Every year on November 11th, Veterans Day is celebrated in the United States. The holiday commemorates men and women who honorably served in the US armed forces. Among the ranks of the US military, there have been several household names. From Niel Armstrong to Clint Eastwood, high-profile celebrities have been enlisted in their country’s armed forces.
However, this day was not always known as Veterans Day. In fact, around the world, the date is still known as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of the First World War. In the United States, the title of the day was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 after World War II and the Korean War.
Celebrities who have served in the U.S. military
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, and Mufasa in The Lion King once served in the US Army. Jones joined the army after spending some time in college, being a member of the 75th Rangers Regime. Remarkably, Jones was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Neil Armstrong
The first man who walked on the moon, Neil Armstrong, spent his formative years studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue University thanks to a scholarship from the United States Navy.
After training in the Navy, Armstrong served in Korea. He recorded 78 combat missions until 1952, logging 16,000 hours of flight. Armstrong also earned three air medals for his service in the Korean War.
Johnny Cash
Before being known as “The Man in Black” and becoming a best-selling country musician, Johnny Cash was in the ranks of the US Air Force. He enlisted just after the start of the Korean War training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
During his service in the US armed forces, Cash served as a radio interceptor officer, using Morse Code to spy on the Soviet Army. In his autobiography, Cash says that he was the first US soldier to intercept reports of Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953.
This is highly unlikely, however, given that at the height of the Cold War, the United States had an extremely complex network of information-gathering means, especially when it came to high-priority information such as Stalin’s death.
The two most famous celebrities to serve in the US armed forces were Elvis Presley and Clint Eastwood
Elvis Presley
Despite landing his first number-one hit, “Heartbreak Hotel,” in 1956, Elvis Presley was drafted into the United States Army in 1957. Stationed in Germany, he not only earned the rank of sergeant but also met his future wife, Priscilla. Their fateful encounter took place at an event in Wiesbaden, where Priscilla’s stepfather, an Air Force officer, was stationed, and Elvis was also posted nearby.
Additionally, while being stationed in Germany, Elvis served as a Jeep driver and was famously followed by the media.
Clint Eastwood
Perhaps the most famous celebrity to serve in the US Armed Forces is Legendary Hollywood actor, Clint Eastwood.
Eastwood was drafted for the Korean War, famously saying “None of us wanted to go.” During his time in the army, Eastwood was stationed in Fort Ord, California.
One of his most famous stories during his time in the army was an instance when he had to jump out of an airplane midflight into the Pacific Ocean because it ran out of gas. Both Eastwood and the pilot had to swim a mile to shore.
