We have seen almost every one of these actors in movies, or on TV. What we may not know is their service to our Country during time of war. They have played soldiers, sailors, pilots, cowboys, good guys and bad guys in the movies. Their most important role was that of patriotic American who served their Country in time of need. Listed below are the names and their branch of service.
WALTER BRENNAN - U.S. ARMY WW-I, 101st Field Artillery, France.
AUDIE L. MURPHY - U.S. ARMY Highest decorated Veteran of WW-II. Received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
TONY BENNETT - U.S. ARMY WW-II Germany.
JOHN FORD - U.S. NAVY, OSS; D-Day Normandy, Battle of Midway, wounded by shrapnel.
STERLING HAYDON - U.S.M.C. and OSS - Smuggled guns into Yugoslavia and parachuted into Croatia.
JAMES STEWART - U.S. ARMY AIRP CORPS, Bomber Pilot who rose to the rank of General.
ERNEST BORGNINE - U.S. NAVY, Gunners Mate 1st Class, USS Lamberton.
ED McMAHON - U.S.M.C. Fighter Pilot ww-II, Flew OE-1 Bird Dogs over Korea.
WALTER MATHTHAU - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, B-24 radioman/gunner and cryptographer.
STEVE FORREST - U.S. ARMY, Wounded, Battle of the Bulge
JONATHON WINTERS - U.S.M.C. USS Wisconson, USS bon Homme Richard, Anti-aircraft gunner. Battle of Okinawa.
PAUL NEWMAN - U.S. NAVY, gunner torpedo bombers of USS Bunker Hill
KIRK DOUGLAS - U.S. NAVY, Sub chaser in Pacific, wounded in action.
DALE ROBERTSON - U.S. ARMY, Tank Commander in N. Africa under Patton. Wounded twice, battlefield commission
HENRY FONDA - U.S. NAVY, USS Satterlee.
JOHN CARROLL - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS - Pilot in N. Africa, broke his back in a crash.
LEE MARVIN - U.S.M.C. Wounded in action, Sniper, wounded in action on Saipan. Burried in Arlington National Cemetery, Sec. 7A next to Greg "Pappy" Boyington and Joe Lewis
ART CARNEY - U.S. ARMY - Wounded at Normandy beach, D.Day. Limped for the rest of his life.
WAYNE MORRIS - U.S. NAVY - Fighter pilot, USS Essex, Downed 7 Japanese fighters.
ROD STEIGER U.S. NAVY, Aboard escort that launched Doolittle Raid.
TONY CURTIS - U.S. NAVY, USS Proteus, in Tokyo Bay during surrender.
LARRY STORCH - U.S. NAVY, USS Proteus, with Tony Curtis.
FORREST TUCKER - US ARMY, Inlist as private rose to Lieutenant.
ROBERT MONTGOMERY - U.S. NAVY, USS Barton DD-722, Normandy Invasion.
GEORGE KENNEDY - Enlisted after Pearl Harbor,stayed in 16 years.
MICKEY ROONEY - U.S. ARMY, Under Patton, Bronze Star.
DENVER PYLE - U.S. NAVY, Wounded battle of Guadalcanal.
BURGESS MEREDITH - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS.
DEFOREST KELLEY U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS.
ROBERT STACK - U.S. NAVY, Gunnery Officer.
NEVILLE BRAND - U.S. ARMY, Europe. Awarded the silver star and purple heart.
TYRONE POWER - U.S. M.C. Transport pilot in the Pacific.
CHARLTON HESTON - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, radio and aerial gunner on a B-25, Aleutians.
DANNY AIELLO - U.S. ARMY, Lied about his age to enlist at 16, served 3 years.
JAMES ARNESS - U.S. ARMY, Infantry, was severely wounded at Anzio, Italy.
EFRAM ZIMBALIST JR. - U.S. ARMY, Purple Heart for severe wounds at Huertgen Forest.
MICKEY SPILLANE - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS - fighter pilot, then instructer.
ROD SERLING - U.S. ARMY, 11th Airborne Division in Pacific,he jumped in Tagaytay in the Philippines and was wounded in Manila.
GENE AUTRY - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, Pilot on C-109 transports,that ferried supplies over the "hunp" in the China- Burma- India- Theater.
GEORGE MONTGOMERY - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS
ALAN HALE JR. - U.S.C.G.
HARRY DEAN STANTON - U.S. NAVY, Battle of Okinawa.
RUSSELL JOHNSON - U.S.ARMY AIR CORPS, b-24 Crewman. Awrded the Purple Heart when his aircraft was shot down in the Philippines.
WILLIAM CONRAD - U.S.ARMY AIR CORPS fighter Pilot.
JACK KLUGMAN - U.S. ARMY
FRANK SUTTON - U.S. ARMY, 14 Assault landings, including Letye, Luzan, Bataan and Corregidor.
JACKIE COOGAN - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, volunteered for gliders and flew troops and materials int Burma behind enemy lines.
TOM BOSLEY - U.S. NAVY,
CLAUDE AIKINS - U.S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS - Burma & Philippines.
CHUCK CONNORS - U.S.ARMY, Tank instructer.
HARRY CAREY JR, - U.S. NAVY Corpsman, Pacific Theater. Then O.S.S.
MEL BROOKS - U.S. ARMY - Combat Engineer, Battle of the Bulge.
ROBART ALTMAN - U.S.ARMY AIR CORPS, B-24 co-pilot.
PAT HINGLE - U.S NAVY, USS Marshall.
FRED GWYNNE - U.S. NAVY, Radioman.
KARL MALDEN - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, 8th Air Force, NCO.
LEE VAN CLEEF - U.S. NAVY, Sonarman U.S.S. Incredible, France, Bronze Star
EARL HOLLIMAN - U.S. NAVY, Lied about his age to inlist.
ROCK HUDSON - U.S. NAVY - Aircraft mechanic in the Philippines.
HARVEY KORMAN U.S. NAVY.
ALDO RAY - U.S. NAVY - UDT, Frogam, Okinawa, Pacific
DON KNOTTS - U.S. ARMY, Pacific theater.
HARRY DEAN STANTON - U.S. NAVY, served aboard an LST, Pacific theater, Battle of Okinawa
SOUPY SALES - U.S. NAVY, USS Randall in the S. Pacific.
LEE VAN CLEEF - U.S. NAVY, Seved on Sub chaser and minesweeper, USS Incredible. Bronze Star.
CLIFTON JAMES - U.S.ARMY, S. Pacific. Was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
TED KNIGHT - U.S. ARMY, Combat Engineers.
JACK WARDEN - U.S. NAVY 1938 to 1942; then the U.S. Army, 1942 to 1945. 101st Airborne Division.
DON ADAMS - U.S.M.C; Wounded at Guadalcanal, then served as drill instructer.
JAMES GREGORY - U.S. NAVY then U.S.M.C.
BRIAN KEITH - U.S. NAVY, gunner in Dauntless dive-bombers.
FESS PARKER - U.S. NAVY and U.S.M.C; Too tall for pilot traning, switched to U.S.M.C. as radio operator.
CHARLES DURNING - U.S. ARMY,Landed at Normandy on D-Day. Shot multiple times. Awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and 3 Purple Hearts. Survived the Malmedy massacre.
RAYMOND BURR - U.S. NAVY, wounded on Okinawa.
HUGH O'BRIAN - U.S.M.C
ROBERT RYAN - U.S. M.C.
EDDIE ALBERT - U.S.CG. Bronze Star with combat "V" for saving Marines under heavy fire as coxwain of a landing craft during the invasion of Tarawa.
CLARK GABLE - U.S.ARMY AIR CORPS - B-17 Gunner over Europe
CHARLES BRONSON - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS - B-29 gunner, wounded in action, Purple heart.
PETER GRAVES - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS
BUDDY HACKETT - U.S. ARMY, anti-aircraft gunner.
VICTOR MATURE - U.S.C.G.
JACK PALANCE - U.S.S ARMY AIR CORPS, Purple Heart, Severly injured bailing out of a burning B-24 bomber.
ROBERT PRESTON -U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, Intelligence Officer
CESAR ROMERO - U.S.C.G; Participated in the invasions of Tinian and Saipan on the USS Cavalier.
NORMAN FELL - U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, Tail gunner, Pacific Theater.
JASON ROBARDS - U.S. NAVY, Aboard USS Northampton when it was sunk off Guadalcanal. Also served on the USS Nashville during the invasion of the Philippines, survived a kamikaze hit that caused 223 casualties.
STEVE REEVES - U.S. ARMY, Served in the Philippines.
DENNIS WEAVER - U.S. NAVY, Pilot.
ROBERT TAYLOR - U.S. NAVY, Instructor Pilot.
RANDOLPH SCOTT - Tried to inlist in the Marines but was rejected due to injuries sustained during WW-I.
JAMES GARNER - U.S. MERCHANT MARINES WW-II - U.S. ARMY, Korea, 2 Purple Hearts
KARL MALDEN - U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE, 8th AF
TOM HARMON -U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, P-38 pilot 449th F/Squad. S. Pacific, Purple heart, Silver star.
RONALD REAGAN - U.S. ARMY 2nd Lt. in Cavalry Reserves before the war. His poor eyesight kept him from being sent overseas with his unit, so he transferred to Army Public Relations unit.
ALEX HALEY - U.S.C.G. WW-II, Atlantic & Pacific Theaters, Korea.
JOCK MAHONEY - U.S.M.C. Pilot, WW-II
DEAN JONES - U.S. NAVY, Korea.
R.LEE ERMEY - U.S.M.C. Vietnam.
BRODRICK CRAWFORD - U.S.ARMY ARMY CORPS, England WW-II
JOHN DERECK - U.S. ARMY, Philippines, WW-II.
HAL NEEDHAM - U.S. ARMY, Paratrooper, Korea.
MACDONALD CAREY - U.S.M.C; WW-II
NORMAN FELL - U.S.ARMY AIR CORPS Tail gunner Pacific theater WW-II
BEA ARTHUR - U.S.M.C.
BILL COSBY - U.S. NAVY
MONTEL WILLIAMS - U.S.NAVY
BOB KEESHAN - U.S.M.C.R
RUDY VALLEE - U.S.C.G.- C.G. Band 11th District
HENRY MANCINI U.S. ARMY WW-II
EDDY DUCHIN U.S. ARMY, WW-II
GLEN MILLER U.S ARMY, WW-II
BERRY GORDY U.S. ARMY, KOREA
SONNY JAMES U.S. ARMY, KOREA
STEVE McQUEEN U.S.M.C.
ROBERTO CLEMENTE U.S.M.C.KOREA
JACK LEMON U.S.N. WWII
MIKE FARREL U.S.A. VIETNAM
PAT TILLMANU.S.A. GRENADA "KIA" FRIENDLY FIRE
OLIVER STONE U.S.A. VIETNAM
JESS VENTURA U.S.N.U.D.T. VIET NAM
GENE KELLY U.S.A. WW-II
JOHNNIE CASH U.S.A. KOREA
WILLIE NELSON U.S.A.F. KOREA
KRIS KRISTOFFERSONU.S.A. VIETNAM
JOHN COLTRANE U.S.N. WWII
ROBIN QUIVERS U.S.A.F.
LAURENCE TURLAUD "MR. T " U.S.A. VIETNAM
JOHN KERRY U.S.A. VIETNAM
HARVEY KEITEL U.S.M.C. LEBENON
JOE DI MAGGIO U.S.A. WWII
CHRIS KYLE U.S.N. 9/11
ROBERT DUVAL U.S.A. KOREA
PAT SAJACK U.S.A.
BOB BARKER U.S.N.
CARL REINER U.S.A. WWII
HARRY BELEFONTE U.S.A. WWII
MORGAN FREEMAN U.S.A.F. KOREA
HARRY RATHER U.S.A. KOREA
JOHN WAYNE - 4F - declared medicall unfit due to pre-existing injuries, he nonetheless attempted to volunteer three times.
MARTHA RAYE - Served during WW-II, Korea and Vietnam on U.S.O. tours. Although not an actual Registered Nurse gave aid to the wounded in 'triage', aid stations on the field and numerous surgical units. Recieved the highest civilian honor by President Ronald Reagen and made Colonel in the U.S.Army Nurse Corps.
GAREY SINISE - U.S.O. Tours with the L. Dan Band, world wide at military bases. Major supporter of Wounded Warrior projects. Was made an Honorary Master Chief Petty officer in the Navy and in 2013 made an Honorary Marine by the Commandant of the U.S.M.C.. Continues to support Veterans across the Country.
