# Contemporary entertainers who've served in the military **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380 "2009-04-17T04:08:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/1 "2009-04-17T04:08:05Z")
Back in the day, Hollywood was filled with stars who’d been in the Armed Forces like Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable and Charlton Heston. Who are some entertainers today that have served in the military? The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are Oliver Stone, who’s a Vietnam vet, and Drew Carey, who was a Marine. Who are some of the others? ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/2 "2009-04-17T04:14:43Z")
George Strait, US Army What do I win? SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/3 "2009-04-17T06:20:02Z")
I tried to find people that served after Vietnam… slim pickings, I’m afraid. USN Fred Durst, the singer in Limp Bizkit. Supposedly hated it though. MC Hammer. Montel Williams(the talk show guy) was a Marine, then later a US Navy LT, for 14 years. Annapolis grad, too, not ROTC. Never knew that! Charlie Murphy?! [Robert LaSordo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_LaSardo) Marines [David Eigenberg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Eigenberg) Ok, I had no idea who he even is, but he’s listed. 🙂 [Shaggy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaggy_(artist)) [Rob Riggle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Riggle), correspondent on the Daily Show, is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine reserves. wow! Airforce, all I could find was Sinbad. Likely lots more in the army, but the list on wiki is difficult to parse, though Pat Tillman is one I do know about, if you’re willing to count football players as entertainers. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/4 "2009-04-17T06:23:51Z")
Gah, I didn’t read the OP closely enough… Will edit again if I think of an _actual, unnamed_ example. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/5 "2009-04-17T07:25:58Z")
Lessee, I find Tony Bennett, Alan Alda, Montel Williams, Bill Cosby, Clint Eastwood, and if you’ll forgive me for linking to Free Republic, there’s a lot more: [http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1520231/posts](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1520231/posts) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/6 "2009-04-17T07:55:38Z")
He isn’t American, but James Blunt - a horrible, untalented hack singer - was in the British Army and he served in the UN peacekeeping missions in Kosovo. I believe he was a tank gunner. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/7 "2009-04-17T07:58:11Z")
Dennis Franz is a Viet Nam vet. Kris Kristopherson was an Army captain and helicopter pilot Chuck Norris was in the Air Force as a military policeman Ed McMahon was a Marine pilot in WWII and Korea, stayed in the reseves and made Colonel then transferred to the Ca Air National Guard and became a Brigadier General. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/8 "2009-04-17T08:32:35Z")
I’m trying to think of more contemporary ones. Not too many. George Carlin (not contemporary since he is dead): was kicked out of the Air Force Richard Belzer: told a funny and very truthful sounding story about being kicked of of the Army (prior to Viet Nam) but I can’t find a cite. ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/9 "2009-04-17T10:01:44Z")
I limited my search to just those who served after vietnam, and all I found is a dozen, give or take. Compared to the time from ww2 to vietnam, where there are dozens if not nearing a hundred or more, in a similar span of time. Granted, there is no longer a draft, or a great war, but its still kind of depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/10 "2009-04-17T10:10:55Z")
Christopher Lee was in the British Special Forces during WW2. He reportedly told Peter Jackson that he knew the sound a man makes when he’s stabbed in the back… ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/11 "2009-04-17T11:29:33Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > He isn’t American, but James Blunt - a horrible, untalented hack singer - was in the British Army and he served in the UN peacekeeping missions in Kosovo. I believe he was a tank gunner. He was an officer. [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Blunt) biography. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/12 "2009-04-17T11:31:12Z")
I’m trying to go through wikipedia’s list of Army veterans and only picking out the ones I know and are young enough to have served since the 60s or so(to keep with the contemporary limitation). What I have come up with that haven’t been mentioned: David Berkowitz: Son of Sam killer, served in the early 70s but not in Viet Nam John Fogerty: Joined the Army Reserves when he was in danger of being drafted Stedman Graham: Oprah’s boyfriend, in the Army but no details Henry Hill: Mobster from Goodfellas, served in the 82nd Airborne in the US Clint Holmes: Singer, in the Army choir Ice-T: In the Army and apparently didn’t like it Richard Hatch: Naked Survivor winner, dropped out of West Point and stayed enlisted for a few years. Steve Croft: Journalist, was an Army journalist in Viet Nam Chris Mortensen: ESPN, Viet Nam vet Tom Selleck: CA National Guard Mike Sexton: Pro Poker Player/announcer, in the 82nd but never left the US Wes Studi: Actor, go-to guy when you want a Native American in a movie, Viet Nam vet Mr T: Actor?, Army MP ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/13 "2009-04-17T11:43:23Z")
Well, there’s R. Lee Ermey, of course. Harvey Keitel was a marine. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/14 "2009-04-17T12:06:00Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Who are some entertainers today that have served in the military? Rob Riggle, formerly of the Daily Show, is a member of the Marine Corp Reserve. TDS said he was promoted to Lt. Col. this week. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contemporary-entertainers-whove-served-in-the-military/493380/15 "2009-04-17T13:15:33Z")
Mar[k Valley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Valley), my [Keen Eddie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keen_Eddie)boyfriend, later on Boston Legal, is a West Point grad and Gulf War vet.