Medal of Honor

A thought occurred to me this morning: was Mr. Rogers in the military? It’s a well-known rumor that has spread over the years saying he was, even going so far as saying he was actually a SEAL. When I looked it up, I discovered that he never served in the armed forces, but I discovered that several other celebrities have. The service of some of these celebs are well documented (Elvis Presley, for example), but there were some people on here that were surprises.

Gene Hackman (U.S. Marine Corps, 1946 – 1949)
Joining the marines at the age of 16, the Superman star served his country as a field radio operator while finishing his high school education.

Ice-T (U.S. Army, 1979 – 1983)
Before becoming the original gangster, Tracy Marrow served in the United States Army, spending four years in the 25th Infantry.

Chuck Norris (U.S. Air Force, 1958 – 1962)
Stationed in South Korea as an Air Policeman, Norris discovered Tang Soo Do, sparking an interest in the martial arts, eventually leading him to a meeting with Bruce Lee, launching his name into stardom.

Johnny Carson (U.S. Navy, 1943 – 1946)
After enlisting in the Navy’s V-12 officer training program, Carson was shipped off to the Pacific during the final days of World War II. Later, he would eventually becoming the "king of late night," hosting The Tonight Show.

Mel Brooks (U. S. Army, 1944 – 1947)
Though the comedy legend is best known for his films “Blazing Saddles” or “Young Frankenstein,” he developed a comedy persona while being tasked with diffusing land mines and fighting in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.

What other celebrities do you know of that have served in the military? Sound off in the boards!

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