Dan Blocker, aka”Hoss,” was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War. He had basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Dan Davis Blocker (December 10, 1928 – May 13, 1972) was an American television actor and Korean War veteran. He is best remembered for his role as Hoss Cartwright in the NBC western television series Bonanza. Hoss served as an infantry sergeant in F Company, 2nd Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division in Korea, December 1951 to August 1952