Current Actors With Military Experience

[poordevil]

Charles Durning was at Normandy on DDay. He was a real hero.

For his valor and the wounds he received during the war, Durning was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Heart medals. Additional awards include the World War II Victory Medal.

Charles Durning, actor and soldier | NJ.com

He also escaped the Malmandi Massacre during the Battle of the Bulge

 

[poordevil]

Oh, and Robert Taylor was a Aircraft Carrier Navy Piolit

 

[BJoe]

It is interesting that John Wayne played so many roles as a soldier but never served, and asked for and received several deferment requests during WWII.

Beat me to it. In WW2 you could REQUEST a deferment if you had X number of kids. Wayne was all over that and made tons of money acting in WW2 movies while others served and died.
Not unlike Stalone who went to Sweden and taught soccer at a girls school till Vietnam was over. The biggest 'flakes' turn out to be the biggest 'TV heros' who like to play Army.

 

[MaximumLawman]

Yep, Jimi Hendrix was technically a paratrooper...I guess....Pretty sure he'd have little chance of getting into any branch of the military today.

Army

Before he reached the age of 19 years, law enforcement authorities had twice caught Hendrix riding in stolen cars. When given a choice between spending time in prison or joining the Army, he chose the latter and enlisted on May 31, 1961.[38] After completing eight weeks of basic training at Fort Ord, California, the Army assigned him to the 101st Airborne Division and stationed him at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.[39] He arrived there on November 8, and soon after he wrote to his father: "There's nothing but physical training and harassment here for two weeks, then when you go to jump school ... you get hell. They work you to death, fussing and fighting."[40] In his next letter home, Hendrix, who had left his guitar at his girlfriend, Betty Jean Morgan's house in Seattle, asked his father to send him the guitar as soon as possible, stating: "I really need it now."[40] His father obliged and soon after the red Silvertone Danelectro on which Hendrix had hand-painted the words "Betty Jean", arrived safely at Fort Ord.[41] His apparent obsession with the instrument contributed to his neglect of his duties, which led to verbal taunting and physical abuse from his peers, who at least once hid the guitar from him until he had begged for its return.[42]

In November 1961, fellow serviceman Billy Cox walked past the service club and heard Hendrix playing guitar inside.[43] Cox, intrigued by the proficient playing, which he described as a combination of "John Lee Hooker and Beethoven", immediately borrowed a bass guitar from the club and the two jammed.[44] Within a few weeks, they began performing at base clubs on the weekends with other musicians in a loosely organized band called the Casuals.[45]

Hendrix completed his paratrooper training in just over eight months, and Major General C.W.G. Rich awarded him the prestigious Screaming Eagles patch on January 11, 1962.[40] By February, his personal conduct had begun to draw criticism from his superiors. They labeled him an unqualified marksmen and often caught him napping while on duty and failing to report for bed checks.[46] On May 24, Hendrix's platoon sergeant, James C. Spears filed a report in which he stated: "He has no interest whatsoever in the Army ... It is my opinion that Private Hendrix will never come up to the standards required of a soldier. I feel that the military service will benefit if he is discharged as soon as possible."[47] On June 29, 1962, Captain Gilbert Batchman granted Hendrix an honorable discharge on the basis of unsuitability.[48] Hendrix later spoke of his dislike of the army and falsely claimed that he had received a medical discharge after breaking his ankle during his 26th parachute jump.[49][nb 8]

 

[armenius]

Did anyone mention Elvis Pressly US Army?I always respected him for his time in service.He probably could have found a way out as many did.And did I hear Justin Beiber helped kill Bin Laden?

 

[shouldazagged]

That further lowered Stallone in my estimation. He wasn't too far up the scale anyway.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

Not unlike Stalone who went to Sweden and taught soccer at a girls school till Vietnam was over. The biggest 'flakes' turn out to be the biggest 'TV heros' who like to play Army.

wow! never heard that

 

[chief38]

With a few exceptions todays actors are a "different breed". Most are barely able to say the pledge of allegiance, and that;s only if thee is a camera in their face!

 

[cowart]

whats notable is there is no young actors per say that served..pitt,cruise,hanks etc etc

Sure there are - see
IMDb: Military Veteran Actors on the Rise! - a list by jasonhill770

There are even 2 female actor/veterans on that list!

 

[cowart]

Didn't know that. I always understood he was too old to be drafted.

He was born in 1907. In the draft of World War II, 50 million men from 18 to 45 were registered, 36 million classified, and 10 million inducted. He already had 4 kids by that time.

Wayne applied to the U.S. Naval Academy, but was not accepted, probably as a result of an early body surfing accident and football injuries.

 

[feralmerril]

Cassus clay (mohamed ali) refused to go. JW was 35 years old, about 4 kids, They never would have let him see combat. As said above he had already tried to join about a dozzen and a half years younger and was rejected medicaly even way back then. A lot of people joined thinking they would rather pick what service they would serve rather than the draft board pick for them. I was rejected medicaly 3 times myself when I tried to join (viet nam era) so I wont attempt to judge others. One of my best friends was special forces in viet nam. He got shot and lived. Later he said if his son wanted to join he`d brake his legs! As he put it, We lost 50,000 boys there in retrospect, for what? I fully belive in fighting for our country when we are attacked or threatend, but we have been in many places where no one wanted us to start with, just our money and equipment. Patriotism is one thing, beating our chests over excuses we dont have a clue of is another. Let the games began.
I kind of always wondered why we fought on the other side of the world when we wouldnt clean up communism 90 miles away in cuba, AND they wanted our help!

 

[Gyrene6891]

Wasn't Mr. Rogers of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood once a sniper. I want to say somewhere along the line I read that he had several "kills". Partly why he became the soft appearing on the kids show?????????????

WuzzFuzz

More internet BS, Mr. Roger was never in the military, let alone a sniper.
Obviously a number of others commented on this before me.

 

[the ringo kid]

It is interesting that John Wayne played so many roles as a soldier but never served, and asked for and received several deferment requests during WWII.

He was deferred partly BECAUSE--the War Dept thought he was better suited to make movies for morale reasons. Duke Wayne dot com--has loads of info on him about his trying to enlist.

 

[the ringo kid]

He was born in 1907. In the draft of World War II, 50 million men from 18 to 45 were registered, 36 million classified, and 10 million inducted. He already had 4 kids by that time.

Wayne applied to the U.S. Naval Academy, but was not accepted, probably as a result of an early body surfing accident and football injuries.

Football injuries. And correct-he did have 4 kids by that time. Also, Duke tried to enlist and the actual papers can be seen online (I dont know where but were posted on the Duke Wayne and John Wayne websites years ago)

 

[Texas Star]

I was initially rejected for medical reasons: history of asthma. My doctor had to write a letter saying that I hadn't had the ailment in four years. Alas, it returned in my late 20's, but I had served by then. I think increasing air pollution has been a real problem for asthmatics.

I have a brother and a friend who used college as a deferment. The friend continued to use being a teacher as a reason not to serve. I think a lot of teachers used that profession as a military excuse. Maybe that's why so many teachers/professors are so "left" now.

 

[feralmerril]

I tried to enlist in the AF. I had super high BP and was overweight. All the same they kept me overnight to see if the BP would go down. It didnt. They sent me home, but I didnt go straight home. I was too ashamed to. I went to the army recruiter he was somehow going to get me in. Imagine my luck and embarasment to find out the examiners was the same ones I had seen a couple days before. Sent me home again. Then all through the nam days it got to where I was checked by doctors every few months, 6, I think, and have them send in my BP numbers.
Later right after the war I got in a bad MC accident. While recouperating I asked what my BP was. Oh, the nurse said, its perfect! It has been ever since. By then I was established on a good paying job I could handle, the nam days were over and I was about 30 years old so quit trying to get in. I also was called in for testing durring the cuban missle crisis but flunked out that time too.

 

[30-30remchester]

I posted earlier that John Wayne had not served and received several deferments. Several member challenged my statement, so I did some research. First and foremost I am not in the habit of belittling or besmerching any mans character. According to Gary Wills book on John he was given a deferment because of having a large family, but that was later revolked. He was sent enlistment papers that he never answered. The studio he worked for had asked for and received a deferment for him. He actually half heartily asked to be drafted into the naval photography service under his good friend and director John Ford. But according to the author he never followed up. After the war Ford would chide and shame Wayne if he was on the set with other actor who were veteran. Wayne wanted an officers commission and was refused. I heard a statement made by Wayne, but cant verify, that he didn't want to be a private, picking up cigarette butts in Mississippi. Though he was 34 at the time of Pearl Harbor, other older actors enlisted. When all is said and done, they won the war without him and he has become an American icon as a rough tough soldier and cowhand, even though he was neither. Like most people I do enjoy watching his movies.

 

[feralmerril]

What percentage of guys that did enlist wouldnt have, had they been in JW`s shoes with a job that paid a fortune to give up?