Actors Who Served: Hollywood Stars Who Are Military Veterans

movie fone ^ | 4-12-11 | Sharon Knolle

[WOBBLY BOB]

In honor of Military Families Week, AOL salutes the many movie stars who've served our country, many of whom -- like George C. Scott and Henry Fonda -- also starred in the most famous war movies of all time.

Clark Gable enlisted at age 43 after losing wife Carole Lombard to the war effort, but some stars, including Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Stewart, were already in the service when the U.S. entered World War II. Others, like Gene Hackman and Harvey Keitel, did their service before becoming famous. (And both left home early to join up.)

Please join us in paying tribute to these famous veterans, who weren't just acting when they portrayed men in uniform.

[WOBBLY BOB]

some I did not know, like Clint Eastwood being an Army swim instructor.

[sternup]

Kris Kristofferson....did some acting...son of an Army Major General...became a US Army helo pilot, rank of Captain....not to forget...also a Rhodes scholar..

[NavyCanDo]

And lets not forget those that served in other ways, working in service clubs, touring the country on War Bond drives, entertaining the troops - often putting their careers on hold, and in a few cases even loosing their lives in this service like Glenn Miller and Carole Lombard.

[smokingfrog]

Ernest Borgnine really was in the Navy.

I’m trying to think of some younger actors that have served in the military, but am drawing a blank.

[BwanaNdege]

OoooRah!

It looks like the Corps is well represented in this group.

Semper Fi!

[al44]

Johnny Carson - USN (USS Pennsylvania)
Ed McMahon - USMC

[Dilbert56]

Ted Knight - two Bronze Stars in EOD

Eddie Albert - Drove amtraks at Tarawa

The true list goes on and on. Today's armed forces couldn't even use most of the skinny pretty-boys in Hollywood.

[BwanaNdege]

“And let’s not forget those that served in other ways...”

Amen to that!

This is a really great tribute to some of those folks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07DGeLvDw8I

North Platte Canteen.

Warning: even you Jar Heads out there may need a hankie... this one did.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Waaaall.....Jimmy Stewart flew B-24's with the Eighth in WWII.



(Fourth from left - standing in rear.)

[max americana]

Ed Mcmahon, I read somewhere was buried with full Marine honors and his son is a Marine.

[sternup]

Hollywood Star....imo...yes...

Audie Murphy

[DocRock]

Audie Murphy

[ArmyTeach]

I don’t know that Cary Grant was ever in the military (British?)or saw combat. But in Operation Petticoat he played a WWII submarine skipper. Every morning without fail he presented himself for inspection to the technical director, a retired admiral and a WWII sub skipper. Every minute detail of his uniform had to be exact. He accepted nothing short of perfection, and I take that to be his tribute to the military.

[ConorMacNessa]

Col. Edward McMahon, USMC

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[DarthVader]

Charles Durning, US Army- WWII
Lee Marvin, USMC- WWII
Dennis Franz, US Army- Vietnam
Donald Pleasance, RAF Fighter Pilot- WWII

[willk]

Glenn Ford and Captain Kangaroo.

[petro45acp]

Lee Marvin! Enlisted in the Marine corps, was wounded on Saipan.

[Joe 6-pack]

I was born and raised in Jimmy Stewart's hometown of Indiana, PA...

...that's the old County Courthouse behind him. I grew up about two blocks from where that photo was taken :-)

[Blood of Tyrants]

Drew Carey is a former Marine.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

I recently picked up the 80’s miniseries “Amerika”. Kirstofferson is very good in it.