Famous Celebrities Who Risked Their Lives Serving In The U.S. Military

You know Elvis Presley as a rock star and Hugh Hefner as the original playboy. But what if we tell you that these showbiz icons have served at the war? That’s right. Can you imagine The Hef in soldier uniform? Or Elvis with military gear and a crew cut? Because he totally had one. Several celebrities have had careers in the military which most people forgot about, or they just don’t know.

The most astounding thing is how extraordinarily well they fared in the military, and how glorious their accomplishments were. It is also surprising that Hollywood does not remember these stars as former service men and women, and they have just been labelled as celebrities. Here’s presenting the celebs who have had an incredible run in the army.

1Clint Eastwood

Do you know that the legendary Hollywood actor received training to be a swimming instructor in California’s Fort Ord? He was then drafted to serve at the Korean War. He eventually completed three years of service and acquired the rank of Corporal. But do you know he once suffered a plane crash and suffered quite a substantial trauma after it? In 1951, he was flying in an army aircraft and there was technical glitch and the plane crashed into the Pacific.

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2What Clint says

"I thought I might [not] live. But then I thought, other people have made it through these things before. I kept my eyes on the lights on shore and kept swimming,” Clint said about the incident. Of course, the actor survived to become a household name in the film industry and belt out ventures like Bridges of Madison County and Gran Torino. He is 88 years old, and is still up and running.

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3Hugh Hefner

The late ‘Playboy’ was a man of many talents. He wasn’t just a writer, cartoonist and a publishing magnate, but he has had a great military run. He was always a gifted writer and from 1944 to 1946 he worked as a writer for the military newspaper. He was obviously very young and straight out of high school. Hugh was stationed at Salem’s Camp Adair and Camp Pickett in Virginia. He was then honourably discharged two years later. He then enrolled at the University of Illinois with a double minor in creative writing. Did the military service help him find his niche as a writer? We’ll never know.

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4Elvis Presley

Maybe some of the biggest and the most loyal fans of Elvis are not aware of the fact that he was a part of the military. When you think of Elvis you think of his coiff and his bedazzled white jacket and boots, but Elvis has had a stint with the US army. In fact, he was quite a celebrity when he was drafted to the US army.

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5Elvis, the celeb

In 1958 Elvis was sworn in as a private at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas. As you can imagine, his entry itself was a huge event which attracted a lot of media attention. Hundreds of paparazzi people followed him as he stepped off from the army bus. One can imagine how fascinating his military stint was, considering his huge fame.

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6The real star

Elvis had famously said that “The Army can do anything it wants with me.” He also said that he did not want the military to treat him any differently than other servicemen. But his music did not take a break while he was serving in the army. In fact, during a two-week break, he took off to Nashville and recorded five songs.

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7Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck will never cease to amaze us. Not only was he a model and a basketball player, the actor impressed the world with his Navy SEAL stint in Magnum P.I. Plus, he has also served in the real-life US military for a number of years. Selleck who is now 73 is a proud army veteran and in fact his army stint might have actually helped his Hollywood career.

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8Where was he posted?

In the mid-60s’ Tom Selleck received his draft notice asking for his service at the Vietnam War. He joined the California National Guard and served there from 1967 to 1973. The one thing missing from his army days is his signature moustache.

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9Drew Carey

You probably never knew The Price is Right host ever went for an army stint, but he did. He was quite directionless as a young man, and he joined the army to find himself. “While in the Marine Reserves, I was looking for a way to make some more money, and it was suggested that I try using my jokes," Carey said.

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10Adam Driver

Did you know every millennial’s favourite actor Adam Driver was also in the army? The 34-year-old Star Wars star joined the United States Marine Corps after the 9/11 attacks. He served in his battalion for almost three years. But had a serious mountain biking accident where he broke his sternum. After he left the army, he went on to study at Julliard, and of course went on to have a glittering Hollywood career.

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11Bea Arthur

Everybody’s favourite Golden Girl Bea Arthur also had an excellent run in the military. The actor passed away in 2009 at the age of 86, but she is one of the most talented women Hollywood has ever seen. Do you know when she was just 21, Bea worked as a truck driver and a typist for the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve?

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12The real Golden Girl

Bea received an Honorable Discharge in 1944. By 1947, she was seriously immersed in the performance arts. Bea was also a serious Broadway star. In fact, some people still consider her a stage star, in spite of her huge sitcom success.

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13Ice-T

The American rapper, actor and musician also has a military past. Ice was a part of Hawaii’s infantry division. In fact, he revealed that being a part of the army helped him out with his problems. In fact, his military career helped him leave behind his days as a drug dealer.

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14What he said

“Yeah. You know, I was, you know, 19, out of high school and I was testing the streets because at the time I didn't feel I had any other opportunities, you know. And when I had my daughter I was like, man, I'm going to go to jail, I got to do something, and I went to an enlistment office," Ice-T said.

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15Bob Ross

Before Bob Ross became America’s favourite mainstream artiste, he was a serviceman. Did you know that he was a part of the United States Air Force for two whole decades? In fact, his job sounds like a real tough task. “I was the guy who makes you scrub the latrine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being late to work. The job requires you to be a mean, tough person. And I was fed up with it. I promised myself that if I ever got away from it, it wasn't going to be that way anymore," Ross said.

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