Hollywood Stars - Veteran Patriots

Dolly Howard | November 11, 2005 | DollyCali

[DollyCali]

With "JAG," "Navy CIS," "MASH," and other military television shows being quite popular, one might consider with how military service has enhanced the fame of veteran actors in Hollywood or vice versa.

During our distinguished history, some Hollywood actors have taken a break from their careers while they defended our country oftentimes to battle in war.

These hereos include Charles Bronson, Gary Cooper, Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda, Clarke Gable, Lee Marvin, Elvis Presley, and Jimmy Stewart.

More recent editions of entertainment veterans include "Limp Bizkit" lead singer Fred Durst who did service with the United States Navy.

Up until just recently, we could find James Reynolds on NBC's afternoon soap opera "Days of Our Lives." He starred as "Abe Carver" on the show from October, 1982 through September, 2003. Reynolds served for the U.S. Marine Corps and was wounded while in the Vietnam War ending his military career. Upon returning from the war and enrolling in Topeka's Washburn University, he was advised that the theatre department was the best place on campus to meet girls. Many of you might agree that this inducement is still true today. Reynolds listened and his career was off and running.

Dennis Franz, who portrayed detective "Andy Sipowicz" on "NYPD Blue," served in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Army's 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Says Franz of his tormenting 11 months over in Vietnam, "it was one of those experiences that you never want to experience again, but it was life altering. It was a very maturing time for me. I came back a much different person than when I left, maybe much more serious. I was very frivilous before I left. I left my youth over there. I left it behind." Remembering the friends that he made over there, he said, "I had seen many friends get wounded or lose their lives." He added that in this environment, "they become all important to you. So when something happens to them, it really hurts."

Chuck Norris performed as the lead character "Walker" for many years on "Walker, Texas Ranger." Norris served in the U.S. Air Force as a military policeman. He said that, "my years in the military changed my life. It helped me to get my focus." While in the service, he also took up Judo.

Don Bellisario, producer of "JAG," "Navy CIS," and "Magnum P.I," is himself formerly of the U.S. Marine Corps.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has military experience as well. He served his native country in the Austrian Army working with armored tanks. This well known action hero and body builder explains that he joined up to receive fresh meat for his rigorous training appetite.

A further review will find additional celebrity actors who have donned the uniform of the U.S. armed forces. Briefly naming a few, Charleton Heston was a Sergeant with the Army Air Corps during World War II. JesseVentura saw action in the Vietnam War as a Navy SEAL. Clint Eastwood served in the U.S. Army while being stationed at Ft. Ord, CA. Montel Williams first enlisted into the Marine Corps and later attended the U.S. Naval Academy. He consequently earned a commission and became a Navy Intelligence Officer. Alan Alda was a combat officer with the Army while fighting in the Korean War. Jay North from "Dennis The Menace" served in the Navy. Drew Carey was with the Marine Corps for 5 years.

Women are now getting into the act more and more. Robin Quivers, longtime a sidekick of Howard Stern, was a Captain and nurse in the military. T.J. Myers served in Operation Desert Storm with the Army. Darva Conger, who was briefly married to Rick Rockwell after "earning the opportunity" on the reality TV show "Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire," was a nurse Staff Sergeant with the Air Force. Former Navy petty officer Sherry Lynne White's career includes appearing on several episodes of "Baywatch Hawaii." Coincidentially, both Conger and White have posed for Playboy." Speaking of Playboy, Editor-in-Chief Hugh Hefner was in the Army as an infantry clerk from 1944 - 1946.

J. Scott Davis, enlisted into the Navy, held the Gunner's Mate- Guns petty officer rating, specialty of Surface Rescue Swimmer, and served in the Persian Gulf War aboard a naval destroyer.He has built a very interesting web page listing those famous Hollywood celebrities who are veterans of the military. Please take a moment to view it enclosed below:

http://www.geocities.com/entertainmentveterans/chiseled.html

Remember to never take for granted your freedom.
Always appreciate the contribution those provide you
in the armed forces year around 24 hours per day.

[DollyCali]

Yoda isn't a US military vet.. but if he were "REAL" I'll bet he would be!

[dakine]

All that true or is some of it "snopeable"?

[FearlessFreep]

Audie Murphy is and always will be "THE MAN".

[DollyCali]

[DollyCali]

Most of what I found is in many locations.. BUT, I will be the first to admit nothing is for sure! But, what is here is impressive, IMHO.. I esp loved the first section I worked up w/pix that is over & over on many sources.

[MEGoody]

No modern 'stars'? My, how Hollyweird has slipped.

[GodBlessUSA]

Beautiful Table Dolly! This is excellent! The days there were many good men in Hollywood. :) And truly handsome too. :)

[derllak]

God bless them all! Hey, where is Jackie Coopers pic! I believe he served as well.

[LUV W]

Great research and beautiful table of our Hollywood Heroes Dolly! Thanks for the ping!

[garybob]

Alan Alda was a combat officer with the Army while fighting in the Korean War.

He was born on 28 January 1936. That would have made him 17 years old the year the Korean War ended. He suffered from bad case of Polio as a young child. At its worst point he was only able to move his left arm. I really doubt he saw duty in Korea, never mind being an officer.

[Texagirl4W]

Posted at the 11th hour on the 11th month, on the 11th day. How very apropos.

[SevenofNine]

Even my fav sci fi writer Rod Serling aka Twilight ZOne he was WW2 veteran

I think back in da day Hollywood actors have more respect to the miltary not like NOWWWW

[DesignerChick]

"Alan Alda was a combat officer with the Army while fighting in the Korean War."

I have a hard time picturing that....

[DollyCali]

No modern 'stars'? My, how Hollyweird has slipped.

so true!

[DollyCali]

11

hmmm

surely not on purpose, but I have to tell you over the past month the number 11 has been overwhelming in my life!!!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Lee Marvin and Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo) were both in the USMC.

[LUV W]

You and me both....what on earth happened to him!

But I would thank him anyway for serving. It would probably embarrass him....GOOD!

[DollyCali]

Alan Alda gained international acclaim for his leading role as Hawkeye Pierce on Twentieth Television's hit series M*A*S*H. He garnered an unprecedented number of awards for his portrayal of a surgeon "temporarily misassigned" to the Korean War.

He played a military man.. not sure he was one..

Alda Bio

[DesignerChick]

"After graduation, he joined the Army Reserve and served a six-month tour of duty as a gunnery officer in Korea."

From Wikipedia.
Obviously he got sucked into the 60's vaccuum and was lost forever.

[alwaysconservative]

Thanks for the ping! Boy, Tyrone Power was a good looking man, and I never realized how tiny Audie Murphy was, either!

[alwaysconservative]

Maybe the military info relates to Alan ARKIN, not Alan Alda. People often make the mistake. . .

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[LUV W]

Lost is certainly right! He is a disgrace now...even though he started out well.

[Gucho]

"The Great Raid" (2005)

[Redleg Duke]

Jackie Cooper was in the Navy on Guam in WWII. My Dad served there after having two destroyers shot out from under him in the Med and knew Mr. Cooper.

[GivemeaBREAK!]

Wikipedia screwed up. Alda was in the reserves AFTER he graduated from Fordham University in 1956, well after the Korean war.

http://www.military.com/Careers/Content1?file=trans_alan_alda.htm&area=Content
Alda joined the Army Reserve after graduating from Fordham. He completed the minimum six-month tour of duty as a gunnery officer during the Korean War.

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/A/htmlA/aldaalan/aldaalan.htm
Graduated from Fordham University, Bronx, New York, 1956

[DollyCali]

Loved that movie.. but there are few I didn't like. Great Raid was not critically acclaimed..the critics in general hate to see things that show our military in a good light

[Eaker]

Great thread!!

[rang1995]

Durning had a lead guest role last year as a former MOH winner on NCIS--great show and a great performance

[DollyCali]

great pix.. thanks!!! I love arlington. Spend hours each time I am in DC wandering around the grounds, reading the grave stones. Have never seen Audie's grave

[DollyCali]

see post 28

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Excellent!!

Here's another:

041222-N-0357S-002 San Diego, Calif. (Dec. 22, 2004) – Actor and former Marine R. Lee Ermey, well known for his role as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in the film “Full Metal Jacket” and the television show “Mail Call”, shares a laugh with Lance Cpl. Luke Connally at Naval Medical Center San Diego, Calif. Ermey came to the medical center to speak with wounded Marines and personally thank them for their service and sacrifice that they have made during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and the Global War on Terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Joshua Smith (RELEASED)

[Gucho]

critics in general hate to see things that show our military in a good light


Yep. I think they get their pessimistic attitudes from folks like Kerry & Kennedy.

[miele man]

I thought Durning should have won an Emmy for his performance. Very moving and quite evocative.

[DollyCali]

great pix.. thank you.. I am looking for a star(who served) w/flag for my pledge!!!!

[tanknetter]

Christoper Lee's bio on imdb has him in the RAF during WWII, but I recall reading elsewhere that he was in one of the Brit intelligence services.

On the Return of the King DVD there's commentary by Peter Jackson and Christopher Lee about the stabbing of Saruman by Brad Dourif (Grima Wormtongue).

Jackson tries to tell Lee what kind of noises people make when they have been stabbed.

Lee shut him down saying, no "THIS is the kind of noises people make when they get stabbed." The quick shot they show of the discussion shows everybody on the crew getting really creeped out because nobody was sure if Lee was speaking from direct experience!

[NavyCanDo]

And Lets not forget all those in the "Hollywood of old" who did not join the service, but did devote much of their time visiting the troops, putting careers on hold to sale war-bonds, working the servicemen clubs, etc.

And a special Thanks to CAROLE LOMBARD- Hollywood's first War Casualty, killed Nov 1942 on a war-bond drive when her plane crashed just outside of Las Vegas.

[Christian4Bush]

bttt

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

This one isn't half bad, but it doesn't have a flag in it:

041017-N-6157F-001 Washington, D.C. (Oct. 17, 2004) – Academy Award winner and actor Ernest Borgnine shows off his new Chief Petty Officer cover at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. Borgnine was made an honorary U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Terry Scott on Oct. 15, 2004. Borgnine served in the U.S. Navy for ten years from 1935-1945 and left the service as a Gunner’s Mate 1st Class. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Mark D. Faram (RELEASED)

Link to a bigger photo here: http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=18426

---

I found a great pic with R. Lee Ermey in front of a flag (he actually served as a Marine), but it's an advertisement for Glock and I'd worry about copyright problems.

http://www.qsl.net/w5acm/R_Lee_Ermey.jpg

[StevieB]

WALTER MATTHAU probably needs to be included in this list. Although not an actor prior to the war, he was a radio operator, and flew as part of Jimmy Stuart's crew.

[FearlessFreep]

Thanks!

[jordan8]

Jesse Ventura saw action in the Vietnam War as a Navy SEAL.

In fact he didn't. He was stationed in the Philippines with a Underwater Demolitions Team.

That Dennis Franz thing, I don't know, it caused a little jump of the old meter. It's hard to say without a detailed bio, and the net has its usual fragmentary info. Typical net bio says went on to study theater [Southern Illinois University] in college. After graduating in 1969, he was drafted into the army and spent 11 months on the front lines of Vietnam with the 82nd [and 101st] Airborne recon unit. Although Dennis made it home in 1970,
Graduated spring (?) 1969 drafted and in an "airborne recon unit" in Vietnam the same year. One on-line source mentioned "officer school" (not unusual for a college grad) but no mention of his rank in any story which would usually mean he was enlisted. The 82nd had one brigade in Vietnam sent in for the Tet emergency (Jan.'68) that stayed for 22 months and [i]n September 1969, the Brigade conducted its last combat operation in Vietnam -- YORKTOWN VICTOR -- in the iron triangle. The 3rd Brigade returned to Fort Bragg and the 82nd on 12 December 1969. That could explain why he served in both the 82nd and 101st staying on after the 82nd left, but . . .

[DollyCali]

Thanks for info. I always liked Walther Matthau! Now I like him even better.

I did not do an exhaustive reasearch on this. It started with an email I recieved a few months ago & I have played with it on & off.

[gc4nra]

By the mary Mapes standard everything is true until disproven!

[Eaker]

Audie's grave is the only one that can be easily found without a map.

Location, location, location!

Here is a page you might enjoy.

Heroes

[Looper]

Thank you all for posting. Truly moving. I clipped the quote from Mill and plan to use it.

[Young Werther]

In fact, a close friend of mine was a a Navy seal in Viet Nam and participated in many clandestine missions with Senator Kerrey and Gov Ventura. He told me that Ventura was every bit the loud mouth that he portrayed as a professional wrestler but there is no one he would rather have at his back while chasing Viet Cong in the jungle.

I don't want to go tell Steve that he's a liar and that he never soldiered with Ventura in Viet Nam.

[DollyCali]

thanks Excuse_My_Bellicosity !!!!!!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Jesse Ventura would not be a good example to use. With his obnoxious self-promotion and questionable credibility of his service during Vietnam, Jesse is not a veteran that many people want to deal with these days. Too many open questions, too few answers.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

No problem, glad that worked out for you!