Gal Gadot
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Maybe she’s really Wonder Woman after all. Gal Gadot enlisted as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) where she taught gymnastics and calisthenics as a combat instructor. In Israel, serving in the IDF is mandatory, but it also made a difference in Gadot’s career. She believes that she was able to break into acting because Justin Lin, the director of “Fast and Furious,” was impressed by her military experience. “You give two or three years, and it’s not about you,” she said of her time serving with the IDF. “You learn discipline and respect.”
Tom Selleck
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Tom Selleck is openly proud of his military service. He said, “I was a sergeant in the U.S. Army infantry, National Guard, Vietnam era. We’re all brothers and sisters in that sense.” Selleck served from 1967 to 1973 in the California National Guard. He had already joined 20th Century Fox and was learning acting when he was issued orders for the draft and decided to join the Guard — but when he left the military, Fox dropped his contract. Selleck pressed on and 11 years later was offered “Magnum, P.I.”
Chuck Norris
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Chuck Norris became interested in the martial arts while he was stationed in Korea as a member of the U.S. Air Force. At the time, he was in the security police and was upset he had to draw his weapon to arrest a drunk. He began studying taekwondo and Tang Soo Do and eventually became the world middleweight karate champion for six years. Later still, Norris became a screen star — and the inspiration for countless how-tough-is-Chuck Norris-isms, including this one: “Chuck Norris once shot down an enemy fighter plane with his finger, by yelling ‘Bang!’”
Sean Connery
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Sean Connery is known for his decades-long acting career and as one of the sexiest James Bonds. Just like his character 007, he did spend time in the military, but alas it was not as exciting as Bond’s. Connery served in the Royal Navy and was stationed aboard the HMS Formidable from 1947-1950. Instead of joining MI6, however, he was medically discharged due to a stomach ulcer.
Walt Disney
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The beloved Walt Disney contributed to the military and American war effort in a unique way. When he first attempted to join the service in 1918 to fight in World War I, the U.S. Army turned him down because he was only 16 at the time. Disney and his creative ways won out, as he forged the date on his birth certificate and was able to join the American Ambulance Corps, a division of the Red Cross. Just days after the war ended, his outfit was shipped off to France where he was assigned to an evacuation hospital and drove trucks and ambulances. He also served in the actual military during World War II. This time, his true talents were put to use creating propaganda cartoons and instructional videos for soldiers. The special unit was appropriately called the “Walt Disney Training Films Unit.”
Tony Bennett
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Tony Bennett got his first singing job with a military band. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944 and served in the “Blood and Fire” division in Germany and France. While in Europe, he was demoted from corporal to private due to words exchanged with an officer over Bennett inviting a black friend to eat with him. He was eventually transferred to special services and studied music before returning to the United States. He used his GI Bill benefits to study voice.
Alan Alda
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For Alan Alda, who served in the U.S. military and played Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series “M*A*S*H,” it seems as if art imitates life. In real life, Alda joined the U.S. Army Reserve after graduating from Fordham University. He served for six months as a gunnery officer in Korea just after the Korean War. As Captain Hawkeye Pierce, he played a medic stationed overseas during the Korean War. Alda was nominated for 21 Emmy Awards for his role on “M*A*S*H” and won five.
Charlton Heston
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Charlton Heston enlisted in 1941 around the time the U.S. entered World War II. He was stationed in Alaska as a radio operator and aerial gunner on the B-25 Mitchell bomber, but he never saw combat. Later, after he became a Hollywood star, the military asked Heston to lend his distinctive voice to the narration of Department of Energy films about nuclear weapons. Because these films were classified, for this work Heston needed to hold the highest security clearance level in the U.S. at that time.
James Stewart
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James Stewart initially enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps before the United States entered World War II. While in training, he took college courses with the goal of obtaining a commission, which he received after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He went through basic flight training and was trained in several different types of aircraft before being transferred to England as the commander of a B-24 bomber squadron. Stewart had flown 20 combat missions by the end of war, and after his active service was complete, he stayed in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. In July 1959, he was promoted to brigadier general.
Steve McQueen
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“All in all, despite my problems, I liked my time in the Marines,” Steve McQueen once said. After a rough early life, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1947. But McQueen was inclined toward disobedience, to put it mildly, and he was demoted seven times. After a weekend pass turned into a two-week “vacation” of his own making, he was arrested, which earned him some time in the brig. During that period, he decided to reform himself. Later, McQueen was training in the Arctic when the ship he was on hit a sandbank. Several tanks and their crews were thrown into the water and many drowned, but McQueen was able to rescue five men.
Pat Sajak
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Before “Wheel of Fortune,” Pat Sajak worked as a DJ on Armed Forces Radio — and he sometimes felt bad for how easy he had it. “I used to feel a bit guilty about my relatively soft duty,” he said. “After all, I was billeted (lodged) in a hotel, and there were plenty of nice restaurants around. But I always felt a little better when I met guys who came into town from the field and thanked us for bringing them a little bit of home.”
Bill Cosby
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Long before Bill Cosby played Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, the funny-yet-firm TV dad, and even longer before his April 2018 conviction for sexual assault, he was a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman. From 1956 through 1960, Cosby served aboard ships and at the Bethesda Naval hospital where he worked with Korean War casualties. He was honorably discharged, and in 2011 he was given the title of honorary chief petty officer. The Navy has since revoked the title, citing the allegations that led to Cosby’s court troubles and stating that they conflict with the Navy’s core values.
Bob Barker
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During his career in the U.S. Navy, Bob Barker flew eight different airplanes. He originally enlisted and then stayed at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri to complete the two years of college he needed to qualify to become a naval aviation cadet. Reporting for duty in June 1943, he was commissioned as an ensign and trained at eight different wartime locations over 18 months.
Carl Reiner
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Funny man, actor, director, writer — let’s just say the whole package, Carl Reiner is best known for his show where he was the producer, writer, and actor of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” During the 1940s, the draft had all-hands-on-deck policy, and Reiner was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force in 1943 where he rose to the rank of corporal.
Johnny Cash
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Johnny Cash enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950 and completed his training at Air Force bases in San Antonio, Texas. Cash was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Security Service in Germany as a Morse-code operator when he put together his first band. He served four years and was honorably discharged. Cash’s four daughters were born of his marriage to his first wife, Vivian, a native San Antonian who he met while in Air Force training.
Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
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Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, served in the military during World War II. He volunteered for the U.S. Army, leaving behind his budding career as a children’s author and illustrator. When the war hit, Geisel felt pulled to put his projects for younger readers on the back shelf and work on political cartoons instead. He created satirical cartoons aimed at Adolf Hitler and American isolationists such as Charles Lindbergh who was trying to keep the U.S. out of war. Geisel stated, “While Paris was being occupied by the clanking tanks of the Nazis, and I was listening on my radio, I found that I could no longer keep my mind on drawing pictures of ‘Horton the Elephant.’ I found myself drawing pictures of ‘Lindbergh the Ostrich.’”
Ed McMahon
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Ed McMahon’s famous quote “Here’s Johnny!” from the opening of “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” is a line forever etched in our memories. McMahon enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1941 and started flight training in Dallas. He then completed fighter training in Pensacola and obtained his landing qualification. For the next two years, he was a flight instructor until he received his orders to report to the Pacific Fleet. However, his transfer didn’t happen due to the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The war had ended, but McMahon continued his service as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. When the Korean War broke out, he was reinstated to active duty and flew a Cessna O-1 Bird Dog, an unarmed spotter plane. His military career spanned 25 years, and McMahon received six air medals and retired in 1966 with the rank of colonel.
Morgan Freeman
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Morgan Freeman has always loved acting but had dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. He even decided to turn down a drama scholarship to join the U.S. Air Force after high school. He ended up spending over three years in the service, but once he was in the cockpit of a fighter plane, he realized it was not what he wanted. Of his experience he told the AARP: “I had a distinct feeling I was sitting in the nose of a bomb. I had this very clear epiphany, ‘You are not in love with this; you are in love with the idea of this.’” He decided to leave the Air Force and pursue acting.
J.D. Salinger
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The famous American novelist, known best for “Catcher in the Rye,” says his novel was heavily influenced by his experiences serving during World War II. As a U.S. Army sergeant, J.D. Salinger stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and marched through concentration camps, and the character of Holden Caulfield drew on these experiences. Salinger said the war changed him and Caulfield alike. Salinger has said that his 11 months in combat had an impact on every aspect of his life including his writing. Salinger’s daughter said that he spoke of Normandy often but never provided details.
Willie Nelson
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Willie Nelson joined the U.S. Air Force straight out of high school. His military career didn’t last long, however, as he was medically discharged after just nine short months due to back problems. He did take away a bit of wisdom from his months served: “I was in the Air Force a while, and they had what they call ‘policing the area.’ I think that’s a pretty good thing to go by. If everyone just takes care of their own area, then we won’t have any problems. Be here. Be present. Wherever you are, be there. And look around you and see what needs to be changed.”
Benny Hill
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Remember “The Benny Hill Show”? The British slapstick expert was known as one of the funniest silent showmen ever, reaching a record audience of more than 21 million people in 1971. Most people don’t know that Benny Hill also served time in the military. It’s true, I swear! Benny Hill served in the British Army as one of the electrical and mechanical engineers that arrived in Normandy during WWII on September 1, 1944. He was in the 3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Battery. Hill was not a huge fan of his time in the service and preferred to not speak much about it.
Clint Eastwood
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The actor, director, and filmmaker wanted to apply to college out of high school, but he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Despite his tough-guy image, Clint Eastwood was a lifeguard working on base for the duration of his service. He went on to be an A-lister in Hollywood, starring in too many movies to list. He also has directed many military movies, including “Heartbreak Ridge,” “Flags of our Fathers,” “Firefox,” and “American Sniper.” “American Sniper” is based on the true story of Chris Kyle’s time serving as a Navy SEAL during the Iraq War. This film allowed Eastwood to showcase a deeper take on the effects of war and the stresses our soldiers and their families go through.
Harry Belafonte
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Although Harry Belafonte joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 to fight in World War II, he did not end up going overseas. After his discharge, his GI Bill benefits enabled him to further his education at The New School for Social Research. In the late 1940s, he studied acting at The New School’s dramatic workshop and performed with the American Negro Theater. To pay for his acting classes, he sang in New York clubs. In 1956, his album “Calypso” was, according to Belafonte, the first to sell over 1 million copies.
Drew Carey
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The host of “The Price is Right” was once an active member of the armed forces. Drew Carey spent six years as a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also started his stand-up career while serving in the military. Carey supports the troops to this day by touring overseas with the USO. “I think if I did not have such a great break, I would still be in the military,” said Carey. “I still wear my hair short and have the glasses. Also, I enjoyed the regimen and camaraderie. I knew that once I left the reserves, I would give back to the military, so I teamed up with the USO.”
John Coltrane
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John Coltrane’s first recording on the alto saxophone was made in July 1946 while he was a member of the U.S. Navy. Coltrane had enlisted in the Navy on August 6, 1945, one day after the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan. In late 1945, he was shipped to Pearl Harbor as an apprentice seaman. He joined the base swing band and became one of few servicemen in the Navy who served as musicians without having a musicians’ rating. Because the band had only white members, Coltrane played as a “guest performer.”
Adam Driver
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Adam Driver, the actor from the HBO series “Girls” and the new “Star Wars” franchise, actually had a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps. 9-11 jolted him into action, and he says that he and his friends all agreed they needed to join after that horrific terrorist attack. Ultimately, he was the only one that actually did. He thrived in the military and felt a sense of unity with his fellow marines. He even created “Arts in the Armed Forces” (AITAF), a non-profit that performs theater for all branches of the military. He liked the discipline the Marine Corps provides and looked forward to deploying, but after serving for more than two years, he injured his sternum mountain biking and was medically discharged before ever seeing any action.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
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The famous novelist and short story writer F. Scott Fitzgerald may be best known for his novel “The Great Gatsby,” but what you may not know is that he dropped out of Princeton University when World War I started and took a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Thinking of the possibility of his death, he was motivated to write in all of his off hours, hoping he could still leave behind a literary legacy. Fitzgerald never did make it to battle though, as the 1918 Armistice was signed just before he was set to be shipped out. His time in the service did produce a draft of what would become his hit debut novel “This Side of Paradise.”
Paul Newman
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Hoping to become a pilot, Paul Newman joined the U.S. Navy through Yale’s V-12 college training program. His hopes were crushed soon after when it was discovered that he was colorblind. Instead, he had to settle for basic training where he trained to be a rear-seat radioman and gunner for torpedo bombers. He was discharged in 1946 with military honors including the Good Conduct Medal, American Area Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. He then attended Kenyon College using the GI Bill and eventually started his acting career in Broadway productions, which ultimately led to his career in television and film.
Robert Duvall
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A U.S. Navy brat, Robert Duvall is the son of a rear admiral and a descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. He graduated college in 1953 and then decided to go the military route himself by enlisting in the U.S. Army. Even then, Duvall was interested in acting and performed in plays while serving. He returned to civilian life after two years of service, using the GI Bill to study acting at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater.
Ted Williams
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Ted Williams was a famous Boston Red Sox Player who would go to earn a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. But first, he was a patriot at heart who interrupted his baseball playing career to join the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II for three years. Surprisingly, he returned to military duty from 1952 to 1953 as a Marine combat aviator during the Korean War. Williams flew a total of 39 combat missions in the Korean War. He never lost his baseball ability, batting 342 with 38 home runs in 1946 after returning home.
Charles Bronson
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After enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1943, Charles Bronson served as an aircraft gunner and then flew 25 missions in B-29 bombers. He was wounded in action and was awarded the Purple Heart. After he left the military in 1945, he used his G.I. Bill benefits initially to study art, and later he switched to acting.
Prince Andrew
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The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, the brother of Prince Charles, served in the British Military. He was trained to fly the Lynx helicopter and promoted to Lieutenant in 1984. Prince Andrew served aboard the HMS Brazen as a pilot until 1986, which included a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. He advanced to a helicopter warfare officer in 1986, and also served on HMS Edinburgh as an Officer of the Watch and Assistant Navigating Officer until 1989. He advanced to Senior Pilot of 815 Naval Air Squadron in 1995 and finished his active military career at the British Ministry of Defense as an officer of the Diplomatic Directorate of the Naval Staff in 2001.
Chris Kyle
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Kyle is known as the deadliest sniper in American military history. He served four tours of duty as a member of the Navy Seals and fought in numerous battles. 160 of his claimed 255 kills have been confirmed, the farthest being 2,100 yards. Kyle earned two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars for valor, survived six IEDs, and was shot twice.
Dan Rather
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Dan Rather has had a long-standing career in American journalism and was the news anchor for the CBS Evening News. Rather claims to have served in the US Marine Corps, but it seems this claim may have been used to serve his ego. Bernard Goldberg did some digging to find out the truth for his book, Bias. Coauthor, BG Burkett, says that during a conversation he had with Rather about a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece claiming Rather has a left-wing bias, he became noticeably angry. “Rather’s voice started quivering, and he told me how in his young days, he had signed up with the Marines – not once, but twice!” he stated. According to Burkett, this is greatly exaggerated. Rather did serve, but he did not join the Marines twice. He was in the Army Reserve during the Korean War. When the Korean War ended Rather finished college and then signed up for the Marines, but never even made it to basic training.
Henry Fonda
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Henry Fonda enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a seaman during World War II. He worked in operations and air combat intelligence, and earned a Bronze Star and a presidential citation for his bravery. He achieved the rank of lieutenant before his discharge in 1945.
Don Rickles
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Don Rickles, the insult comedian extraordinaire known as “The Merchant of Venom,” was in the Navy at the end of World War II, from 1944 through his honorable discharge in 1946. A Seaman First Class on the USS Cyrene, he sailed from Norfolk, Virginia to Papua New Guinea as the ship escorted torpedo boats, followed by convoy duty in the Philippines. Rickles would later describe one deployment, “It was so hot and humid, the crew rotted.”
Elvis Presley
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During a time when Elvis’ rock & roll was being viewed as something far to provocative and outrageous, he did something surprising and enlisted in the United States Army. Although he was offered a cushy spot, safe housing, and a job entertaining the troops, he decided to enlist as a soldier just like everyone else. This earned him the respect of his fellow soldiers and others who had previously viewed him as a “detriment to society.” A lot happened while he served in Germany: his mom passed away, he met his future wife, Priscilla, and unfortunately began what would ultimately become a life-long dependency on drugs.
Joe DiMaggio
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Who hasn’t heard of Joe DiMaggio? He is one of the greatest baseball players of all time. The legend who married Marilyn Monroe also spent time in the Army during WW2. But he didn’t enter the battle ground at all, he spent his service time on bases around America where he was an athletics instructor.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Before he was a governor. Before he was an actor. Before he was a bodybuilder, world-class Arnold Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian Army during 1965. This was not by choice, but due to a requirement at the time that all Austrian males who reached 18 serve one year. During his time in the Army, he actually won the Junior Mr. Europe Contest. After the military, he went on to build an incredible resume as a bodybuilder and actor, before venturing into politics where he served as Governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
Pat Tillman
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Pat Tillman was a famous Pro-american football player for the Arizona Cardinals, who joined the army rangers after the September 11th attacks. He served with distinguishment in both tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. His unit came under fire in a canyon from enemy forces, and he was unfortunately killed in a friendly fire incident. His funeral was surrounded by controversy as the army did not reveal the incident until after the televised event as to not tarnish his reputation as a war hero. He was posthumously awarded a promotion to corporal, a purple heart, and the silver star
John Glenn
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John Glenn is most famous for being the first US astronaut to orbit the Earth, having ultimately completed three orbits in 1962. As a US Marine pilot, Glenn was selected in 1959 for Project Mercury Astronaut Training. He was initially the backup pilot for Alan Shepard and Virgil “Gus” Grissom, who both made the first orbital flights. Glenn completed his three orbital flights around the Earth aboard the Friendship 7. After serving both the Marines and Nasa, Glenn ran for the US Senate and served as a Senator from the state of Ohio.
Kirk Douglas
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Izzy Demsky took the name Kirk Douglas just before he joined the Navy in 1941, shortly after the U.S. entered World War II. He served in anti-submarine warfare as a gunnery and communications officer. Douglas suffered abdominal injuries as the result of the dropping of an accidental depth charge, and he was subsequently medically discharged in 1944.
Mickey Rooney
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Mickey Rooney was one of the highest paid actors from the late 1930s through early 1940s. In 1944, he was drafted, and the Army put him to work entertaining World War II troops on radio and the stage. He was even awarded a Bronze Star for his performances in combat zones. Rooney also was awarded several other medals for his military service, include the Army Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
Oliver Stone
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Oliver Stone joined the Army in 1967 and specifically requested combat duty. He fought in Vietnam and was wounded in action twice, earning the Bronze Star with “V” device, which he received after conducting “extraordinary acts of courage under fire,” and a Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster. His movie “Platoon” was heavily influenced by his combat experiences in Vietnam.
Tony Curtis
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Tony Curtis was an American actor famous for movies in the 1950s and 1960s. However before he became famous in Hollywood, he served in the U.S. Navy. He enlisted in the Navy after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where he was inspired by Cary Grant’s role in the 1943 film “Destination Tokyo” to join the Pacific submarine force. He was even at Tokyo for the surrender of the Japanese and was able to witness it from the signal bridge of his submarine. He went on to study acting using the GI Bill once he was discharged.
Jesse Ventura
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Jesse Ventura is a former professional wrestling and media personality who had distinguished career as a member of the U.S. Navy underwater demolition team during the Vietnam war. He did not see any active combat. He was frequently referred to as a Navy Seal, but he never completed the final training to become an actual Seal. He left the Navy and Vietnam in 1975 and started to build up his career as a wrestler from there.
Jimi Hendrix
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Jimi did not enter the military because he wanted to; after getting busted for stealing a car, he was given a choice – the US Army or prison. He enlisted and got assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. Jimi expressed his feelings about serving in the army in a letter to his dad, “There’s nothing but physical training and harassment here for two weeks, then when you go to jump school, that’s when you get hell. They work you to DEATH, fussing and fighting.” His struggles were many, but thankfully he didn’t serve long. He was honorably discharged after one year due to an ankle injury sustained during a jump.
George Carlin
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George Carlin was a member of the U.S. Air Force but apparently had a rough time in the military. He was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana as a radar technician. He was court martialed three times and received a general discharge, but his work as a disc jockey while on active duty was the jump start for his entertainment career.
Bob Ross
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For those of you who know Bob Ross, then you’ve probably seen, heard, or even tried to place a few of those simple trees in your own artwork. Maybe you’ve found yourself deep in trances by his soothing soft voice. You may have even heard him mention stays in Alaska. Do you know why? One thing for sure, I bet many of you never pegged Bob Ross to have served in the military, nonetheless climb the ranks of the Air Force to achieve Master Sergeant, where yes he screamed, yelled, and drilled in some of the most demanding ways. No longer wanting to be that “guy,” Ross found himself starting his world renowned show, shortly after leaving the service.
Buster Keaton
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Buster Keaton, drafted into the 40th Infantry Division in 1917, was already active in vaudeville when he entered the Army. He continued to perform vaudeville while he was in the service– his “Snake Dance,” in which he “charmed” a rope of sausage links, became a popular, frequently-requested act. This act was so well-received by one general that he lent his car and driver to Keaton. He had the driver stop at a party of his enlisted buddies and because of the general’s insignia on the car, Keaton’s pals thought they getting a surprise inspection.
Gene Kelly
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Funny man, actor, director, writer, let’s just say the whole package, Carl Reiner is best known for his show where he was the producer, writer, and actor of The Dick Van Dyke Show, which is only one of his many accomplishments. During the 1940’s the draft had all hands on deck and Reiner was drafted into the Army Air Force in 1943, where he unintendedly would climb to obtain corporal.
J.R.R. Tolkien
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J.R.R. Tolkien was an English poet and writer, best known for his fantastical works, “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Tolkien is a war veteran and served with the British Expeditionary Force during World War I as Second Lieutenant in the 11th Battalion. He saw many bloody battles, including the Battle of Somme. Ultimately his poor health would end his war days. Tolkien was sent home after he contracted a chronic fever from lice that infested him.
Kris Kristofferson
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Kris Kristofferson is a well-known movie star and musician. What is less known is that he has an impressive military career. Kristofferson identifies as a “military brat” since he traveled around a lot as a kid due to his dad’s military career. His father, Lars Kristofferson, was an Air Corps officer in the US Army. Kris got a degree from Pomona College and earned a scholarship to the prestigious Oxford University, but his parents pressured him into joining the army and marrying his high school sweetheart. He enlisted in 1960, becoming a helicopter pilot after completing Ranger School. He was offered a teaching position at West Point but turned it down so he could focus on his music. His family looked down on his decision to leave the Army and ultimately disowned him for it. Here is how he feels about our troops today: “I want you to know I’m an Army brat; I was a captain in the Army and my brother was a jet pilot in the Navy. So I support our troops; I identify with them. But I sure as hell don’t identify with the bastards who sent them over there.”
Kurt Vonnegut
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The author of “Slaughterhouse Five”, an anti-war novel with elements of science fiction, served in the Army during World War II as an infantry battalion scout. Vonnegut was taken as a prisoner of war and survived the firebombing of Dresden, Germany by the Allied forces. His experiences as a POW were the inspiration for “Slaughterhouse Five” as well as other of his works.
Laurence Olivier
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Laurence Olivier was an English actor best known for stage and film. He won Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy, and BAFTA. When World War II started, Olivier wanted to join the Royal Air Force, but he was already obligated to other parties. Olivier served for two years as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm but was never called into battle.
Gene Wilder
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Drafted into the Army in 1956, Jerome Silberman (Wilder’s real name) trained for service in the medical corps. He was working as a paramedic at Valley Forge Army Hospital in Pennsylvania when he began taking acting classes. After his honorable discharge in 1958, Jerome Silberman changed his name to Gene Wilder and went on to star in a number of comedies, notably teaming up with director Mel Brooks in “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.”
Sidney Poitier
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You may know him as the first black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Sidney Poitier moved to the US at age 16 from the Bahamas. He lived in New York City and desperately wanted to escape the bitter winters of the northeast. He lied about his age so he could enlist in the United States Army where he served as a medical attendant in a mental hospital. Still a kid, he soon grew tired of that role, but instead of just admitting his age, he decided to try and get discharged by faking insanity. With the threat of shock treatment, he came clean. After talking to a psychiatrist for several weeks, he was eventually granted release from the Army.
Richard Pryor
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Funny man Richard Pryor did not have what you’d call a typical stint in the Army. Pryor spent most of his time behind bars for stabbing a white soldier who got a little too enthusiastic over a racially charged scene in a film they were watching. However, compared to his childhood this may have seemed like a walk in the park. As a young child, Richard was the victim of sexual abuse. Left by his alcoholic mother at the age of ten, he was raised at his grandmother’s brothel. During that time he was also expelled from school.
Robin Quivers
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Robin Quivers, the co-host of the Howard Stern show is also a former Air Force Captain. She originally had qualified with a nursing degree from the University of Maryland, but believed that she could put her degree to better use so she join the United States Air Force. After three years she reached the rank of captain before being discharged on month later. Quivers remained a member of the US Air Force Reserves until 1990 but was never recalled. She returned to Baltimore before taking her first job in radio as a newscast reader in Pennsylvania. When Howard Stern show was looking for a straight personality to balance out his zaniness, they heard her audition and hired her immediately.
Shaggy
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Remember Shaggy, the reggae singer from the 90s? Before we danced to his hits “Bombastic” and “It Wasn’t Me,” he served as part of the 10th Marine Regiment in the United States Marine Corps. Having moved to the US from Jamaica at 18, he found some early success with his music, but when it proved difficult to keep the success going, he signed up for the Marines. Two years after joining, the Gulf War broke out and in 1991 he was deployed to Kuwait. The war sobered him up and helped him focus. He dedicated himself to his music and in 1993 released his debut album. Soon after, he enjoyed the peak of his success during the mid 1990s through 2000.
Michael Caine
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Perhaps so we can truly appreciate the lives we have, British Actor Michael Caine believes we should all serve at least six months in the military. Caine was drafted into the British Army during the Korean War. He spent time on the front lines and almost lost his life. After contracting Malaria, he was medically discharged and headed home to London to pursue acting. Turns out this offered him the experience he needed for his very first movie role. He got his big break playing a British Army Private in a war movie called, “A Hill in Korea.
Montel Williams
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Actor and television talk show host, Montel Williams had an extremely impressive career in the US military. Montel served from 1974-1996. He was the first black enlisted Marine to graduate from both the Academy Prep School and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. While at Annapolis he earned his degree in general engineering with a minor in International Security Affairs. He also studied Mandarin Chinese. He went on to be a lieutenant and was honorably discharged after 22 years of service from both the US Marine Corps and the US Navy
Johnny Carson
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The famous Tonight Show Host enlisted in the United States Navy as an apprentice seaman enrolled in the V-5 program. At the height of World War II, he felt he needed to serve his country and be a part of the American front. He was assigned as a member of the crew on the USS Pennsylvania. He had hoped to be trained as a Navy Pilot but was instead sent for midshipman training at Columbia University. Always an entertainer, he preformed magic for his classmates on the side.
Ernest Hemingway
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Hemingway wanted to enlist in the Army during World War I, but his vision was too poor. The future Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winner was, however, accepted as a volunteer ambulance driver for the Red Cross and sailed for Europe in May 1918. Hemingway ended up in Italy, where he drove ambulances and gave out candy and cigarettes to Italian soldiers on the front lines. A few weeks after his arrival in Italy, a mortar shell exploded near the eighteen-year-old Hemingway, gravely wounding him. Many of his stories were based on his experiences in World War I, the Spanish Civil War, and World War II.
Gene Hackman
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Gene Hackman enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of sixteen. He would later say while he was an actor, “I have trouble with direction, because I have trouble with authority. I was not a good Marine.” Hackman’s first duty assignment was in China, where he moonlighted as a disc jockey and newscaster on his unit’s radio station. A few times he left his post without permission—earning him three demotions. So, yes, Hackman was probably “not a good Marine.”
Mel Brooks
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Funny man Mel Brooks served our country during World War II. He was drafted before he had the chance to finish his degree. Known then as Melvin Kaminsky, he joined the Army Corps of Engineers. He was a Corporal in the 1104 Engineer Combat Battalion. As a combat engineer his job was a dangerous and important one; duties included deactivating enemy land mines. When Mel saw combat in the Battle of the Bulge, it is said that the Nazis were blasting Axis propaganda over the airways. True to form, legend has it that Mel responded by blasting his rendition of Al Jolson’s “Toot Toot Tootsie.”
Humphrey Bogart
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“Bogie” was struck in the mouth by a prisoner while he was assigned to the military police in the U.S. Navy during World War I. The injury left left his mouth scarred and gave him a subtle lisp. With his naturally raspy voice, though, the scar and lisp enhanced the tough guy-gangster image in which he was typecast for much of his movie career. Humphrey Bogart started acting in the theater–but the “tough guy” had such bad stage fright, he ran off the stage in the middle of a performance!
Fred Durst
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You know Fred as the former lead singer for the metal rock band, Limp Bizkit. This groundbreaking musician and film director also served in the US Navy. He joined the military straight out of high school and was discharged after 2 years at the age of twenty. He moved home after his release where he mowed lawns and pursued tattoo artistry before getting the idea to start a band. He had a unique idea to combine the elements of rock and hip-hop. Fred played with three bands prior to becoming a founding member of the very successful, Limp Bizkit.
Hugh Hefner
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Hugh is best known as the man behind “Playboy Magazine,” but before starting the now infamous publication, he was quite successful in a completely different role. He enlisted in the US Army fresh out of high school and began his military career as an infantry clerk. While in Basic Training, he won a sharpshooter badge. His writing and art skills were also put to use as he created cartoons for Army newspapers. Upon release from the Army, he received his Bachelor’s degree and went on to make his mark in the publishing world as a copywriter for Esquire Magazine. Hefner created the word “centerfold” – adding a brand new noun to the English language, and his magazine and lifestyle would ultimately take the world by storm, leaving a lasting impression on millions
Mr. T
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Mr T, from the famous TV-show the A-team, real name Laurence Tureaud, was more than a disgraced mercenary working from a black van. In fact, he was actually a Military Police Corps Officer. During his training, he was punished with wood cutting detail by his CO but not told how many trees he should cut. In three and a half hours he successfully chopped more than 70 trees. This level of commitment got him promoted to squad leader. He was eventually honorably discharged from the Army and became a bodyguard for $3,000 a night, before being spotted by Sylvester Stallone who placed him in his star-launching film, Rocky III.
Danny Aiello
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Danny Aiello, an American actor famous for his role in “The Godfather Part Two,” also had a surprising military career in the Korean war. He lied to join the military when he was 16 and was instantly shipped to Germany where he spent 28 months serving the military on an army base. Once his service ended he went on to be a union representative for Greyhound buses and then eventually became a bouncer at a comedy club, which lead onto his acting career.
Sammy Davis Jr.
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Sammy Davis Jr. was a African-American singer, musician, and actor. Noting his skills during World War II, the army assigned the seventeen-year-old to an integrated entertainment unit, designed to entertain soldiers who are serving overseas. Upon his return to America, his experience overseas was reflected in this work, which led to a position in the Rat Pack lead by his friend Frank Sinatra. He has revealed in his biography that he always suffered racism, especially while serving the military, being beaten and called derogatory names, but found power through his performances.
John Kerry
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John Kerry, the US politician who ran unsuccessfully for the United States president in 2004, also had a military career that took place in the Vietnam war. He originally joined the U.S. Navy but requested to be placed in a swift boat division, rapid boats that could travel up the Vietnamese rivers to disrupt the Vietcong supply lines. During his service he won one Silver star, one bronze star and three purple hearts. As he had been wounded three times he was allowed to be honourable discharge from the war early, but not before reaching the rank of Lieutenant. There was some controversy raised of his military career, but this was later to be found out to be fake news by the Republican Party during the 2004 presidential election.
James Garner
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James Garner, whose real name was James Scott Bumgarner, was a prolific actor and award-winning Hollywood Star who also served in the Merchant Marines in the Korean War. He dropped out of high school during the tail end of World War II and lied about his age to join the Merchant Marines in supplying aid to Europe. After the war ended, he returned to finish high school before dropping out a second time to join the Oklahoma National Guard. As luck would have it, he was drafted to serve in the Korean War where he was awarded two purple hearts. He eventually left the army and moved back to California where he found his love of acting.
Harry Dean Stanton
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Harry Dean Stanton is an American singer and musician who also dabbled in acting. He dropped out of college to study acting, but then World War II broke out and he immediately signed up for the United States Navy. During the war, he served in the battle of Okinawa (made famous by the desperate Japanese attempts with suicide bombers), where he was aboard a landing ship as a galley cook. He left the movie after the war to pursue journalism then switched to radio before finding a home on the stage.
Harvey Keitel
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Harvey Keitel, the famous US actor who is very well known for his role as the Wolf in “Pulp Fiction,” also served in the Marine Corps. He join the Marines when he was only 17 and was still afraid of the dark. He went on to serve in Lebanon during operation Blue Bat which was a military intervention by the United States during the period of conflict. (The US wanted to support the pro-Western Lebanese government that was in power the time.) He left the military after this for a series for jobs before making it big on stage. He has since gone on to have many more roles in film and television.
Harvey Korman
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Harvey Korman was a famous American comedy actor who worked for many years in the American television industry. He was also a United States Navy Reserve Seaman First Class. He originally signed up during the very end of World War II, serving between 1945 and 1946 before being dismissed and making his way to study drama in Chicago. He later went on to be nominated for six Emmy awards and won four. He also picked up a Golden Globe. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2002.
Roberto Clemente
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Roberto Clemente was a famous American baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 1955 to 1972. But what many people don’t know is that he was also a Marine. Back in the 1950s, many baseball players would spend the winter in Puerto Rico practising and honing their skills, but Roberto actually enlisted the United States Marine Corps Reserves as an infantryman. He found that his Marine service rigorously prepared his body and kept him much more fit than he would’ve been had he just trained. He had to leave the military 1964 when his team was preparing to win the World Series.
Vincent Pastore
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Vincent Pastore, a famous American TV star known to his role in the Sopranos, actually served as a sailor in the U.S. Navy before he was discovered. After he graduated high school he decided to enlist in the Navy and stay there from many years before leaving in 1967. He got into acting after being encouraged by his friends Matt and Kevin Dillon. Apart from acting and sailing, he also had a very long career operating and owning nightclubs. Vincent Pastore’s most recent acting appearances have been in animated films such as Disney’s “Zootopia” and Dreamworks’ “Penguins of Madagascar.”
Audie Murphy
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Audie Murphy definitely belongs that on this list, as he was not only a very famous Hollywood actor but also very famous war hero. He served in nine World War II campaigns in the US Army. Before his 20th birthday, he had received every single army combat award for valour that was available at the time. He is widely considered to be America’s most decorated World War II soldier and was the epitome of a war hero when he returned to the States at the end of World War II. He geared up in 1950 to return to the battlefield in the Korean War, but at the same time his acting career started to heat up. The army decided to keep him as a recruitment tool and use his fame to recruit more soldiers. He would retire with the rank of major.
Jack Lemmon
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Jack Lemmon was a famous US actor who won two Academy Awards and also served for a brief time in United States Navy during World War II. During the war, he was an ensign serving as a communications officer on an aircraft carrier but never saw any action. After the Navy, he returned to California where he proceeded to star in many roles building up the acting career that we know today. In one of his very first roles he played a U.S. Navy sailor, starring alongside Judy Holiday in the film “The Lady Takes a Sailor.”
Mike Farrell
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Mike Farrell is an actor who is best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the hit TV show M*A*S*H. He also served in the United States Marine Corps at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, but did not see any action. In his spare time outside of acting, he is also political activist, fighting for human rights and objecting to the death penalty.
Randy Couture
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Randy Couture, a famous UFC fighter, also served in the US Army in the famous 101st airborne. He served for six years and reached the rank of Sergeant. Whilst in the Army, he tried out various different wrestling activities, but due to an error was actually put onto the professional team and then went on to perform at three Olympics. He eventually became a wrestling coach at Oregon State University which led him to decide to pursue a career in mixed martial arts fighting and start competing in the UFC.
Regis Philbin
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Regis Philbin is a famous media personality, most popular for his role as the host of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and also served in the United States Navy supply office. His role was to manage the supplies for the various vessels and crafts of the entire U.S. Navy, and he served for two years before getting a job as an assistant on “The Tonight Show” in 1956. He has one of the highest daytime Emmy nominations at 24 (with six wins) as well the Lifetime Achievement award. He’s still an essential cornerstone of American television today.
Kurt Russell
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Kurt Russell is a Hollywood star and household name who also served in the California Air National Guard. The base that he served on has actually been nicknamed the Hollywood Air Force Base by other Air Force Bases in America because of the many actors who have worked there and the large number of films and TV shows that have been filmed on the location. The base shut down in 1985 as the Air National Guard looked for a new location, with the land returning to the city of Hollywood.
Rob Riggie
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Rob Riggie is a famous American comedy actor and has appeared in many recent Hollywood comedy films, such as “21 Jump Street,” “The Hangover,” and “The Other Guys.” He was also a Marine, who joined the service in 1990 with the intent of getting a pilot’s license and becoming a naval aviator. He dropped out when his acting career took off, however he did actually become a member of the United States Marine Corps Reserve and did a tour of duty to Iraq in 2007 to entertain troops as part of the USO.
George Reeves
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George Reeves is most famous for his role as the titular character in “The Adventures of Superman.” He put his acting career on hold to enlist in the army during World War II. However the army put him into acting work, joining the special theatrical unit producing several training films on dangers such as venereal diseases. He returned back to Hollywood in 1946 and decided to focus on television where he became typecast in the Superman role.
Gerald Ford
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Gerald Ford is famously known as the president who took over from Richard Nixon and became the 38th President of the United States. He also served in the US Navy Reserve as a Navy pre-flight instructor and he taught elementary navigation skills, first aid, gunnery, and military drill. He asked for more action and was assigned in 1943 to the USS Monterey, where he served as assistant navigator. He almost died in a typhoon storm in 1944 when the ship tilted 25° and he almost slipped overboard. He was active in the Navy reserve until 1963 before deciding to move into politics.
Jimmy Carter
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Jimmy Carter was up the President of the United States, had a very distinguished Navy career before moving into politics. He served as a Luton junior grade on a submarine and served several duties as an executive officer. He was in a prime position to join the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarine program, but his career was cut short when his father passed away, and he retired from the military at the rank of Lieutenant in 1961. He would then spend the next couple years working on his parents’ peanut farm, before he would decide to get into politics.
Berry Gordy
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Berry Gordy was the famous Record executive who created the label Motown. At the age of 16, he gave up his fledgling boxing career to join the US Army fighting in the Korean War. He used his discharge pay to open a record shop that heavily featured jazz albums. When this business was not successful he soon discovered that the easiest way to make money was to produce his own records and thus Motown was born. But this whole journey could not have started without his experience in the military and the financial foundation that it gave him upon his return to the United States.
Have a look at these well-known celebrity military brats!
While they might not have served in the military, these celebrities’ parents sure did — quite a few of these might surprise you!
Bart Starr
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All American football legend and coach Bart Starr’s father was deployed to the Pacific Theater in World War II, first in the Army, but then in the newly formed Air Force. Then, shortly after he returned from the war, Bart’s younger brother died from tetanus. This strained Starr’s relationships with his parents but may have helped push him to work through his high school injuries to become one of the University of Alabama’s greatest quarterbacks. After college, Starr became the quarterback for the Packers before serving as their head coach for nine years.
Amy Adams
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Before she hit the silver screen, Amy was born in Italy, as her father was stationed at Caserma Ederle. They moved around from one army base to the next before finally settling in Castle Rock, Colorado when Adams was eight. When she turned 20, she began working as a dancer at a dinner theater, which resulted in her being spotted by directors and transitioning into film. Now, she’s played across from Leonardo DiCaprio in “Catch Me If You Can,” Ben Stiller in “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” and Henry Cavill in “Man of Steel.”
Andy Dick
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Andy Dick was adopted at birth into a Navy family. They moved around a lot while he was growing up (including to Yugoslavia) but finally lived in Chicago by the time that Andy was in high school. While Andy took improv classes in college, his real start in show business didn’t come until years later, when he was on “The Ben Stiller Show.” From there, he was on a variety of television shows as both recurring guests and regulars until he finally had his own show on MTV in 2001.
Jessica Alba
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Sultry next door sex appeal, actress Jessica Alba bounced around from town to town because of her father’s Air Force career. While constantly being the new girl at school would make it hard to find friends already, she also spent so much time in the hospital from various illnesses that she never really bonded with any other children growing up. However, she won an acting contest at age eleven, and her career quickly grew from there. Since then, she’s had roles in everything from “Sin City” to “The Fantastic Four” to “Spy Kids.”
Christina Aguilera
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Aguilera grew up all over the US due to her father’s Army service, at least until her parents divorced when she was six. She always had a talent for singing, however, winning her first talent show when she was only eight years old. Like many other 90’s stars, she started her career in Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club. Christina truly became known after she sang “Reflection” for the movie “Mulan.” Her rendition hit #19 on the Billboard Charts, catapulting her to fame.
Shawn Michaels
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The wrestler “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels (whose real name was Michael Shawn Hickenbottom) lived in England for a short time while his father was deployed in the military before eventually landing in Texas. Even at the age of twelve, Michaels knew that he wanted to be a professional wrestler. His stage name came early in his career, with his debut match against Art Crews in 1984. Though he lost that match, it was impressive enough that he began to make a name for himself. He quickly rose through the ranks, joining the WWF only a few years later.
Reese Witherspoon
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Legally Blonde actress Reese Witherspoon stayed in Germany for four years when her actively deployed military father was deployed there. He was a lieutenant colonel and a physician. Reese’s mother, Betty, earned five degrees, including a PhD in nursing. When she was fifteen, she walked into an open casting call for “The Man in the Moon” and did so well that she was cast as the lead. Since then, she’s become famous for her work in comedy and romantic comedies, especially “Legally Blonde” and “Walk the Line.”
Bruce Willis
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Bruce Willis’s parents actually met in Germany, where his father was deployed, and he was born overseas. In high school, Willis suffered from a severe stutter that resulted from teasing and turned to acting as a way to get around it. While he took a variety of jobs immediately after high school, he eventually decided to go to college for Drama. This was obviously a good choice since he’s become famous for his roles in “Die Hard,” “Sin City,” and “The Expendables.”
Tiger Woods
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Before swinging on the green, Tiger Woods was the son of a Lieutenant Colonel. His father and mother met while Earl was stationed in Thailand, but Tiger (born Eldrick Woods) grew up in Orange County. Even at a young age, there was no question that Woods would be a golf phenomenon. At just three years old, young Tiger shot a 48 over nine holes, and in ‘84 he won the 9-10 division at the Junior World Golf Championships. He was only eight, but there wasn’t a division for eight-year-olds. He’d go on to be one of the greatest golfers in history, winning PGA Player of the Year eleven times.
Heather Locklear
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Before landing her role on “Melrose Place,” actress Heather Locklear was a military brat, with her father serving as a Marine Corps Colonel. She got her start by modeling while at UCLA, then began taking on small television roles in shows like “CHiPs” and “Eight is Enough.” Eventually, she became famous for her role in “Melrose Place,” which led to a wide variety of other parts.
Newt Gingrich
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As a child, Newt Gingrich spent time in both France and Germany due to his father’s career as a military officer. He himself received deferments for being a student and then for being a father but later said that he wishes he’d gone to war anyway. His studies led to his first career as a history professor, before he went on to Congress. While there, he was eventually named Time’s Man of the Year for being one of the key players in the Republican takeover of the House in 1994, and he would go on to run for the Republican nomination in 2012.
Michael J. Fox
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As the son of a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Michael J. Fox spent his childhood bouncing around various regions of Canada. When his father retired in 1971, the family settled in a suburb of Vancouver, which gave Michael the opportunity to star in the Canadian TV series “Leo and Me.” At eighteen, Fox moved to LA to further his career and began taking numerous roles in both film and television. However, he truly became famous for his roles as Alex Keaton on “Family Ties” and Marty McFly in the “Back to the Future” series.
Tilda Swinton
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Tilda Swinton’s father is a retired major general in the British Army who served in World War Two and was knighted for his service. Her family is also one of only three in England which can trace their land ownership back to before the Norman Conquest in 1066. With such a pedigree, it’s no wonder that Swinton is well-known for her poise and charisma, playing roles from the White Witch in “Chronicles of Narnia” to the Ancient One in “Doctor Strange.”
Jim Morrison
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Frontman of the Doors, Jim Morrison was the son of a retired Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy. His father commanded the US forces involved in the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which precipitated the Vietnam War. Jim was raised all over the country, first in San Diego before making it through third grade in Virginia, then going to school in Texas and New Mexico before finally finishing up sixth grade in California again. By high school graduation, he was back in Virginia. Eventually, Morrison attended UCLA, where he would write many of his lyrics.
Shaquille O’Neal
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Shaq was raised by his mother and stepfather, a career sergeant in the Army. While they primarily lived in Newark, New Jersey, his stepfather’s career took them to Germany for a time before Shaq attended high school in Texas. While there, O’Neal’s basketball team went 68-1 in two years, and he set a record for rebounds that still stands today. Shaq went on to play for LSU before being drafted by the Orlando Magic as the first overall pick.
Julianne Moore
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Daughter of a U.S. Army Paratrooper and born at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, actress Julianne Moore from “Boogie Nights” is a total military brat. She attended nine different schools as her father was relocated, and she eventually graduated from high school in Germany. At her parents’ urging, she went to college rather than immediately pursuing her already burgeoning theater career and graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Theater. From there, she went on to star in many plays and films.
Patton Oswalt
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Funnyman Patton Oswalt, named after General George S. Patton, is the son of a Marine Corps officer. He began performing stand-up while in college at William & Mary (where he majored in English), which led to a comedy special for HBO and roles in many films and TV shows. In addition to numerous guest appearances, he had recurring roles on “King of Queens” and “Justified” and voiced Remy in the Pixar film “Ratatouille.”
Sir Elton John
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This singer, writer, composer, and so much more is the son of a Flight Lieutenant who served in the Royal Air Force. He began playing the piano at the age of three and won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at eleven. He would go on to be one of the most prolific artists of the 20th century, playing not only solo but also with the Beatles and countless other stars.
Ciara
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Ciara Harris (now known just as Ciara) lived in Germany and across the States as the daughter of a U.S. Army service member. In her teens, she formed a small group called “Hearsay” with a couple friends, but when they broke up she kept trying to find a publishing deal. First as a songwriter, then as a singer, she managed to get all the way to a debut album by the age of nineteen, a year after she graduated from high school. That album, “Goodies,” debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling almost 125,000 copies. It would go on to sell nearly three million copies in the US alone.
Michelle Rodriguez
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Michelle Rodriguez’ father, Rafael, served in the US Army, but she was primarily raised by her mother and then her maternal grandmother. Rodriguez first became an actress with a starring role in “Girlfight,” a low-budget boxing film. However, her outstanding performance in that film won multiple awards, which allowed her to move on to films such as “The Fast and the Furious” and “Resident Evil.”
John Denver
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Before he sung “Rocky Mountain High” John Denver spent time as a military brat whose father served in the U.S. Air Force. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico as “Henry John Deutschendorf,” but he later decided that name wouldn’t fit well on a marquee. After a few years in various clubs and groups, Denver released his first solo album, “Rhymes & Reasons.” He had to do all of his own marketing, including setting up an impromptu tour, but it was enough to spur his next album to a great success. This was also in large part due to his most famous song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
Kathie Lee Gifford
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Kathy Lee’s father, Aaron Epstein, was stationed in France at the time of her birth, but they quickly moved back to Maryland, which is where she ultimately grew up. She would go on to become famous as a talk-show host, with such shows as “Live with Regis and Kathy Lee” and “Today.”
James Woods
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James Woods was the son of an Army Intelligence Officer, who died when James was only thirteen. His mother made ends meet by running a preschool, while James continued on to MIT, originally planning a career as an eye surgeon. While there, he joined “Dramashop” and acted in and directed a number of plays. After dropping out of MIT, he continued on that path has appeared in nearly two hundred films, tv series, and plays.
Martin Lawrence
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Comedian Martin Lawrence was born in Frankfurt, West Germany to parents who were both serving in the U.S. military. He ultimately moved to New York City, where he managed to appear at The Improv, a famous comedy venue. The appearance there made it easy for him to be discovered. Later in life, he would have his own Fox show, titled “Martin,” and appear in dozens of comedy films.
Mark Hamill
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Luke Skywalker held various ranks in the Rebel Alliance, but Hamill likely drew at least some inspiration from his father, who was a captain in the United States Navy. The family moved all over the country and even to Japan, where Hamill eventually graduated from high school. He took various roles in television shows and made-for-tv films but his big break famously came with “Star Wars.” At the time, few thought that the film would be a success at all, but the blockbuster hit and its many books, movies, and video games have resulted in a great deal of fame.
Michael Stipe
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The son of a U.S. Army man, Michael Stipe met Peter Buck while he was attending the University of Georgia. Buck recalled that Stipe “bought weird records,” which led to the two becoming friends and deciding to start a band. Soon, two more friends joined, and the quartet called themselves R.E.M. As the group’s lead singer, Stipe has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has toured all over the country.
Faye Dunaway
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Faye Dunaway was born in Florida, the daughter of a US Army NCO. Due to her father’s career, she spent her childhood traveling throughout the United States in Europe, but she graduated from high school in Tallahassee. After attending college for theater, she was quickly appearing in Broadway shows, which led to her being spotted and brought onto the big screen.
Pete Doherty
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British singer-songwriter Pete Doherty had not one but two military parents. His father was a major in the Royal Signals, and his mother was a lance-corporal in the Nursing Corps. Due to his parents’ careers, he grew up all over Europe. He began playing guitar at eleven in an attempt to impress a female classmate… She was probably fairly impressed later in life when he became famous as the frontman for The Libertines, an English rock band.
Mary-Louise Parker
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Like many on this list, Mary-Louise Parker moved around a lot as a child due to her father’s career in the US Army. Unlike the others though, her father went on to become a judge. Ironically, Parker’s greatest claim to fame today is her role on Showtime’s “Weeds,” where she played a suburban single mother turned drug dealer.
Lou Diamond Phillips
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Lou Phillips was born in the Philippines to Lucita Arañas and Gerald Upchurch, who was a crew chief in the Marines. After his father died, he adopted the surname of his stepfather to become Lou Phillips. He’s taken roles in many major movies and TV series, from “24” to “Stargate Universe” to “Longmire.” Phillips is also an avid poker player and has placed in several tournaments.
Blair Underwood
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Bouncing from one military base to another, actor Blair Underwood’s father was stationed not only in the U.S. but also in Germany. Underwood had a few temporary roles before he landed a seven-year run on “L.A. Law.” From there, he transitioned primarily to films, although he continued to guest star on shows from “Rules of Engagement” to “The Event.”
Marcia Gay Harden
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Marcia Harden was born in La Jolla, California, but moved all over the world with her father, a Navy officer. Growing up, she lived in Japan, Germany, Greece, and Maryland, where she graduated high school. For most of her career, she’s played smaller, one-off roles in film or TV, such as “Flubber,” “Law & Order: SVU,” and “The Mist.” However, she’s also played larger roles on “Damages,” “Whip It,” and “The Newsroom.”
Pam Grier
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“Jackie Brown” actress Pam Grier adored her father who was a mechanic and technical sergeant in the United States Air Force. She got her start in show business as a receptionist at American International Pictures, where she was discovered by director Jack Hill and cast in multiple “blaxploitation” films. After the popularity of the genre began to die off, she started working in other areas, leading to a six-season run as Kit Porter on “The L Word.”
Stephen Stills
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Stills was greatly influenced by the areas he lived growing up, traveling around the globe with his father, who was in the military. You can see a lot of this influence in his music, with notes of blues and Latin coming through everything he does. At one time or another, he also played with most of the greats, from Jimi Hendrix to Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton. More than fifty years after his first album was released, he’s still going strong.
Emmylou Harris
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When Emmylou Harris was five years old, her father was reported missing in action in Korea. After ten months as a prisoner of war, he was returned to the US. Emmylou began singing as a waitress in NYC, working as a waitress while she performed folk songs in Greenwich Village. Harris eventually had her break when she joined Gram Parsons on his first solo album as a vocalist, then was picked up after his death by Reprise Records for her own debut album “Pieces of the Sky.”
Michael Winslow
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Winslow grew up on Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington, where his father, Robert, served. In order to pass the time, he would imitate the sounds of nearly anything that he heard. This unusual talent eventually won him his first appearance on “The Gong Show,” and led to his most famous role, Larvelle “Motor Mouth” Jones in the “Police Academy” series. Jones is the only character of the series that appeared in all seven films.
Sharon Tate
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Sharon Tate was the daughter of Army Colonel Paul Tate and lived in six different cities during her childhood. Eventually, she graduated from high school in Vicenza, Italy. She had begun winning beauty pageants at only six months old and had her first role as an extra before she’d graduated high school. She continued in small roles until she finally costarred in “Eye of the Devil” in 1965. Unfortunately, Tate is probably best known for her murder by members of the Charles Manson “family.”
Peter Sarsgaard
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John Sarsgaard, Peter’s father, was an Air Force engineer, who was stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois when Peter was born. This resulted in the family moving at least twelve times while Peter was growing up. After a series of smaller parts in plays and films, his first significant role was in “The Man in the Iron Mask,” where he played the son of John Malkovich’s character.
Nancy Wilson
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Guitarist Nancy Wilson is the daughter of a retired US Marine, which resulted in her spending time in both California and Taiwan before they settled down in Bellevue, Washington. Both she and her sister Ann were influenced by The Beatles growing up, which resulted in their forming their first musical group when they were only ten. They later ended up fronting Heart together, which has sold over thirty-five million records.
Priscilla Presley
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Priscilla was named Priscilla Ann Wagner when she was born, the daughter of Ann and James Wagner, a Navy pilot. James died in a crash when Priscilla was only six months old, and her mother married an Air Force officer named Paul Beaulieu. She spent her early life moving from base to base, eventually living in Germany, which is where she met Elvis. Eventually, with her parents’ reluctant permission, she moved to Memphis full-time to be with him, and the two were married a few years later.
Annie Leibovitz
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Annie Leibovitz began taking photos while she and her family were following her father’s Air Force career around the world. Her first photograph was taken while he was stationed in the Philippines, and she never lost her love for photography. Although she initially went to the San Francisco Art Institute with the goal of becoming an art teacher, she had her first photography workshop there and changed her major to photography. After school, she continued to develop her skills while holding various other jobs until she was finally hired by Rolling Stone, which launched her career.
Herman Edwards
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Herman Edwards was born on an Army Base in New Jersey, the son of a World War II veteran. After playing ball in college at several different schools, Edwards went on to play nine seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles, with thirty-three career interceptions. After his career as a player, he went to the sidelines and coached for multiple teams before becoming head coach of the NY Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ramona Lofton (Sapphire)
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Both of Sapphire’s (real name Ramona Lofton) parents were in the Army. They separated after leaving the military over a disagreement about where they would settle down. Her first book was a collection of poems titled “Meditations on the Rainbow.” However, she truly became known for “Push” which was published in 1996 and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. It was eventually made into a film titled “Precious.”
Ray Allen
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Born at Castle Air Force base in California, basketball player Ray Allen spent most of his early life moving around the world, including stints in England, Oklahoma, California again, and Germany. Eventually, he went to high school in South Carolina, where he was picked on for his speech, which had gained a British accent due to spending his formative years in Saxmundham. However, his natural athletic skills and height allowed him to excel in basketball, leading his team to their first ever high school state championship game and ultimately resulting in an eighteen-year NBA career.
Tia and Tamera Mowry
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Tia Mowry and her twin sister Tamera were both raised in a military family since their father was in the US Army. After he got out, he worked as a custody officer in California. They first appeared in commercials and small roles but eventually starred in “Sister, Sister” after they were spotted on the set of “Full House,” where their brother, Tahj, made regular appearances.
Jackson Browne
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Browne was born in Heidelberg, Germany shortly after World War II, because his father was stationed there, working on “Stars and Stripes.” He had begun singing folk songs at local venues by the time he was a teenager and went on to work as a songwriter for other artists after graduating high school. He didn’t release his own album until six years later, but he hit the top ten chart almost immediately with “Doctor My Eyes.” Throughout his career, he’s sold over eighteen million albums and has been called one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Valorie Burton
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The former Miss Texas runner-up turned motivational speaker got her start as an Air Force brat, moving around the country. She then started a marketing and public relations firm before starting a life coach and training company. Over the course of her life, she’s written a dozen books, including “Get Unstuck,” “Successful Women Speak Differently,” and “Rich Minds, Rich Rewards.”
Natalie Morales-Rhodes
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The “Today Show” anchor was born in Taiwan due to her father’s Air Force career. That career also led them to Panama, Brazil, and Spain before she eventually graduated from high school in Delaware. She started working in journalism while at WVIT-TV in Connecticut and quickly moved to be on-air at News 12 in the Bronx before going to MSNBC and “Today.”
Mia Hamm
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Mia Hamm first started playing soccer while she and her family were living on an Air Force base in Florence, Italy. From there, she quickly excelled at the sport, becoming the youngest player to ever play on the US women’s national soccer team. In 1989, she joined the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. In the four years she played on the team, the Tar Heels only lost a single game and won all four NCAA Division I tournaments. She continued playing until after her appearance in the 2004 Olympics.
Tim Curry
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Tim Curry, known for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and various comedies, was the son of a chaplain in the Royal Navy. After his father died of pneumonia in 1958, he went to boarding school, which led to his degree in acting. He stumbled into the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and slowly developed it into his own. After its Broadway run ended, he continued with a variety of other plays, television appearances, and films.
Danny Wuerffel
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Former NFL football player Danny Wueffel got his start in football playing for the Fort Walton Beach Vikings in Florida, but his father’s career as an Air Force chaplain had sent them all over the world. Once they settled down, Danny led the Vikings to an undefeated season as their quarterback his senior year, which resulted in a number two ranking from “USA Today.” Somehow, he managed to do all that and still be high school valedictorian.
Priest Holmes
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Holmes never met his father but was instead raised in San Antonio, Texas by his mother and stepfather, who was an Air Force technician at Kelly Air Force base for twenty years. Holmes, over time, developed his own unique running style, which served him well as a running back. He played for the University of Texas and was named MVP of the Sun Bowl for his junior year. After college, he played in the NFL for eleven years, first for the Ravens, then for the Chiefs.
Trey Songz
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When he was seven years old, Trey’s mother married a US Army serviceman, which meant that he spent the next seven years traveling around the country to various military bases before the family returned home to Petersburg. His stepfather was able to introduce Trey to producer Troy Taylor, which resulted in Songz releasing his first album in 2004. That album, “I Gotta Make It,” sold 40,000 copies in its first week. Since then, he has sold over twenty-five million records worldwide.
Mykelti Williamson
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Williamson’s father was an Air Force NCO, but he began working in show business at the age of nine. He’s probably best known for his roles in “Forrest Gump,” “Con Air,” and “Justified,” but he’s appeared in many different films and TV shows, both as the star and as a supporting actor.
Suzanne Collins
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Suzanne Collins undoubtedly drew on her experience growing up as the daughter of an Air Force Lt. Colonel when she was writing her “Hunger Games” trilogy, which has now sold millions of copies in addition to spawning an adaptation into four blockbuster films. As a result of her NYT Bestselling novels, she was named one of the most influential people by “Time” Magazine in 2010.
Rick Springfield
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Rick Springfield, the writer of “Jesse’s Girl,” spent most of his early life on military bases in Australia and England, since his father was a career officer in the Australian Army. When Springfield was only nineteen, he was already touring South Vietnam to entertain the troops with MPD Ltd. After he eventually split off to record on his own, he released seven albums that hit the top 40 of the Billboard 200. He’s also starred in the TV series “High Tide” and appeared on a wide variety of other shows, including “General Hospital” and “Supernatural.”
Ronnie Lott
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Ronnie Lott first started playing sports as a way to make friends after his father, an Air Force master sergeant, was reassigned to DC. He continued after the family was relocated to Rialto, California, where the new football stadium at his high school bears his name. After college, he was a first-round NFL draft pick for the 49ers and started at left cornerback his rookie year. In his fourteen years as an active NFL player, he moved to the Raiders and Jets, winning four Super Bowl rings and leading the league in receptions in both ‘86 and ‘91.
Swoosie Kurtz
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Actress Swoosie Kurtz was the daughter of decorated WWII bomber pilot Frank Kurtz. Her father broke many records during the war, and the family ended up moving frequently after she was born, as many military families do. After appearing on “The Donna Reed Show” at seventeen, Kurtz has gone on to appear in many different TV shows. Her longest role was as Alex Reed Halsey on NBC’s “Sisters.”
Jerry Cantrell
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The lead singer of “Alice in Chains” grew up in a separated family. His father was in the Army, fighting in Vietnam, when Jerry was born, and his parents eventually divorced when Cantrell was seven years old. The song “Rooster” was written as a tribute to Jerry Sr., who Jerry Jr. didn’t even meet until he was already three.