For the most part, it’s difficult to imagine our favorite celebrities as anything other than what they have become known for. Some celebs were soldiers and while a couple did it for the paycheck, many enlisted out of the genuine desire to provide assistance during wars.
For some, it even meant dedicating several years to the military and rising up the ranks to the top positions. Let’s count down the list of some of the famous people who once did their country proud by serving in the armed forces.
Sam Elliott - California Air National Guard
The fact that actor Sam Elliott served with the California Army National Guard’s 163rd Airlift Wing might explain why he always landed gunslinging roles. In 2002, he received the Spirit of America award from the National Guard Association in recognition of his service. Elliott had actually moved to LA prior to joining the military with the hopes of pursuing an acting career, against his father's will. Elliott decided to study acting and he made a living at that time as a construction worker. Several credits later and at 74, Elliott isn’t about to enter a retirement home. In 2018, he appeared on A Star is Born.
Charles Bronson - Air Force, 1943 - 1945
The late Charles Bronson served during World War II as part of the U.S. Air Force after enlisting in 1943. Bronson was with the 760th Flexible Gunnery Squadron and later served as a B-29 aerial gunner with the 61st Bombardment Squadron in Guam. He flew a total of 25 missions and earned himself a Purple Heart, which was an honor given to those injured during service. After his discharge from the military, Bronson kick-started his career by attending acting classes. His list of credits included appearances in movies like Man with a Camera and House of Wax. In 2003, Bronson passed away at the age of 81 from pneumonia.
Alan Alda - Army Reserve
Alan Alda gained fame for his role in the war comedy M*A*S*H, and he must have relied heavily on his personal experience with the Army for inspiration. Alan studied in Paris in his junior year of college, and at that time, he appeared on a TV show alongside his actor-father, Robert Alda. He then enlisted with the U.S. Army after graduating from college and he was stationed in Korea for six months. Alan is still hard at work, appearing in productions like Ray Donovan (2018-19), The Blacklist (2013-14), and The Good Fight (2018).
Gene Hackman - Marines, 1944 - 1951
Before Gene Hackman became well-known in Hollywood, he joined the U.S. Marines at 16. He went on to offer his services as a field radio operator based in China. He held the position for four and a half years before relocating to Hawaii and afterward to Japan. The Marine Corps discharged Hackman in 1951 and he made his way back to New York. Hackman held several jobs in the subsequent years and sadly lost his mother to a fire that started when she was smoking cigarettes. Eventually, he got his break in acting by appearing on Mad Dog Coll. Hackman is retired as of 2004 but he continues to lend his voice to documentaries.
Owen Wilson - New Mexico Military Institute
Believe it or not, the photo on the left goes all the way back to when Wilson trained at the New Mexico Military Institute. Wilson ended up there after being kicked out of school when he was in the 10th grade. He completed his final years in senior high at the institute and then enrolled at the University of Texas where he graduated with a degree in English. He started off in Hollywood in 1996 appearing on Bottle Rocket. Wilson then co-wrote his subsequent directorial work in collaboration with Wes Anderson. Wilson’s ex, Varunie Vongsvirates, gave birth to their child in 2018, making him a father of three.
Rock Hudson - Navy, 1944 - 1946
The late Rock Hudson was amongst the top leading actors in the '50s and '60s appearing in films like All That Heaven Allow and Giant. Hudson was a Golden Age heartthrob and he achieved success appearing in a string of romantic comedies. He had previously enlisted and served in the U.S. Navy from 1944. He trained at the Naval Station in Great Lakes to be an aircraft mechanic and afterward, he was stationed at the Samar Island. After his discharge in 1946, he made his way back to San Francisco and began his acting career. In 1985, Hudson died of an AIDS-related illness, making him the first prominent personality to have passed on from the disease.
James Garner - Infantry, 1944 - 1952
The Rockford Files and Maverick were the '50s western shows that introduced us to the late actor James Garner. When WWII was coming to an end, Garner joined the U.S. Merchant Marine. He was only 16 years and he didn’t have the best experience because he suffered from chronic seasickness. He, therefore, decided instead to join the California Army National Guard where he served as a rifleman. Garner was stationed in California for seven months followed by serving in Korea as part of the 5th Regimental Combat Team for 14 months. He finally joined the 24th Infantry Division where he was wounded twice. Garner died in July 2014 from a massive heart attack.
Jimmy Stewart - Air Force, 1941 - 1968
Jimmy Stewart went through the ordeal of being rejected by the Army after his first attempt to enlist wasn’t successful because his weight didn’t match up with his height. However, after he put in some work, he managed to pass the tests the second time around and he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1941. Stewart served during WWII as well as the Vietnam War. He managed to be promoted to Brigadier General, making him the only actor to have held such a high military position. A slip and fall incident led to Stewart’s hospitalization in 1995 but he passed on the next year after he refused to have his pacemaker battery changed.
Yogi Berra - Navy, 1943 - 1945
The late Lawrence “Yogi” Berra had an illustrious military career having served as a Second Class Seaman. He managed to duplicate the same in his baseball career first as a Major League player and then as a manager, then coach. Berra offered his services during the Second World War and he was present during the deadly D-Day landings. He was aboard a Navy support boat headed to Omaha Beach on that particular day. Sadly, Berra lost his wife in 2014, prompting him to list their deluxe house in Montclair with a $888K asking price. The next year, Berra himself died in his sleep at the age of 90.
Montel Williams - Marines, 1974 - 1989
Montel Anthony Williams is yet another celebrity who joined the U.S. Marines fresh from school. Williams also boasts of being the very first African-American who attended and completed training at both the Newport and Annapolis Naval Academy. He went on to serve as a naval intelligence cryptologic officer in Guam for one and a half years. Williams then shifted to the St. Meade-based National Security Agency and during his time with the Marines, he spent three years in submarines serving as a full lieutenant. Williams displayed exemplary leadership and counseling skills, something that he also extended to the family members of his crew.
Clifton James - Army, 1942 - 1945
The Man With the Golden Gun and Live and Let Die gave George Clifton James recognition in the industry. For some reason, he kept landing roles as a member of law enforcement, and it probably had something to do with his background in the U.S. Army. James provided his services during the Second World War as well as taking up the role of an infantry platoon sergeant with the 14th Div and 163rd Inf. In total, he served for 42 months in the South Pacific and by the end of his service, he had earned several decorations, including two Purple Hearts. James died at the age of 96 in 2017 from complications of diabetes.
Josephine Baker - French Resistance, 1939 - 1945
Josephine Baker, a famous French-American entertainer, was highly commended for offering assistance to the French troops during WWII. She earned the Croix de Guerre from the French military at the end of her service. Baker served as a secret agent covertly gathering information from the German troops during parties. General Charles de Gaulle of the French Army awarded Baker the highest order given to a military person - the Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur. Baker fell on tough times and not even debt consolidation could help her from losing her castle. However, the late Princess Grace came to her rescue, giving her a Roquebrune apartment. Baker died at the age of 68 from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Ernest Hemingway - Red Cross, 1918 - 1919
American novelist, writer, journalist, and short story writer Ernest Hemingway attempted to enlist to the Army, Marines, and Navy in 1918 but they turned him down owing to his poor eyesight. He settled for the next best thing which was taking up work as a driver with the Red Cross in Italy. He had responded to a recruitment drive in Kansas and his duties included offering assistance to people who were injured in unfortunate circumstances. His time with the Red Cross influenced his books significantly, and in Death, in the Afternoon, he recounted a factory explosion on his first day on the job. Hemingway died in 1961 at 61 after shooting himself.
Charlton Heston - Air Force, 1944 -1946
Charles Heston enjoyed a six-decade-long career in acting before he switched over to political activism. He appeared in about 100 films, including the 1956 biblical epic, The Ten Commandments. Just after he walked down the aisle marrying Lydia Marie Clarke, Heston joined the U.S. Army in 1944. He was a radio operator at first and then an aerial gunner, serving aboard a B-25 bomber for two years on the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. Heston also served with the 77th Bombardment Squadron, rising to the rank of a staff sergeant. Through his lifetime he battled alcohol addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, and prostate cancer but it was pneumonia that ultimately claimed his life in 2008.
Oliver Stone - Army, 1967 - 1968
William Oliver Stone is an award-winning filmmaker whose track record precedes him. He has appeared in productions like Midnight Express and Scarface. However, it was the 1986 war drama Platoon that marked his debut as a director and a writer, earning him an Oscar for Best Director. That particular film, as well as two other subsequent movies, were based on William’s time in the Vietnam War where he served as an infantry soldier. His military service won him multiple honors, including a Purple Heart, a V-Device Bronze Star, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. Stone was, to some extent, forced into retirement in 2017 after the physical misconduct claims raised against him slowed down his career.
Alec Guinness - Royal Navy, 1941 - 1946
Sir Alec Guinness was an English actor who gained fame in the 1940s, but perhaps his most memorable role was on the Star Wars films as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the '70s. Before starting his career in showbiz, Guinness served under the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as a seaman during World War 2. He was later promoted to serve as a short-term lieutenant. Guinness commanded a landing craft and afterward, he was tasked with transporting both agents and supplies. Guinness was granted a temporary leave from the Navy in order to appear in the Terence Rattigan’ Broadway play Flare Path. Guinness died of liver cancer in 2000.
Bill Cosby - Navy, 1956 - 1960
Bill Cosby joined the Navy back in 1956 and served as a corpsman giving medical aid to the injured soldiers. In 1961, he took up correspondence courses, earning himself the equivalent of a high school diploma and a scholarship to Temple University. He then left the university to pursue comedy. Between 1969 and 1971, he performed in his own eponymous sitcom The Bill Cosby Show. He created several spinoffs out of it, including Cosby Kids and Fat Albert. Cosby was accused of indecent assault by multiple women and in September 2018, he received a three-to-ten-year sentence.
Sammy Davis Jr. - Infantry, 1943 - 1945
Sammy Davis Jr. will forever remain a great pop culture icon. The documentary I’ve Gotta Be Me sheds light on the life of the civil rights activist, actor, comedian and dancer. During World War II, Sammy was assigned to the integrated Special Services of the U.S. Army. Despite receiving mistreatment and prejudice based on his color, he eventually overcame it and started performing for all the troops. After leaving the Army, Davis returned to his family, dancing, and acting. In November 1954, he was involved in a vehicular crash that almost claimed his life but thankfully, he lived longer until he, unfortunately, died of throat cancer in 1990.
Steve McQueen - Marines, 1947 - 1950
Steve McQueen was one of Hollywood's prominent men back in the '60s and the '70s. Before then, he had been recruited into the U.S. Marine Corps in 1947. He served under an armored unit, earning a Private First Class promotion but his previous rebelliousness saw him get demoted seven times. After spending several days in military prison for resisting arrest after going M.I.A., he went through a period of reformation and decided to uphold the Marines' discipline. He was honorably discharged from duty in 1950 and focused on establishing his acting career. McQueen died of chronic heart failure in 1980 just a few hours after undergoing cancer surgery.
Pat Sajak - Army, 1968-1970
Many may not believe that the Wheel of Fortune host was once a Marine back in the late '60s. Pat Sajak joined the U.S. Army in 1968 and worked for the Armed Forces Radio as a DJ instead of being on the forefront action on the battlefield. Wheel of Fortune is now in its 36th season and Sajak, alongside his co-host Vanna White, signed contract extensions through to 2022. Pat is married to photographer Lesly Brown Sajak and they stay in their opulent Maryland mansion together with their two kids.
Elvis Presley - Army, 1958 - 1960
Who would have thought that “the King” was once a military man? Elvis Presley joined the U.S. Army in March 1958 as a private. It was a media frenzy with camera flashes flaring to document his descent from the bus to report for duty at Fort Chaffee. He trained at Fort Hood, Texas and took a two-week break three months after enlisting to go to Nashville and record five songs. Presley served with the 3rd Armored Division after his training in Friedberg, Germany. His two-year hiatus didn’t affect his career and by the time of his discharge, he had ten songs on the top 40 charts, including One Night and A Big Hunk o’ Love.
Johnny Cash - Air Force, 1950 - 1954
Johnny Cash was one of the best-selling artists of all time. Cash, whose memory is about to be immortalized in one more way, will get a statue in the U.S. Capitol building. In July 1950, Cash enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After basic training, he started serving as a Morse code operator in Landsberg. His primary responsibility was to intercept transmissions from the Soviet Army. While working in the military, he went to the hospital for surgery to get rid of a cyst which left him with the distinctive scar on his jaw. It was at that time that he also started his own band, The Landsberg Barbarians.
Bea Arthur - Marine Corps Women's Reserve, 1942 - 1944
Bea Arthur, who passed away on April 25, 2009, was a singer, comedian, actress, and an animal rights activist. Before pursuing an acting career and joining The Golden Girls cast as Dorothy, Bea worked for the Marines in the '40s as one of the first female U.S. Marines to participate in the war. She joined in her early 20s working as a truck driver and typist before rising up the ranks to staff sergeant during the 2nd World War. In 1945, she was discharged honorably. She got married to Private Robert Arthur, a fellow Marine.
Tony Curtis - Navy, 1943 - 1945
Tony Curtis enjoyed a successful acting career across six decades becoming a household name in the '50s, and '60s. He appeared in over 120 productions, including Houdini, Operation Petticoat, and Spartacus. Other than entertaining people, Curtis had also spent time serving his country in the Pacific submarine force for two years before his discharge. After Tony’s death in 2010, his funeral was conducted with full military honors. As a tribute to Curtis, Hungary will open an exhibition that will showcase his personal effects in August 2019. These include paintings and household objects from his property donated by his widow.
Richard Pryor – Army, 1958 - 1960
Richard Pryor became, without a doubt, one of the best award-winning stand-up comedians who was loved by millions. Pryor served in the Army for a short period where he also performed in multiple amateur shows. After his discharge, he focused on getting crowds into stitches with his humorous jokes. Richard discovered that he had multiple sclerosis in 1986, a disease that rendered him unable to walk. He passed on nine days after celebrating his 65th birthday. On March 15, 2019, I Am Richard Pryor a documentary about the life of the comedian, was aired on Paramount Network.
Kris Kristofferson - Army, 1960 - 1965
American actor, singer-songwriter, Kris Kristofferson has numerous hits to his name. As a boy, his dad, who worked as a major general in the U.S. Air Force, encouraged Kristofferson to join the military. After graduating with a BA degree, he joined the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant and worked his way up to become captain. Kris left the Army to pursue music, disappointing his family who never approved of his choice. In his 80s, Kristofferson is not stopping any time soon. He has already lined up his 2019 UK tour that will start in mid-June in Manchester.
Kirk Douglas - Navy, 1941 - 1944
Kirk Douglas, a centenarian who celebrated his 102nd birthday in December 2018, is not letting age hinder his fun. He was seen camping in his grandson’s backyard in April 2019 relaxing on an inflatable mattress with many pillows. In his heyday, Douglas enlisted in the U.S. Navy to serve as a communications officer. He was medically discharged for war injuries in 1944. Douglas relocated to New York to work in commercials, theater, and radio. Kirk was a stage actor for a while before landing his first film role on The Strange Love of Martha Ivers that premiered in 1946.
James Earl Jones - Reserve Officer Training Corps, 1953 - 1955
James Earl Jones is a part of a long list of famous veterans. He started out as a second lieutenant in 1953 at a time when the Korean War was reaching its peak. From there, he underwent training to become a second lieutenant before attending Ranger School. Earl was a first lieutenant before his discharge. After James left the military, he managed to become a successful actor on stage and in films and TV. Known for his voice roles in various successful productions, Earl’s son Flynn is following suit, voicing romantic audio books as Page Six reports.
John Coltrane - Navy, 1945 - 1946
A jazz composer and saxophonist, John Coltrane started playing the saxophone in high school. For his military career, Coltrane was trained in New York before moving to Manana Barracks. He was among the rare Navy men to serve as a musician without musician's training, only appearing as a guest performer in a band. By the time he was leaving the Navy, Coltrane was the leader of the band. You could tell that he was a master of his trade because although he died in 1967, John has been shortlisted at the 2019 Jazz FM Awards.
Henry Fonda - Navy, 1942 - 1945
Henry Fonda was a celebrated stage and film actor before his death in 1982. After appearing in numerous productions, Henry stopped acting for a while to join the Navy during World War II. After the war, he did not jump back into acting immediately but instead took some time off to enjoy the social Hollywood life instead. Fonda, however, got back to the scene in 1946 and he was lucky that he did not struggle to find work in his 70s. Fonda got married a total of five times with four of his marriages ending in divorce.
Paul Newman - Navy, 1943 - 1946
Paul Newman was not only an award-winning actor, but he was also a producer, director, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and race car driver. Wanting to pursue his dreams of becoming a pilot, Newman joined the Navy V-12 program at Yale. But he was not able to complete the program because he was color blind. He never gave up on his goals and instead went for basic training to become a gunner and radioman for the torpedo bombers. Newman earned several military honors for his hard work, including the World War II Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the America Area Campaign Medal.
Humphrey Bogart - Navy, 1918
Humphrey Bogart was selected by the American Film Institute as one of the Classic American Cinema’s male superstars. His film credits included The Big Sleep, Casablanca, and To Have and Have Not. In 1918, Bogart was expelled from one of the top secondary school of the time, Phillips Academy, but he was recruited into the U.S. Navy afterward. A model sailor in every regard, Bogart spent much of his sea time shipping troops back home from Europe after the war had ended. He was an alcoholic who wouldn’t quit smoking and later suffered from esophageal cancer. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries and cancer treatment, the disease spread throughout his body leading to his death in 1957.
Carl Reiner - Air Force, 1943 - 1946
Funnyman Carl Reiner exercised a share of his talent behind the scenes as a director, producer as well as a writer. In 1943, during WWII, Reiner enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and eventually rose up to the rank of corporal. The year that followed, upon finalizing his language training, he went to Hawaii to serve as a teleprinter operator. Following an audition to become a member of Special Services entertainment division, he transferred to the group and spent two years with them. Reiner, 97, won’t be joining his peers at senior living communities soon because he’s still active. As an actor, he most recently starred in the 2018 show, Angie Tribeca.
Ernest Borgnine - Navy, 1935 - 1945
It’s typical of many young men to join the Navy after completing high school. The late actor Ernest Borgnine did just that by offering his services to the U.S. Navy. From 1935, Borgnine served on board USS Lamberton until 1941 when he was discharged from duty. He, however, chose to re-enlist following the Pearl Harbor attack in 1942. Once again, Borgnine was granted a discharge from his obligations after serving for the duration of WWII. He will be remembered for his appearance in the comedy film, Marty. Until 1962, he had been a chronic smoker who later became an avid anti-smoker after quitting the habit. Unfortunately, Borgnine succumbed to kidney failure in 2012.
Mickey Rooney - Army, 1944 - 1945
By the time Mickey Rooney enlisted in the U.S. Army during the 1940s, he had already established himself as a successful actor. He served for almost two years as part of Special Services entertainment unit charming the troops on radio and other times on the stage. He won a Bronze medal for his services in combat zones. He went back in 1945 even though his prominence was not as great as before. Rooney starred in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Black Stallion. He battled alcoholism and prescription drugs addiction and mismanaged his wealth. He died of natural causes in 2014.
Robert Duvall - Infantry, 1953 - 1954
Robert Duvall is a highly established filmmaker and an award-winning actor who comes from a family of military men. His father served as a Rear Admiral, and in 1953, Duvall joined the U.S. Army amidst the Korean War and left in 1954 as private first class. During his interviews, he dispelled the claims by the media that he had served on the battlefield, explaining he actually didn’t see action. While at Camp Gordon, he appeared in the comedy, Room Service. As of now, Duvall isn’t about to start using up his retirement investment because he’s still receiving income from acting. His most recent role was in the 2018 crime film, Windows.
Mel Brooks - Infantry, 1944 - 1945
Mel Brooks is among the greatest filmmakers of the '70s. He has had several successful film appearances, including The Producers, Silent Movie, and Spaceballs. Brooks has also voiced numerous movie characters, including Vlad on Hotel Transylvania 2 and its 2018 third film. Before joining the U.S. Army, Brooks studied psychology at Brooklyn College for just a year. While in the Army, he studied engineering skills at the Virginia Military Institute and he later joined the Army's Specialized Training unit. He also served as a corporal with the Engineer Combat Battalion tasked with defusing landmines in the course of the Second World War.
Bob Barker - Navy, 1942 - 1945
Bob Barker is a retired game show host who served in U.S. Navy as a pilot during WWII. Barker became an expert in night flying, formation flying, and aerial combat after training with different military institutes. After the war, he became a flight instructor and it was that job that helped him kickstart his broadcasting career. Before venturing into showbiz, he was a sports correspondent and a news writer. In 2017, Bob had a horrible fall, hitting his head, and given that he's now in his 90s, he’s probably under round-the-clock elder care. In 2018, he suffered from excruciating back pain, so horrible that he had to be rushed to a medical facility.
Drew Carey - Marines, 1980 - 1986
Stand-up comedian Drew Carey enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves back in the '80s and stayed on for six years. Carey began his career as a comic while still serving in the Marine Corps. He mostly worked as a field radio operative, and he's shared that his time with the Marines accorded him a strong sense of discipline and work ethic. When Carey isn’t hosting sold-out events, he's often busy on The Price is Right. In January 2018, he proposed to psychotherapist Amie Harwick but the two broke up a year later.
Sidney Poitier - Army, 1943 - 1944
Sidney Poitier is a Bahamian-American author, actor, film director, and a diplomat. He boasts of being the first ever American actor of Bahamian descent to bag the Best Actor award from both the Academy Awards as well as the Golden Globes. Due to financial struggles, he took up odd jobs in his younger years and at one point, he even worked as a dishwasher. He joined the U.S. Army in 1943 telling a fib about his age. Poitier landed a position as a mental hospital attendant rather than on the battlefield. At one time, he feigned insanity just to be released from the Army, but ultimately with the help of a psychiatrist, he was released from duty.