Celebs You Didn’t Realize Served In The Military

They sing, they act, they dance, they entertain. However, these celebs have also done much more. They once served in the military. Unfortunately, this part of their life was not as heavily reported as their love lives. However, it deserves to be known, that these celebrities decided to protect and serve their country.

#1. Mel Brooks

While studying for his degree, Mel Brooks was drafted into the Army during World War II. He was a corporal in the Engineer Combat Battalion. Brooks has said “I was a Combat Engineer. Isn’t that ridiculous? The two things I hate most in the world are combat and engineering.” He fought in the Battle of the Bulge as well as was tasked with diffusing landmines.

#2. Jimmy Stewart

Famed actor Jimmy Stewart always had an interest in aviation and originally wanted to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. However, his father directed him down a different path originally, and he attended Princeton University. After college, he was able to begin his acting career on the stage and then made the jump to Hollywood. However, he was drafted during World War II. Due to his interest in aviation, and logging over 400 hours as a civilian, he worked his way up the ranks rather quickly. By the time of his retirement, he had flown 20 combat missions.

#3. Ice-T

Ice-T, born as Tracy Marrow, was a father right out of high school and struggling to support his girlfriend and family. Therefore, he joined the U.S. Army for the financial benefits. He served four years in the 25th Infantry Division. After leaving the Army, Ice-T lived in Hollywood and started making connections in the music industry.

#4. Johnny Carson

The king of late night TV, Johnny Carson once served in the military. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, in 1943. He served as a midshipman and as a communications officer in charge of decoding encrypted messages. After the Navy, Carson went on to attend and graduate college. He then began working on various radio and TV shows, until he became the legendary host of The Tonight Show.

#5. Tony Bennett

Multi-Grammy-winning singer, Tony Bennett can thank the Army as part of the reason why he is in show business. Bennett was drafted into the Army, during World War II, in 1944. He was deployed in both Germany and France. He was discharged and returned to the U.S. in 1946. After returning he studied at the American Theater Wing on the GI Bill.

Celebs You Didn’t Realize Served In The Military

#1. Mel Brooks

#2. Jimmy Stewart

#3. Ice-T

#4. Johnny Carson

#5. Tony Bennett

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