Editing Slim Pickens (section)

== Early life and rodeo work ==
Louis Burton Lindley Jr., was born in [[Kingsburg, California]],<ref name="auto">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7-DgDAAAQBAJ&q=slim+pickens+burial+site+scott+wilson&pg=PA590|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.|first=Scott|last=Wilson|date=17 August 2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786479924|via=Google Books}}</ref> the son of Sally Mosher (née Turk) and Louis Bert Lindley Sr., a Texas-born dairy farmer. Young Lindley was an excellent horse rider from an early age. Known as "Burt" to his family and friends, he grew bored with dairy farming and began to make a few dollars by riding [[Bucking horse|broncos]] and [[Steer roping|roping steers]] in his early teens. His father found out and forbade this activity, but Lindley took no notice, went to compete in a rodeo, and was told by the doubtful rodeo manager that there would be "[[wikt:slim pickings|slim pickins]]" (i.e. little chance of any prize money) for him. To prevent his father from discovering that he had competed, he entered his name as Slim Pickens, and won $400 that afternoon.

Lindley graduated from [[Hanford Joint Union High School District|Hanford High School]] (in [[Hanford, California|Hanford]]) and was a member of the [[National FFA Organization|Future Farmers of America]]. He joined the rodeo, billed as Slim Pickens, and eventually became a well-known [[rodeo clown]].<ref name=rsafkck>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kMReAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4369%2C6034679 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Clown Slim Pickens rests after kicking |date=August 20, 1957 |page=8}}</ref> During [[World War II]], he enlisted in the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Forces]]. Reportedly when the recruiter asked him his profession, Lindley responded "rodeo"; misread on a form as "radio", he&nbsp;spent his entire enlistment at a radio station in the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hayes |first1=Richard |title=Cowboys in Combat |url=https://truewestmagazine.com/cowboys-in-combat |website=True West Magazine |date=March 4, 2009 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-date=May 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528001125/https://truewestmagazine.com/cowboys-in-combat/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>