Celebrities Who Served
by
by
10 min readAs we pay tribute to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, we can't forgetathe famous faces who served in the military.aSome of these famous folks joinedaat a young age, before making their mark. Others put a career in movies, music or sports on hold in order to enlist. Check out the slideshow of some of our favorite celebrities who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force,aMarines, or Coast Guard.
Don Adams (1923ac2005)
Getty Images
Would you believe DON ADAMS (1923 - 2005), Agent 86 of "Get Smart," was a drill instructor with the U.S. Marine Corps?
DESI ARNAZ (1917 - 1986)
Getty Images / MGM
In the 1950s DESI ARNAZ (1917 - 1986) and his wife Lucille Ball would become television legends. During World War II, the star of stage, film, and radio served by performing with the U.S.O. He was excluded from regular service due to a knee injury.
James Arness (1923ac2011)
Getty Images
The future Marshall Matt Dillon of "Gunsmoke" wanted to be a naval aviator but did not meet eyesight or height requirements (he was too tall). Instead JAMES ARNESS (1923 - 2011) served as a rifleman with the U.S. Army during World War II. He was severely wounded in battle and suffered chronic leg pain the rest of life.
View the obits of other "Gunsmoke" actors
Bea Arthur (1922ac2009)
Wikimedia Commons
Though she once flatly denied it, military records indicate that BEA ARTHUR (1922 - 2009) served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. One of the first members of the Women's Reserve, she spent time as a typist and truck driver.
James Avery (1945ac2013)
Getty Images / Mark Mainz
After serving with the U.S. Navy in Vietnam, JAMES AVERY (1945 - 2013) went on to a successful acting career, most notably as Phil Banks, uncle and father figure to Will Smith on TV sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."
Yogi Berra (1925ac2015)
Yogi Berra Museum
YOGI BERRA (1925 - 2015) was part of one of the greatest baseball teams of all time: the postwar New York Yankees. As a catcher, alongside other baseball greats like Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, Berra went to the World Series 14 times and won 10. Berra still holds the records for most World Series appearances and wins, but his pre-MLB career is also impressive: During World War II, Berra served in the U.S. Navy as a gunner's mate on a six-man Navy rocket boat that was part of the D-Day invasion.
Bill Bixby (1934ac1993)
Getty Images
Before he was the Hulk, Eddie's father, or even a Martian's favorite nephew, BILL BIXBY (1934 - 1993) was a U.S. Marine. He served stateside with the Marines after being drafted during the Korean War.
Bobby Blue Bland (1930ac2013)
Getty Images / Redferns / Leon Morris
During his time in the Army, legendary blues singer BOBBY BLUE BLAND (1930 - 2013) served overseas and performed in a band with singer-actor Eddie Fisher.
View Bobby Blue Bland's obituary
Tom Bosley (1927ac2010)
AP Photo
TOM BOSLEY (1927 - 2010) served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before making his mark on Broadway in "Fiorello!" and television as Mr. C of "Happy Days" and later Father Dowling.
Sid Caesar (1922ac2014)
Getty Images / NBC
SID CAESAR (1922 - 2014) practically invented television sketch comedy in the 1950s with his talented team of performers on "Your Show of Shows." But where did Caesar hone his comedy chops? In the Coast Guard, of course, where he served and entertained his fellow troops for six years.
Johnny Carson (1925ac2005)
Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Navy
JOHNNY CARSON (1925 - 2005) joined the U.S. Navy in 1943, when he was not quite 18 years old. He served aboard the USS Pennsylvania and was en route to the combat zone when the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war.
Johnny Cash (1932ac2003)
AP Photo
In the early 1950s JOHNNY CASH (1932 - 2003) served with U.S. Air Force at Landsberg, Germany as a Morse Code Intercept Operator for Soviet Army transmissions. It was there he created his first band, named "The Landsberg Barbarians." He also was the first radio operator to pick up the news of the death of Joseph Stalin.
View Johnny Cash and June Carter's gallery
Julia Child (1912ac2004)
OSS
JULIA CHILD (1912 - 2004) joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) after finding that she was too tall to enlist in the Women's Army Corps (WACs) or in the U.S. Navy's WAVES. She began her OSS career as a typist at its headquarters in Washington, but because of her education and experience soon was given a more responsible position as a top secret researcher working directly for the head of OSS. She met future husband Paul Child while stationed in Ceylon.
Roberto Clemente (1934ac1972)
AP Photo
ROBERTO CLEMENTE (1934 - 1972) was already a baseball star in his native Puerto Rico ac and he had been playing with the Pittsburgh Pirates for three years ac when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in 1958. He continued to serve in the off season through 1964, even as he achieved All-Star and MVP status with the Pirates.
John Coltrane (1926ac1967)
Getty Images
JOHN COLTRANE (1926 - 1967) was just 19 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He played in the Navy jazz band, a preview of his later success as one of the greatest innovators of jazz.
Don Cornelius (1936ac2012)
AP Photo / Damian Dovarganes
DON CORNELIUS (1936 - 2012) served 18 months in Korea with the U.S. Marines. He went on to host "Soul Train," the longest-running television dance show in history.
Jim Croce (1943ac1973)
AP Photo
JIM CROCE (1943 - 1973) served in the Army National Guard for four months in 1966, leaving for duty just a week after his honeymoon. According to Croce, the song "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" was inspired by someone he met during his time in the Army.
Joe DiMaggio (1914ac1999)
Getty Images / APA
The "Yankee Clipper" wanted to serve in combat, but his request was denied and much of his military career was spent playing on the Army baseball team. After the war, JOE DIMAGGIO (1914 - 1999) was much in the spotlight as a star New York Yankee, frequent song subject ("Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" and "Mrs. Robinson") and devoted husband/ex-husband of Marilyn Monroe.
View Marilyn Monroe's obituary
Buddy Ebsen (1908ac2003)
Getty Images
Dancer BUDDY EBSEN (1908 - 2003) was under contract at MGM when the U.S. entered World War II. An avid and skilled sailor, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1941, serving until 1946. After the war, he co-starred in Disney's "Davy Crockett" before landing the lead role of Jed Clampett on "The Beverly Hillbillies."
R. Lee Ermey (1944ac2018)
Getty Images / Corbis / Sunset Boulevard
From the sergeant in "Full Metal Jacket" to little green plastic army leader Sarge in "Toy Story," R. LEE ERMEY (1944 - 2018) made his movie career playing hard-nosed military men. As an actor, Ermey had plenty of experiences to draw upon ac a real-life Marine staff sergeant, he served 11 years in the Marines including more than a year in Vietnam.
Freddy Fender (1937ac2006)
AP Photo / Chris Pizzello
Tejano and country music superstar FREDDY FENDER (1937 - 2006) enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps when he was 17. During his three years of service, he spent time in the brig on several occasions because of his drinking, and he was court-martialed and dishonorably discharged in 1956. According to Fender, he later received a letter from the U.S. Department of the Navy acknowledging that his dishonorable discharge was wrong due to his alcoholism, and he was given a general discharge.
Eddie Fisher (1928ac2010)
US Army
When EDDIE FISHER (1928 - 2010) was drafted into the Army in 1951, his singing career was just starting to take off. During his year of service in Korea, Fisher sang in a band with future blues legend Bobby Blue Bland. He completed his service stateside singing with the United States Army Band.
Henry Fonda (1905ac1982)
Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Navy
It was a sense of patriotism that led HENRY FONDA (1905 - 1982) to join the Navy during WWII. "I don't want to be in a fake war in a studio," he commented.
Clark Gable (1901ac1960)
AP Photo
1939 was a good year for CLARK GABLE (1901 - 1960). He had a hit movie, "Gone With the Wind," and he married longtime love Carole Lombard. When Lombard died in a plane crash in 1942, Gable was devastated. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces and served as an aerial gunner.
James Garner (1928ac2014)
U.S. Army
JAMES GARNER (1928 - 2014) joined the Merchant Marine and then served 14 months in Korea with the Army. Twice wounded, he was awarded two Purple Hearts. The Army also awarded him something else significant ac his high school diploma.
View more TV Detectives' obituaries
Marvin Gaye (1939ac1984)
Getty Images
With dreams of being a flyer, 17-year-old MARVIN GAYE (1939 - 1984) enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Disappointed in having to perform menial tasks, he faked mental illness and was discharged shortly afterwards, according to Wikipedia.
Robert Guillaume (1927 - 2017)
Getty Images / Michael Ochs Archives
ROBERT GUILLAUME (1927 - 2017) served in the Army and studied at St. Louis University and Washington University before embarking on an acclaimed career on stage and screen. He was nominated for a Tony for playing Nathan Detroit in a Broadway revival of "Guys and Dolls," won two Emmys for his work on the sitcoms "Soap" and "Benson," and played Rafiki in "The Lion King" (he even won a Grammy for narrating a "Lion King" book as Rafiki).
View Robert Guillaume's obituary
Larry Hagman (1931ac2012)
Everett Collection
A decade before he played an Air Force captain Tony Nelson on "I Dream of Jeannie," LARRY HAGMAN (1931 - 2012) enlisted in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He was stationed in London, where he spent much of his service entertaining troops in the U.K. and Europe.
Sherman Hemsley (1938ac2012)
Getty Images
Before he was George Jefferson, SHERMAN HEMSLEY (1938 - 2012) served four years in the U.S. Air Force after dropping out of high school.
View Sherman Hemsley's obituary
Jimi Hendrix (1942ac1970)
U.S. Army
When teenage JIMI HENDRIX (1942 - 1970) was arrested for stealing cars, he was given a choice: prison or the Army? Hendrix chose the latter and by all accounts enjoyed his time as a soldier about as much as he would have enjoyed being a prisoner (though he did find time to jam). The feeling may have been mutual: the Army discharged him for "unsuitability" after just one year.
Charlton Heston (1923ac2008)
Wikimedia Commons
CHARLTON HESTON (1923 - 2008) enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. After the war he and his wife Lydia moved from Chicago to New York to try and launch their acting careers.
View more Action Heroes' obituaries
George Jones (1931ac2013)
AP Photo
GEORGE JONES (1931 - 2013) served as a U.S. Marine and was stationed in San Jose, California, until his discharge in 1953. In 1954 he released his first record, had his first hit with "Why Baby Why" in 1955, and by 1956 had been invited to sing at the Grand Ole Opry.
TAGS
