Don Rickles
Don Rickles, the insult comedian extraordinaire known as “The Merchant of Venom,” was in the Navy at the end of World War II, from 1944 through his honorable discharge in 1946. A Seaman First Class on the USS Cyrene, he sailed from Norfolk, Virginia to Papua New Guinea as the ship escorted torpedo boats, followed by convoy duty in the Philippines. Rickles would later describe one deployment, “It was so hot and humid, the crew rotted.”
Elvis Presley
During a time when Elvis’ rock & roll was being viewed as something far to provocative and outrageous, he did something surprising and enlisted in the United States Army. Although he was offered a cushy spot, safe housing, and a job entertaining the troops, he decided to enlist as a soldier just like everyone else. This earned him the respect of his fellow soldiers and others who had previously viewed him as a “detriment to society.” A lot happened while he served in Germany: his mom passed away, he met his future wife, Priscilla, and unfortunately began what would ultimately become a life-long dependency on drugs.
Joe DiMaggio
Who hasn’t heard of Joe DiMaggio? He is one of the greatest baseball players of all time. The legend who married Marilyn Monroe also spent time in the Army during WW2. But he didn’t enter the battle ground at all, he spent his service time on bases around America where he was an athletics instructor.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Before he was a governor. Before he was an actor. Before he was a bodybuilder, world-class Arnold Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian Army during 1965. This was not by choice, but due to a requirement at the time that all Austrian males who reached 18 serve one year. During his time in the Army, he actually won the Junior Mr. Europe Contest. After the military, he went on to build an incredible resume as a bodybuilder and actor, before venturing into politics where he served as Governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman was a famous Pro-american football player for the Arizona Cardinals, who joined the army rangers after the September 11th attacks. He served with distinguishment in both tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. His unit came under fire in a canyon from enemy forces, and he was unfortunately killed in a friendly fire incident. His funeral was surrounded by controversy as the army did not reveal the incident until after the televised event as to not tarnish his reputation as a war hero. He was posthumously awarded a promotion to corporal, a purple heart, and the silver star