Yahoo Lifestyle 19 Celebrities Whose Military Service Might Surprise You
Hollywood has produced heroes in the form of Superman and Batman, but not all heroes wear capes. Many of them wear uniforms with pride in serving their country.
In fact, many celebrities enlisted in the US military before and after fame. Former NFL star Pat Tillman declined a contract with the Arizona Cardinals to join the military after 9/11. Others, like Drew Carrey and Ice-T, served before embarking on legendary careers.
These 19 celebrities have surprising backgrounds in the US miliary.
By the time he was drafted into the US Army in 1958, Elvis was already a renowned music icon. He was a regular soldier and was relocated to West Germany, per the U.S. Army Center of Military History. After he came home, he continued his music career.
2.Montel Williams
Montel Williams had an extensive career in the military. Per Defense.gov, he enlisted in the Marine Corps before graduating from the Naval Academy. He served 22 years before retiring as a lieutenant commander rank.
3.Pat Tillman
The legendary NFL player turned down a $3.6 million contract from the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the US Army after 9/11. He was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and tragically passed away in service, per NBC.
4.Adam Driver
Similar to Tillman, Adam Driver felt compelled to serve his country after 9/11 and joined the US Marine Corps. According to the Irish Times, he injured his sternum before he was supposed to be deployed to Iraq and was medically discharged.
5.Morgan Freeman
Despite showing incredible talent as an actor upon his high school graduation, Morgan Freeman decided to join the Air Force instead of taking a drama scholarship to Jackson State University. He received training for an automatic tracking radar repairman and was honorably discharged as an airman first class.
6.Jimi Hendrix
Known as one of the most influential musicians of all time, Hendrix's career began after he was discharged from the military. According to Musiclipse.com, he suffered an ankle injury during the 26th parachute jump in his military training. Because of this, he couldn't fulfill the physical demands of his duty and was subsequently discharged. Interestingly enough, he met bassist Billy Cox during his time in the military, and they formed a tight bond that lasted until Hendrix's death.
7.Bea Arthur
The Golden Girls star enlisted in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve during World War II. She worked as a typist at the Marine Corps HQ in Washington, DC before working as a truck driver and dispatcher in North Carolina. She ultimately received an honorable discharge with the rank of staff sergeant in 1945, per the US Department of Defense.
8.Leonard Nimoy
Best known as Spock on Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy served in the US Army Reserve from 1953 to 1955. Per E! Online, Nimoy was a sergeant in Special Services, where he managed entertainment programs for soldiers.
9.Ice-T
A pioneer of hip hop, Ice-T did a brief stint in the military after news that his girlfriend at the time was pregnant with his first child, he told NPR. He served as a ranger in the 25th Infantry.
10.Drew Carrey
Before he was a household name, Drew Carrey served in the military between 1980 and 1986 as a field radio operator. He was a sergeant by the time he received an honorable discharge, per the US Department of Defense.
11.George Carlin
The iconic comedian's career in the Air Force was cut short while serving in Louisiana. He landed a radio gig during his time in the US military. Eventually, he received three court-martials for a handful of infractions, including falling asleep on guard duty, failing to obey lawful order, and disrespecting a non-commissioned officer, as detailed in his documentary, George Carlin's American Dream, according to Shreveport Times.
12.Pat Sajak
Before becoming a household name, thanks to his work on Wheel Of Fortune, Pat Sajak served in the military as a finance clerk before being transferred to Saigon as a DJ for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Services, per USO.
13.Canibus
Rapper Canibus had a brief stint in the US Army. However, he was discharged two years later after he was caught smoking marijuana, per the Source. In an interview with Bootleg Kev, he explained that he grew frustrated with the direction of his musical career and decided to embark on a new career that would "make a difference."
14.Jennifer Marshall
The Stranger Things star is a US Navy Veteran who was deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to her website, she held many positions, but most notably, she worked for the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s Sexual Assault Victim Intervention (SAVI) program.
15.Shaggy
International reggae superstar Shaggy joined the Marines in 1988 as an artilleryman and was deployed to Kuwait during Desert Storm between December 1990 and April 1991. He earned the highest rank of lance corporal before being discharged in 1992, per the US Department of Defense.
16.Robin Quivers
Howard Stern's cohost worked as a nurse in the Air Force before she earned the rank of captain. According to the US Department Of Defense, she served in the Air Force until 1990.
17.Oliver Stone
Stone enlisted in the military in 1967 and entered combat duty. Per the Defense Department, he served as an infantryman in the 25th Infantry Division. Stone was wounded twice during his service and was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
18.Mel Brooks
Drafted into the military in 1944, Brooks served as a forward artillery observer in the 78th Infantry Division before being transferred to the 1104th Engineer Combat Group, where he helped defuse land mines during the Battle of the Bulge. He was later honorably discharged as a corporal, per the US Department of Defense.
19.Duke Dennis
Before gaining fame as a YouTuber and Twitch streamer, Duke Dennis had a stint in the military. He was stationed in Germany and completed basic training but after four years, he left the Army. He began streaming NBA 2K and in a few years, he became one of the most notable faces in the YouTuber community.
What do you think of these celeb military stints? Tell us in the comments.
