Adam Driver
Adam Driver, the actor from the HBO series “Girls” and the new “Star Wars” franchise, actually had a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps. 9-11 jolted him into action, and he says that he and his friends all agreed they needed to join after that horrific terrorist attack. Ultimately, he was the only one that actually did. He thrived in the military and felt a sense of unity with his fellow marines. He even created “Arts in the Armed Forces” (AITAF), a non-profit that performs theater for all branches of the military. He liked the discipline the Marine Corps provides and looked forward to deploying, but after serving for more than two years, he injured his sternum mountain biking and was medically discharged before ever seeing any action.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The famous novelist and short story writer F. Scott Fitzgerald may be best known for his novel “The Great Gatsby,” but what you may not know is that he dropped out of Princeton University when World War I started and took a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Thinking of the possibility of his death, he was motivated to write in all of his off hours, hoping he could still leave behind a literary legacy. Fitzgerald never did make it to battle though, as the 1918 Armistice was signed just before he was set to be shipped out. His time in the service did produce a draft of what would become his hit debut novel “This Side of Paradise.”
Paul Newman
Hoping to become a pilot, Paul Newman joined the U.S. Navy through Yale’s V-12 college training program. His hopes were crushed soon after when it was discovered that he was colorblind. Instead, he had to settle for basic training where he trained to be a rear-seat radioman and gunner for torpedo bombers. He was discharged in 1946 with military honors including the Good Conduct Medal, American Area Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. He then attended Kenyon College using the GI Bill and eventually started his acting career in Broadway productions, which ultimately led to his career in television and film.
Robert Duvall
A U.S. Navy brat, Robert Duvall is the son of a rear admiral and a descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. He graduated college in 1953 and then decided to go the military route himself by enlisting in the U.S. Army. Even then, Duvall was interested in acting and performed in plays while serving. He returned to civilian life after two years of service, using the GI Bill to study acting at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater.
Ted Williams
Ted Williams was a famous Boston Red Sox Player who would go to earn a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. But first, he was a patriot at heart who interrupted his baseball playing career to join the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II for three years. Surprisingly, he returned to military duty from 1952 to 1953 as a Marine combat aviator during the Korean War. Williams flew a total of 39 combat missions in the Korean War. He never lost his baseball ability, batting 342 with 38 home runs in 1946 after returning home.