Posted on Aug 26, 2015
SGT Eric Dziekan
6.11K
152
46
13
13
0
97851701
In the past and in the not so past we have had many celebrities join our ranks in proud service of our Country.

The other day I found out that my favorite comedian / director Mel Brooks was a veteran and a former Combat Engineer like myself. He served in Europe from 1944 - 1946 dis-arming land mines, something I can also relate to.

Two more of my favorite comedian / actors that are veterans are Tim Conway (US Army) and Ernest Borgnine (US Navy 1935-1941 & 1942-1945). Both played on the series McHales Navy.

I'll also mention the most recent celebrity, Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who gave up his football career before giving his life for his Country.

As a tribute to these veterans who didn't let their status out-weigh their patriotism, lets see how many we can name and what service they were in.
Edited >1 y ago
Avatar feed
Responses: 25
LTC Stephen F.
7
7
0
Edited >1 y ago
2LT Audie Murphy US Army is one of the first that comes to my mind SGT Eric Dziekan. Eddie Albert [US Navy ][Green Acres], Alec Guiness [British Navy], David Niven [British Commandos], Ed McMahon [USMC], Jimmy Stewart [Army Air Corps], Charleton Heston [Army Air Corps], Charles Bronson [Army Air Corps], George C. Scott [USMC], Lee Marvin [USMC], Brian Keith [USMC] [Family Affair] and many others from the greatest generation served in WWII.
Heddy Lamarr helped the war effort with her co-inventor George Antheil, by designing a torpedo guidance system that was two decades before its time.
http://www.heroeswest.com/page6.htm
Gentlemen do you have any any other names of celebrities who are or were veterans?
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, LTC Stephen C., LTC Bink Romanick, CW5 (Join to see), CW5 Charlie Poulton, CW4 (Join to see), CW3 (Join to see), SGM Steve Wettstein, SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4", SGT (Join to see), SGT Randal Groover, SGT Forrest Stewart, SGT Robert Hawks, SPC (Join to see)
(7)
Comment
(0)
Sgt Tom Cunnally
Sgt Tom Cunnally
>1 y
Eddie Albert was credited with saving a lot of Marines at Tarawa where he served as a Navy Lieutenant.
(1)
Reply
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
Sgt Tom Cunnally - Thank you for reminding us.
(0)
Reply
(0)
CW3 Standardization Officer
CW3 (Join to see)
>1 y
(0)
Reply
(0)
CW3 Standardization Officer
CW3 (Join to see)
>1 y
You included a great link LTC Stephen F., thank you for sharing.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SGT Ben Keen
6
6
0
A quick search on Google gave me this article below.

Some noteworthy names that appear on this list are:
Bea Arthur from the Golden Girls - Marines
Hugh Hefner from Playboy - Army
Mr T (Laurence Tureaud) - Army
Johnny Carson - Navy
(6)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SGT Project Engineer
6
6
0
I used to say that I am a paratrooper, like Jimi Hendrix.

And I served in 25th ID, like Ice-T.
(6)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
Avatar feed
Did you ever stop and think about celebrities as veterans?
PO3 Steven Sherrill
5
5
0
There is a huge list of these folks.

Jimi Hendrix even served (though not long).

Dr. Ruth was a sniper in WWII

Henry Fonda, Clark Gable, and Jimmy Stewart all served in WWII
(5)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SFC Founder
5
5
0
The late James Garner.....Rockford Files....Korean War veteran of the Marines.
(5)
Comment
(0)
Sgt Tom Cunnally
Sgt Tom Cunnally
>1 y
James Garner was an Army Cpl & was wounded in Korea.. You might be thinking of when he played a Marine CPT in the movie "Sayonara"???
(1)
Reply
(0)
SFC Founder
SFC (Join to see)
>1 y
My bad.. thanks Sgt Tom Cunnally.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Sgt Tom Cunnally
Sgt Tom Cunnally
>1 y
SFC (Join to see) - We had Billy Carter in the Marine Corps & probably where he learned how to make his "Billy Beer"... Man... that was bad beer.. it tasted like Coors that had not been refrigerated..
(2)
Reply
(0)
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
>1 y
Jimmy Carter was one of the First Navy Nuclear Officers.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SSG Leo Bell
5
5
0
Elvis Presley back in WWII
(5)
Comment
(0)
SSG Robert Webster
SSG Robert Webster
>1 y
Actually Elvis Presley is a Cold War Veteran having served from 1958 to 1960 in the 3rd Armored Division in Germany.
(2)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SCPO David Lockwood
5
5
0
There are quite a few of them. Some I had not known.
(5)
Comment
(0)
SGT Eric Dziekan
SGT Eric Dziekan
>1 y
That's why I posed this question to the community to see what kinds of answers they could come up with. I love history and will learn form this.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
CW3 Standardization Officer
4
4
0
A few more celebrities to add to the list. A couple of these surprised me.

http://www.military.com/veterans-day/top-10-celebrity-veterans.html
(4)
Comment
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
CW3 (Join to see) - Thank you posting the link and reminding us about veterans who did not serve during wartime but served honorably like Humphrey Bogart who enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1918 [bread and water for AWOL after turning himself in]; Morgan Freeman USAF 1955 - 1959; Chuck Norris USAF Security police in the 1960's; Mr. T [Laurence Tureaud], Mr. T served in the Army's Military Police Corps in the mid-70s; Johnny Cash joined the Air Force as the Korean War began, and spent most of his four-year enlistment in Germany; and Clint Eastwood drafted into the US Army during the Korean War. George Carlin SrA Christopher Wright, Steve McQueen, Ice T and Elvis Presley had already been mentioned by other RallyPoint members especially SGT (Join to see) who has the honor of posting the most responses to thsi question :-),
(2)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
4
4
0
Edited >1 y ago
26eaec71
Clint Eastwood - Army/Drafted
(4)
Comment
(0)
SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
4
4
0
Edited >1 y ago
7005f67d
5ce4da04
Morgan Freeman Air Force Johnny Cash Air Force
(4)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close