# What celebrities have been in US military special forces units **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710 "2006-05-14T03:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/41 "2006-05-15T02:41:36Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > According to Wikipedia, **David Niven** rose to the rank of Lt. Col in the British commandos, and he took part in the D-Day invasion. Does that count? He was also a graduate of the Sandhurst military academy. What makes Niven even more amazing is this: he’d DONE his time in the British Army, and was safe in Hollywood, attempting a movie career when Britain went to war with Germany, Niven voluntarily went back to England and re-enlisted. “Special forces” or not, a man like that deserves a salute. ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/42 "2006-05-16T01:48:09Z")
Anybody that graduates Ranger school and wears the tab is called a Ranger. It may well be that some Rangers, within their own circles, distinguish between those that served in Ranger Bat and those that ‘just’ completed the course. Also, each infantry division has it’s own LRS (Long Range Surveillance) elements that are comprised, almost exclusively of Rangers. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/43 "2006-05-16T09:24:20Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > What makes Niven even more amazing is this: he’d DONE his time in the British Army, and was safe in Hollywood, attempting a movie career when Britain went to war with Germany, Niven voluntarily went back to England and re-enlisted. > > “Special forces” or not, a man like that deserves a salute. If I remember his book correctly, he was actually a career officer in the Highland Light Infantry\* but was medically discharged due to a bad back resulting from a horse kick (hence a joke about being ‘kicked out of the army’). Shortly after being discharged he found an osteopath or similar who fixed his back, but the military wouldn’t have him, so he ended up in Hollywood. \*Apparently as a result of putting ‘Anything but the Highland Light Infantry’ as his third choice when filling in his three preferred regiments after graduating. He was then welcomed by his new CO with words along the lines of "I see you were very keen to join our regiment :mad: ". Bet that taught him not be funny on official forms… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/44 "2006-05-16T11:36:01Z")
Author Harlan Ellison was a Ranger. ---
**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:** [May 16, 2006, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/45 "2006-05-16T12:36:22Z")
> [@drillrod](#): > > Anybody that graduates Ranger school and wears the tab is called a Ranger. By who? I’ve known plenty of Ranger school graduates. None are known as Rangers unless they wore the black (now khaki) beret. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/46 "2006-05-16T13:36:24Z")
Former U.S. senator, governor, presidential candidate and Debra Winger boyfriend Bob Kerrey (D-Nebr.) was a SEAL, and won the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/47 "2006-05-16T13:39:52Z")
Although not a Special Forces type, I’ve always been impressed by [\*\* General \*\* Jimmy Stewart, USAFR.](http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/wwii/js.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/48 "2006-05-16T13:54:23Z")
From Wikipedia, via **BMax** : _…He answered the controversy by saying the song was written in character, and that “if you believe that I’m a cop killer, you believe David Bowie is an astronaut.”_ Nice. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/49 "2006-05-16T14:21:00Z")
Dr. Rieux writes: \> Author Harlan Ellison was a Ranger. Cite? I did a little Googling and found only a reference to the blurb on one of his books in which he was clearly making up random stories about his life. What’s your source for saying this? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/50 "2006-05-16T14:42:26Z")
> [@Rysdad](#): > > Wasn’t Jaime Heineman (sp?) from Mythbusters in Spec Ops? No, at least not according to the show’s website, but he does have a degree in Russian Languages and Literature, of all things. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/51 "2006-05-16T14:58:11Z")
> [@Wendell Wagner](#): > > Dr. Rieux writes: > > \> Author Harlan Ellison was a Ranger. > > Cite? I did a little Googling and found only a reference to the blurb on one of his books in which he was clearly making up random stories about his life. What’s your source for saying this? Various autobiographical pieces he’s written over the years, usually as intros to his stories. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/52 "2006-05-16T15:07:48Z")
Of course I could be wrong–or Harlan might have made it up. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/53 "2006-05-16T16:03:17Z")
Does _The A-Team_ count? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/54 "2006-05-16T16:29:34Z")
Sir Jeremy ‘Paddy’ Ashdown, former leader of the [Liberal Democrats](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Democrats_%28UK%29) was a [Royal Marine Commando](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Marines) and later in the [SBS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Boat_Service). ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/55 "2006-05-16T18:50:45Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > Sir Jeremy ‘Paddy’ Ashdown, former leader of the [Liberal Democrats](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Democrats_%28UK%29) was a [Royal Marine Commando](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Marines) and later in the [SBS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Boat_Service). I’m pretty sure he’s Lord Ashdown, rather than ‘Sir’… oops. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/56 "2006-05-17T02:01:33Z")
Fails on two counts maybe (not special forces, not American), but Julia Child worked for British Intelligence during the second WW, No -? Alvin York _became_ a celebrity because of wartime heroism, right? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/57 "2006-05-17T02:56:43Z")
Julia Child worked for the [Office of Strategic Services](http://www.moaa.org/magazine/January2003/f_juliachild.asp), the predecessor of the CIA. > [@](#): > > Though Julia would later say, modestly, “I was just a file clerk,” she had a high security clearance for her work, which included all classified papers for the invasion of the Malaysian peninsula. She tracked sensitive documents, dispatches, and espionage/sabotage under the South East Asia Command, then headed by Mountbatten. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/58 "2006-05-17T19:30:01Z")
According to Wikipedia the answer is not many. There are famous people, but they are all famous because of their involvement in SO forces, not because of something else they did. I really only know of some US special forces units and don’t know of overseas units (except that Benjamin Netanyahu’s brother was a counteterrorist commando in Israel). [Rangers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Rangers#Famous_Rangers) [Delta Force](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_force#Famous_Delta_Force_operators) [SEALS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_seals#Famous_Navy_SEALs) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710/59 "2006-05-21T16:13:03Z")
[QUOTE=Wesley Clark] (except that Benjamin Netanyahu’s brother was a counteterrorist commando in Israel). [/quote] Actually, Benjamin Netanyahu was a member of Sayeret Matkal (the IDF’s special forces), along with his two brothers. So was Ehud Barak (another Israeli Prime Minister) His older brother Jonathan was killed( the only casualty) in the famous 1976 hostage rescue raid at Entebbe, Uganda. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-celebrities-have-been-in-us-military-special-forces-units/356710.md?page=2)