PT. Donald Conroy, 77, the real-life model for the book and motion picture “The Great Santini.” A native of Chicago who dropped out of college to become a career Marine,...
May 13, 2013 · Doubleday announced Monday that the author has a memoir coming out in October, “The Death of Santini.” The publisher is calling the book “a heart-wrenching account” of Conroy’s father, the late Donald Conroy, a Marine Corps fighter pilot whom his son has depicted as cruel and abusive.
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