Celebrities Who Served

PVC Anthony Dominick Bennett (Tony Bennett), U.S. Army (1944–1946)

Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Tony Bennett is a jazz legend, with a career spanning over half a century. He is also a painter, and the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York. But did you know that before entering the music business, he served in the United States Army? He was sent to Europe to participate in the final months of the Second World War. He fought in the final stages of World War II as a U.S. Army infantryman in the European Theater. Tony Bennett’s Early Life Born and raised in Astoria to an Italian-American family, Tony Bennett was the first member of his family to be born in a hospital. His father John Benedetto was a grocer and his mother Anna (Suraci) was a seamstress. Unfortunately, for most of Tony’s childhood, his father was ailing and unable to work, and the children grew up in poverty....

S2c Harry Belafonte, U.S. Navy (1943-1945)

Celebrities Who Served, World War II

Harry Belafonte, the iconic singer, actor, and social activist, holds a remarkable story of military service that often remains overshadowed by his extraordinary accomplishments in the world of entertainment. Serving as a member of the United States Navy during World War II, Belafonte dedicated himself to the cause of freedom and justice both on and off the stage. His military service laid the foundation for his future endeavors as a civil rights advocate, using his platform to challenge societal norms and fight against racial injustice. Harry Belafonte's unwavering commitment to serving his country and his unwavering determination to bring about positive change make him a true hero, not only in the realm of entertainment but also in the annals of American history. Harry Belafonte’s Early Years Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. (Harry Belafonte), born on March 1, 1927, in Harlem, New York. His mother, Melvine Love, was from Jamaica, and his father, Harold George Bellanfanti Sr., was from...

PFC Hugh Hefner, U.S. Army (1944-1946)

Celebrities Who Served, World War II

It's well-known that the late Hugh Hefner was the founder of one of history's most iconic global brands. He transformed the adult entertainment industry with his groundbreaking publication Playboy. Less widely reported, however, is his contribution to the war effort during World War II. Just seven years before he created Playboy magazine from his kitchen table, Hefner joined the Army, serving as an infantry clerk and drawing cartoons for various military newspapers. Hugh Hefner's Early Years Hugh Marston Hefner, born on April 9, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois, was the eldest of two sons born to Grace and Glenn Hefner, who were strict Methodists. His mother was of Swedish ancestry, and his father was German and English. Through his father's line, Hefner was a descendant of Plymouth governor William Bradford. Hefner went to Sayre Elementary School and then to Steinmetz High School, where, reportedly, his IQ was 152 though his academic performance was generally modest. He developed an...

A1C Carlos “Chuck” Ray Norris, U.S. Air Force (1958-1962)

Celebrities Who Served, Cold War

You may know Chuck Norris is a champion martial artist, and movie and television star of titles such as Walker, Texas Ranger, The Delta Force, and The Hitman. A martial arts legend who has contributed greatly to the development and popularization of martial arts in the United States and around the world, he has a long and impressive martial arts career, both as a competitor and as a teacher. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. However, before he became a Hollywood icon, Norris served in the United States military, where he honed his skills and developed the discipline that would later help him achieve great success. In this article, we'll take a closer look at Chuck Norris' military service, including his accomplishments and how they shaped his life and career. Chuck Norris’s Early Life Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris was born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma. Norris' paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother were of Irish descent, while his paternal...

SSgt John (Johnny) R. Cash, U.S. Air Force (1950-1954)

Celebrities Who Served, Korean War

Johnny Cash, also known as the "Man in Black," is a legendary figure in the world of country music. He received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career as a musician. He won 15 Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1996. Cash's contributions to American music also earned him inductions into several other halls of fame, including the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. But before he became a music icon, he served his country in the military. Cash's military service played a significant role in shaping his character and influencing his music. Although his time in the military was relatively brief, it had a profound impact on his life and career. Johnny Cash’s Early Life The legend who would become Johnny Cash was born in 1932 into the Cash family of poor cotton farmers in Kingsland, Arkansas. Known simply as J.R. growing up, Cash grew up in a government resettlement...

Cpl Eugene Hackman (Gene Hackman), U.S.Marine Corps (1946 – 1951)

Celebrities Who Served

Gene Hackman is an American retired actor, known for his rugged looks and his emotionally honest and natural performances. During his acting career spanning over 49 years, Gene was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two of them. Hackman has starred in some of the most iconic films in Hollywood history, including The French Connection, The Conversation, and Unforgiven. However, before he made it big in Hollywood, Hackman served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. In this article, we'll take a closer look at Gene Hackman's career and his military service. Gene Hackman’s Early Life Gene (Eugene Allen Hackman) was born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California, USA. He was the eldest of three children born to Eugene Ezra Hackman and Anna Lyda Elizabeth. Hackman's father was a newspaper pressman and his mother worked as a waitress. The family moved frequently during Hackman's childhood, and he attended numerous schools before finally settling in...

Col Frank Capra, U.S. Army (1918-1945)

Celebrities Who Served, World War II

Frank Capra, who served in the US Army between 1918 and 1945, is perhaps most well-known for his direction of classic Americana films It’s A Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. However, his greatest contribution to American culture may be the documentary series he produced during World War II for the Allied forces: Why We Fight. Born in Bisacquino, Sicily, in 1897, Francesco Rosario Capra was the youngest of seven children born to the Capra household: humble fruit growers. In 1903, the family emigrated to the United States, spending 13 days in the degrading squalor of steerage. This experience profoundly affected young Francesco. On arriving in the US, the Capras moved to the East Side of Los Angeles. Capra’s father worked as a fruit picker, and Capra himself sold newspapers after school for 10 years, until graduation. Instead of entering the workforce, he enrolled in the California Institute of Technology. Sadly, his father died in 1916, so to avoid draining too much of...

Lt Tom Ewell, U.S. Navy (1942-1945)

Celebrities Who Served, World War II

Tom Ewell, of the United States Navy between 1942 and 1945, interrupted a successful career as a stage actor in order to protect the merchant shipping vital to the country’s war effort as part of the US Navy Armed Guard. Born Samuel Yewell Tompkins in Kentucky during the year 1909, he was expected to join the family professions (either law or tobacco and whiskey dealing) but instead pursued acting. In 1928, he began acting in summer stock while attending the University of Wisconsin. Determined to defy the Depression and make a success of himself, in 1931, at the age of 22, he moved to New York and enrolled in the Actors Studio. Making ends meet while waiting for his break was rough going. He washed dishes, sold cigars and magazines and operated elevators while looking for work on the stage. He eventually made his Broadway debut in 1934 with the production They Shall Not Die, and began accumulating more credits from there. Tom Ewell’s Military Career Ewell had built momentum as a...

Col Pierre Julien Ortiz, U.S.Marine Corps (1942-1954)

Celebrities Who Served, World War II

The first thoughts that come to mind when one thinks about World War II Marines is them landing on bloody beaches and fighting in steamy jungles of the Pacific. But this was not the role of Marine Pierre Julien Ortiz, who served in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. His exploits and dare-devil attitude were things of fiction yet they were all real. He was an American and a Frenchman with a Spanish name and he lived in remarkable times and did remarkable things. His life was a series of rousing adventures that were the basis for several Hollywood screenplays. He was a ship's mate, a race car driver, a decorated French Foreign Legionnaire with two awards of the Croix de Guerre, a World War II Marine officer with two Navy Crosses and two Purple Hearts, a member of the covert Office of Strategic Services and captured by the Germans only to escape and three years later be captured again - and he was a Hollywood movie actor. He spoke five languages including French, German and Arabic....

PV2 Robert Duvall, U.S. Army (1953 – 1954)

Celebrities Who Served, Korean War

Robert Duvall is best known for his 70-plus years in Hollywood, playing such iconic military roles as Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now," Maj. Frank Burns in "M*A*S*H" and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in the TV miniseries "Ike: The War Years." But did you know that before his acting career took off, Robert Duvall served in the Army, shortly after the end of the Korean War? Robert Duvall’s Early Life Actor and filmmaker Robert Duvall was born in San Diego, but grew up a Navy brat — an endearing term for a child whose parent is on active military duty. Duvall's father was Navy Rear Admiral William Howard Duvall. His tenure included the time of the Tailhook scandal; he and Rear Admiral John E. Gordon were tasked with conducting the investigation. Robert Duvall’s mother was a relative of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee, and a member of the Lee Family of Virginia, while his father was a descendant of settler Mareen Duvall. Admiral Duvall wanted young Robert to attend...

Capt. Kristoffer Kristofferson, U.S. Army (1967-1975)

Celebrities Who Served, Vietnam War

Kristoffer Kristofferson is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night", all of which were hits for other artists. But considering his family background and his education, Kristofferson seemed destined to become a military officer. The son of an Air Force major general, he served as a captain and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army during his own stint in the service. TogetherWeServed follows Kris Kristofferson’s path from his childhood in Texas to his acclaimed career in the entertainment world, and the role his military service played in shaping his values and his music. Kris Kristofferson’s Early Life Kristoffer “Kris” Kristofferson was born in Brownsville, Texas, in June 1936. In his youth, Kristofferson showed a fondness for country music and a talent for writing, penning his first song at age 11. Kris was a Golden Gloves boxer...

PO2 Jeff Bridges, U.S Coast Guard Reserves (1967-1975)

Celebrities Who Served, Vietnam War

Jeff Bridges is an Academy Award-winning actor, a musician, a photographer, and a philanthropist. He served in the US Coast Guard Reserves between 1967 and 1975, but he was a showbiz presence before he ever put on a uniform. The son of renowned Hollywood actor Lloyd Bridges, both his brother Beau and Jeff made appearances with their father on the TV series Sea Hunt between 1958 and 1960. Perhaps it was his father’s Coast Guard Auxiliary experience, combined with the Coast Guard role Lloyd played on the show, that influenced young Jeff’s choice to enlist as a young adult. The Beginning of Jeff Bridges’ Military Career Born in Los Angeles, California, on December 4, 1949, Jeffrey Leon Bridges would go on to become one of his generation’s best-loved actors. A child of privilege, with mother Dorothy and father Lloyd both successful actors, he grew up in the wealthy Holmby Hills neighborhood, and was on film before he was even a year old, in The Company She Keeps (1951). However, in his...

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Celebrities Who Served

PVC Anthony Dominick Bennett (Tony Bennett), U.S. Army (1944–1946)

PFC Hugh Hefner, U.S. Army (1944-1946)

A1C Carlos “Chuck” Ray Norris, U.S. Air Force (1958-1962)

SSgt John (Johnny) R. Cash, U.S. Air Force (1950-1954)

Cpl Eugene Hackman (Gene Hackman), U.S.Marine Corps (1946 – 1951)

Col Frank Capra, U.S. Army (1918-1945)

Lt Tom Ewell, U.S. Navy (1942-1945)

Col Pierre Julien Ortiz, U.S.Marine Corps (1942-1954)

PV2 Robert Duvall, U.S. Army (1953 – 1954)

Capt. Kristoffer Kristofferson, U.S. Army (1967-1975)

PO2 Jeff Bridges, U.S Coast Guard Reserves (1967-1975)

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