Alan Alda
Alan Alda is an American actor, director, screenwriter, comedian, and author who is well known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the popular TV series, M*A*S*H. He has won several Golden Globe Awards, and Emmy Awards, and is beloved for his excellent acting skills and the popular characters he played, that have become synonymous with his friendly persona.
He joined the US Army reserve straight from Fordham University and served for six months in Korea as a gunnery officer just after the Korean War. It was because of his direct experiences there that he was able to fully embody his all-too-familiar role on screen where, as Captain Hawkeye Pierce, he played a medic stationed overseas in the Korean War.
Walt Disney
The gentle, mild-mannered Walt Disney, creator of Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck, among many other affable characters, actually contributed special services to the US Military during the two world wars. He cheated his way into the first war by amending his birth certificate to qualify for the age requirement, and eventually served as a driver for the Red Cross, American Ambulance corps.
He was assigned to create propaganda cartoons and instructional videos in World War II, putting his talents to good use. It was a foretaste of his lifelong career. His role was so unique back then that they even named a special unit after him: the “Walt Disney Training Films Unit.”
Tony Bennett
Before Tony Bennett took to the stage, singing “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Stranger in Paradise,” and others that formed the soundtrack lovers of the era cooed to in dim and cosy corners, he actually sang for the military. In 1944, Bennett was drafted into the US Army and served in the “Blood and Fire” division in France and Germany.
He was demoted over an incident of insubordination, and was consequently transferred to special services, which later on proved to be for the best. With more idle time on his hands to develop his love of singing, he studied music before his repatriation to the United States, using his GI Bill to study voice.
Charlton Heston
Starring in over 100 films throughout the course of his 60-year career, Charlton Heston was able to make a name for himself in Hollywood. He played the role of Moses in the Epic film The Ten Commandments, which would explain his aura of sophistication and passion for serving others. He enlisted in the army air force in 1942 and started off as a radio operator.
He made his way as an aerial gunner on a B-25 Mitchell, but never got combat experience, being assigned in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. This turn of events was much to his disappointment as he was eager to fight and contribute to the war effort during WWII.
James Stewart
American actor, James Stewart, wasn’t just another beautiful face in Hollywood. Before he made films that eventually became classics, Stewart enlisted before the US entered World War II as a US Army Air corp Soldier.
During his service, he was taught how to fly different types of aircraft before being transferred to England as the B-24 bomber squadron commander. He flew a total of 20 combat missions by the end of the war and was promoted to brigadier general in July of 1959. He continued to participate thereafter as a member the US Air Force reserve.