Lyn Osborn

Early life

Clois Lyn Osborn was born January 21 or 23, 1926 (Accounts differ.) in Wichita Falls, Texas. At age 3, his family moved to Michigan, living in Muskegon and Lincoln Park. At age 10, his mother enrolled him and his sister in a community theater group, which started his interest in performing. He played clarinet, flute and piccolo in the high school band. In 1943, Lyn joined the navy. He served as an aerial gunner and radar operator, and flew on Grumman Avengers. The war ended before he went into combat

Space Patrol

After the navy, Lyn held several jobs before hitchhiking to California, where he did more of the same. He enrolled at Pasedena Playhouse on the G.I. Bill for 3 years, and was in 15 plays there. 10 days before graduation, he got his big break as "Cadet Happy" on Space Patrol. The series began as a daily 15 minute show. Soon, half-hour weekly shows were added. There was also a radio version. The series ran until 1955, after nearly 1,200 episodes were produced.

Later roles and death

After Space Patrol, he appeared in several TV and film projects, such as The Amazing Colossal Man, The Adventures of Jim Bowie and Rod Serling's acclaimed Requiem for a Heavyweight episode of Playhouse 90. His most memorable appearance was in Invasion of the Saucer Men.

He died following an operation for a brain tumor at UCLA Medical Center, August 30, 1958 at the age of 32.