Lieutenant colonel (Ret.) USMC, Rob Riggle.
Yeah, call me Captain Obvious, but something about that really drove it home to me. That and a coworker starting in on me early this morning about what "bigots Trump and Carson are." It was like he was reading an email from frickin' Daily Kos or something. But not to worry, I deal with this guy every day, ain't skeered.
Very few people got out of fighting in WW2, the big one. Most of the actors of that generation served, with a few exceptions.
Jimmy Stewart is probably one of the most well known. Even after the war he was in the reserves.
Lieutenant colonel (Ret.) USMC, Rob Riggle.
When you pay your respects to Lee Marvin, you’ll find boxer Joe Louis right next to him.
Mel Brooks enlisted in the Army in 1944 as a teenager and was “assigned to the 1104th Engineer Combat Group in time to participate in the Battle of the Bulge (although he would later state that he was not at the center of the most heated action).”
http://www.usace.army.mil/About/History/HistoricalVignettes/SportsEntertainment/109MelBrooks.aspx
Sterling Hayden, US Marines and OSS. Smuggled guns into Yugoslavia and parachuted into Croatia. Silver Star.
James Stewart, US Army Air Corps. Bomber pilot who rose to the rank of General.
Ernest Borgnine, US Navy. Gunners Mate 1c, destroyer USS Lamberton. 10 years active duty. Discharged 194, re-enlisted after Pearl Harbor.
Ed McMahon, US Marines. Fighter Pilot. (Flew OE-1 Bird Dogs over Korea as well.)
Telly Savalas, US Army.
Walter Matthau, US Army Air Corps., B-24 Radioman/Gunner and cryptographer.
Steve Forrest, US Army. Wounded, Battle of the Bulge.
Jonathan Winters, USMC. Battleship USS Wisconsin and Carrier USS Bon Homme Richard. Anti-aircraft gunner, Battle of Okinawa.
Paul Newman, US Navy Rear seat gunner/radioman, torpedo bombers of USS Bunker Hill.
Kirk Douglas, US Navy. Sub-chaser in the Pacific. Wounded in action and medically discharged.
Robert Mitchum, US Army.
Dale Robertson, US Army. Tank Commander in North Africa under Patton. Wounded twice. Battlefield Commission.
Henry Fonda, US Navy. Destroyer USS Satterlee.
John Carroll, US Army Air Corps. Pilot in North Africa. Broke his back in a crash.
Lee Marvin, US Marines. Sniper. Wounded in action on Saipan. Buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Sec. 7A next to Greg Boyington and Joe Louis.
Art Carney, US Army. Wounded on Normandy beach, D-Day. Limped for the rest of his life.
Wayne Morris, US Navy fighter pilot, USS Essex. Downed seven Japanese fighters.
Rod Steiger, US Navy. Was aboard one of the ships that launched the Doolittle Raid.
Tony Curtis, US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus. In Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan.
Larry Storch, US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus with Tony Curtis.
Forrest Tucker, US Army. Enlisted as a private, rose to Lieutenant.
Robert Montgomery, US Navy.
George Kennedy, US Army. Enlisted after Pearl Harbor, stayed in sixteen years.
Mickey Rooney, US Army under Patton. Bronze Star.
Denver Pyle, US Navy. Wounded in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Medically discharged.
Burgess Meredith, US Army Air Corps.
DeForest Kelley, US Army Air Corps.
Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Officer.
Neville Brand, US Army, Europe. Was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
Tyrone Power, US Marines. Transport pilot in the Pacific Theater.
Charlton Heston, US Army Air Corps. Radio operator and aerial gunner on a B-25, Aleutians.
Danny Aiello, US Army. Lied about his age to enlist at 16. Served three years.
James Arness, US Army. As an infantryman, he was severely wounded at Anzio, Italy.
Efram Zimbalist, Jr., US Army. Purple Heart for a severe wound received at Huertgen Forest.
Mickey Spillane, US Army Air Corps, Fighter Pilot and later Instructor Pilot.
Rod Serling, US Army. 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific. He jumped at Tagaytay in the Philippines and was later wounded in Manila.
Gene Autry, US Army Air Corps. Crewman on transports that ferried supplies over "The Hump" in the China-Burma-India Theater.
William Holden, US Army Air Corps.
Alan Hale Jr, US Coast Guard.
Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Battle of Okinawa.
Russell Johnson, US Army Air Corps. B-24 crewman who was awarded Purple Heart when his aircraft was shot down by the Japanese in the Philippines.
William Conrad, US Army Air Corps. Fighter Pilot.
Jack Klugman, US Army.
Frank Sutton, US Army. Took part in 14 assault landings, including Leyte, Luzon, Bataan and Corregidor.
Jackie Coogan, US Army Air Corps. Volunteered for gliders and flew troops and materials into Burma behind enemy lines.
Tom Bosley, US Navy.
Claude Akins, US Army. Signal Corps., Burma and the Philippines.
Chuck Connors, US Army. Tank-warfare instructor.
Harry Carey Jr., US Navy.
Mel Brooks, US Army. Combat Engineer. Saw action in the Battle of the Bulge.
Robert Altman, US Army Air Corps. B-24 Co-Pilot.
Pat Hingle, US Navy. Destroyer USS Marshall
Fred Gwynne, US Navy. Radioman.
Karl Malden, US Army Air Corps. 8th Air Force, NCO.
Earl Holliman, US Navy. Lied about his age to enlist. Discharged after a year when the Navy found out.
Rock Hudson, US Navy. Aircraft mechanic, the Philippines.
Harvey Korman, US Navy.
Aldo Ray, US Navy. UDT frogman, Okinawa.
Don Knotts, US Army, Pacific Theater.
Don Rickles, US Navy aboard USS Cyrene.
Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Served aboard an LST in the Battle of Okinawa.
Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Instructor.
Soupy Sales, US Navy. Served on USS Randall in the South Pacific.
Lee Van Cleef, US Navy. Served aboard a sub chaser then a mine sweeper.
Clifton James, US Army, South Pacific. Was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.
Ted Knight, US Army, Combat Engineers.
Jack Warden, US Navy, 1 938-1942, then US Army, 1 942-1945. 101st Airborne Division.
Don Adams, US Marines. Wounded on Guadalcanal, then served as a Drill Instructor.
James Gregory, US Navy and US Marines.
Brian Keith, US Marines. Radioman/Gunner in Dauntless dive-bombers.
Fess Parker, US Navy and US Marines. Booted from pilot training for being too tall, joined Marines as a radio operator.
Charles Durning, . US Army. Landed at Normandy on D-Day. Shot multiple times. Awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Survived Malmedy Massacre.
Raymond Burr, US Navy. Shot in the stomach on Okinawa and medically discharged.
Hugh O'Brian, US Marines.
Robert Ryan, US Marines.
Eddie Albert, US Coast Guard. Bronze Star with Combat V for saving several Marines under heavy fire as pilot of a landing craft during the invasion of Tarawa.
Cark Gable , US Army Air Corps. B-17 gunner over Europe.
Charles Bronson, US Army Air Corps. B-29 gunner, wounded in action.
Peter Graves, US Army Air Corps.
Buddy Hackett, US Army anti-aircraft gunner.
Victor Mature, US Coast Guard.
Jack Palance, US Army Air Corps. Severely injured bailing out of a burning B-24 bomber.
Robert Preston, US Army Air Corps. Intelligence Officer
Cesar Romero, US Coast Guard. Coast Guard. Participated in the invasions of Tinian and Saipan on the assault transport USS Cavalier.
Norman Fell, US Army Air Corps., Tail Gunner, Pacific Theater.
Jason Robards, US Navy. was aboard heavy cruiser USS Northampton when it was sunk off Guadalcanal. Also served on the USS Nashville during the invasion of the Philippines, surviving a kamikaze hit that caused 223 casualties.
Steve Reeves, US Army, Philippines.
Dennis Weaver, US Navy. Pilot.
Robert Taylor, US Navy. Instructor Pilot.
Randolph Scott, Tried to enlist in the Marines but was rejected due to injuries sustained in US Army, World War 1.
Ronald Reagan, US Army. Was a 2nd Lt. in the Cavalry Reserves before the war. His poor eyesight kept him from being sent overseas with his unit when war came so he transferred to the Army Air Corps Public Relations Unit where he served for the duration.
John Wayne, Declared "4F medically unfit" due to pre-existing injuries, he nonetheless attempted to volunteer three times (Army, Navy and Film Corps.) so he gets honorable mention.
And of course we have Audie Murphy , America's most-decorated soldier, who became a Hollywood star as a result of his US Army service that included his being awarded the Medal of Honor.
Humphrey Bogart joined the U.S. Navy in 1918 just in time for America’s involvement in World War I. Bogie ferried troops coming home from Europe, and it’s believed that he got the iconic scar on his lip during this time. One story reports that he got the scar when a piece of shrapnel hit him while his ship, the USS Leviathan, was under attack. Another story says he was punched in the face by a prisoner he was escorting to Portsmouth Naval Prison.
Ernest Borgnine served in the U.S. Navy from 1935 until he was honorably discharged in October of 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of that same year, Borgnine re-enlisted and served aboard the antisubmarine warfare ship, the USS Sylph, until 1945. He left the Navy with the rank of gunner’s mate 1st class.
Born Charles Buchinsky, tough-guy actor Charles Bronson enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1943. He served as an aerial gunner, flying 25 missions, and Bronson received a Purple Heart for wounds he got in battle.
Michael Caine served in the British Army as a rifle infantryman during the Korean War. He revealed that, because of a near-death experience he had during his military stint, he now lives life to fullest. Caine also believes everyone should have to serve in the military for at least six months.
The stand-up comedian, actor, and current host of the “The Price Is Right,” served six years in the United States Marine Corps during the 1980s.
The “Expendables” star served in the U.S. Army from 1982-88. Couture even attained the rank of Sergeant in the 101st Airborne.
Sean Connery entered the Royal Navy at the age of 16. He served for three years before being discharged because of a stomach ulcer.
The actor best known as Scotty from the “Star Trek” TV series and films, James Doohan served in the Royal Canadian Army. His first combat mission was on Juno Beach in Normandy during D-Day. He was shot six times, four in the leg, one in the chest, and one through his middle finger. The bullet he took to the chest was stopped by a silver cigarette case, and his middle finger had to be amputated.
Charles Durning was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1944 and fought during World War II. Durning reached the rank of Private First Class, and he earned a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his service.
Clint Eastwood was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951, but did not serve in the Korean War. Instead, he was assigned to be a lifeguard at Ford Ord in California. He was, however, involved in a serious plane crash when the aircraft he was a passenger in ran out of fuel and crashed in the Pacific Ocean. Eastwood escaped and had to swim over two miles to Point Reyes.
Denholm Elliott (pictured in the center of the photo) is most famous to American for portraying Marcus Brody in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Elliott served in the Royal Air Force as a gunner and radio operator during World War II. After his plane was shot down by Germans, Elliott and two of his crew members spent the rest of the war in a German POW camp.
Henry Fonda served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, even after he was an established movie star and Academy Award nominee. The actor stated that he didn’t want to be in a fake war in a studio. Fonda served on the destroyer USS Satterlee in the Pacific Ocean, and he was commissioned as a Lieutenant Junior Grade in Air Combat Intelligence. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts.
Sterling Hayden is best known for movies like “The Godfather” and “Dr. Strangelove,” but he was also a member of the United States Marines and an OSS agent during World War II. As an agent, Hayden sailed supplies from Italy to Yugoslav partisans, and he also parachuted in fascist Croatia. The actor became a First Lieutenant and was award a Silver Star and a Bronze Arrowhead.
Charlton Heston enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1944 and reached the rank of Staff Sergeant. He served two years as an aerial gunner and radio operator in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.
The star of romantic comedies like "Pillow Talk" and "Lover Come Back," Rock Hudson served as an aircraft mechanic in the Philippines during World War II.
Most famous as the whiny sheriff in the James Bond movie "Live and Let Die," Clifton James served in the Army for the entirety of World War II. He spent time in the South Pacific, in countries like Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, a Presidential Unit Citation, a Combat Infantry Badge and six battle stars.
The silent comedian served in the U.S. Army during World War I. He served in France with the 40th Infantry Division and suffered an ear infection that permanently impairing his hearing.
While there is an urban legend that says Don Knotts was a Marine Corps drill instructor on Parris Island, the truth is he joined the U.S. Army during World War II and spent most of his time entertaining the troops.
Christopher Lee’s exploits in the military could be made into a blockbuster movie, but I’ll try to keep them short. He volunteered to fight with the Finnish in the Winter War of 1939, served in the Royal Air Force in WWII, spent time in North Africa and Italy, and then tracked down Nazi war criminals after the war. He was also part of a precursor organization to the SAS, but refuses to reveal details about any of his operations.
Lee Marvin served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He fought in the Battle of Saipan where he was wounded by machine gun fire and most of his unit was killed. Marvin was award the Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
Tyrone Power, who was already an established movie star when World War II broke out, joined the U.S. Marines in 1942. His missions involved flying wounded soldiers out of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Power was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze stars, and the World War II Victory Medal. He also earned the rank of Captain in the reserves in 1951.
Elvis Presley was already a major recording star and an actor when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1958. He was stationed in Germany where he joined the 32nd Armored Division. The King met his future wife, Priscilla, while in the service, and the media sensation that surrounded his induction in the military inspired the musical “Bye Bye Birdie.”
The infamous “insult comic,” who also appeared in Martin Scorsese’s “Casino,” served in the U.S. Navy during World War II on the USS Cyrene.
The man most famous for his mustache served in the 160th Infantry Regiment of the California Army National Guard from 1967-1973.
The standup comedian and star "Jingle All the Way" served in the U.S. Air Force as a boom operator aboard KC-135 Stratotankers. Sinbad also practiced his standup routine while in the military.
Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, Kirk Douglas, George C. Scott, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, James Earl Jones, Dennis Franz, Rob Riggie......
Among many others!!!
The WW1 vets sometimes don’t seem to get enough credit on these lists. A young Brian Donlevy joined up with the Lafayette Escadrille. Horror actor Rondo Hatton got a bad dose of mustard gas that contributed to his problems. Silent cowboy star Fred Thomson served. Britishers Herbert Marshall and Leo G. Carroll suffered severe injuries in combat.
Many, many more I’m sure.
As a vet and an American, I appreciate this post so very much. Bravo Zulu!
James Doohan, Star Treks Scotty, lost a finger at D-Day
James Arness. Anzio Italy hero WWII
The actors who played German characters in Hogan’s Heroes served in the US military during WW2.
Colonel Wilhelm Klink (portrayed by Werner Klemperer)
Sergeant Hans Schultz (portrayed by John Banner)
General Albert Hans “Hansi” Burkhalter (portrayed by Leon Askin)
Major Wolfgang Hochstetter (portrayed by Howard Caine)
They knew what they were fighting for back then. That was a different era than today.