Stars Who Served In The US Military: Photos Of Elvis, Bettie White & More Celebrity Veterans For Navy Day

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October 13, 2022 12:59PM EDT

Honor the US Navy’s birthday with a look at the stars who served in the US military. Some may surprise you!

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Stars Who Are Military Veterans: Elvis Presley & More

Stars Who Are Military Veterans: Elvis Presley & More — Did you know that some of your favorite Hollywood celebrities are also US military veterans, who bravely served their country? Throughout the years, actors, musicians, and more have stepped up when it was time to defend their nation. Some stars who are military vets are classics, like Clint Eastwood or Morgan Freeman. Other names, like Adam Driver or Betty White, may be more surprising to learn. Either way, we’re in awe of their bravery and dedication in serving their country.

Here, the handsome Elvis Presley appears in Army uniform at Company D 1st Battalion 32nd Armor barracks area in Friedberg, West Germany. He was stationed overseas from 1958 to 1960.

There are a surprising amount of stars who have served their country with pride and honor. See the celebrities who served in the US Army, the Air Force, Coast Guard, and beyond here.

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Betty White

Betty White — Betty White was in the US Army. After her passing in Dec. 31, 2021, she was recognized by the Armed Forces in a tweet.

It said, “Not only was she an amazing actress, she also served during WWII as a member of the American Women’s Voluntary Services. A true legend on and off the screen.” The U.S. Naval Institute clarified that she “drove a supply truck” during her time in the military.

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Prince Harry

Prince Harry — Prince Harry is seen here in 2003 during a parade at Eton College. Prince Harry served in the Army for 10 years, taking on two tours in Afghanistan.

After his service, he dedicated his time to helping wounded servicemen and women. In addition to supporting veterans’ healing, he founded The Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured, and sick veterans.

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Adam Driver

Adam Driver — Adam Driver, seen here in 2022, was 17 when he joined the Marines shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He said he “loved” being in the service, but was medically discharged after two-years in.

Talking about his time, he told a TED Talk,”I joined … feeling like I think most people in the country did at the time, filled with a sense of patriotism and retribution and the desire to do something. That, coupled with that fact that I wasn’t doing anything.”

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Ice T

Ice T — Ice T, here in 2021, joined the Army’s 25th Infantry Division after high school. He was deployed to Hawaii, where he served for four years. After that, his music career would take off, eventually leading him to acting too.

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Zulay Henao

Zulay Henao — Actress Zulay Henao, here in 2021, signed up for the Army straight from high school and served for three years. After being discharged from the service, she went on to start her acting career, appearing in The Single Mom’s Club, Fighting, and ‘Boy Wonder.

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Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris — Chuck Norris, here in 1986’s The Delta Force, served as an air policeman in the Air Force for four years, from 1958 to 1962. He reportedly fell in love with martial arts after he was sent to the Osan Air Base in South Korea. In 2007, the action star was made an honorary United States Marine.

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Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett — Tony Bennett, here in 2019, has had an amazing life, which also included time in the Army. The singer was drafted into the army during World War II. He served abroad in Germany and France before returning to the US in 1946.

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Bea Arthur

Bea Arthur — Bea Arthur’s military bona fides are no joke! The Golden Girls star was a typist and truck driver in the Marine Corps for two years beginning in 1943 and ending in 1945. She was also one of the first members of the Women’s Reserve.

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Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman — Morgan Freeman, here in 2019, went into the Air Force in 1955, where he served as a radar technician. He realized flying wasn’t for him and left the military around 1959.

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Rob Riggle

Rob Riggle — Rob Riggle had an extensive military career, serving as a Marine for 23 years. He joined as a pilot in 1990 and served until his retirement in 2013.

Explaining his path to CBS News, he said, “I was an undergrad a the University of Kansas, and I had my pilot’s license … I was also a theater and film major. So I either was going to be Top Gun when I graduated or I was gonna be a waiter. And I thought being Top Gun sounded much sexier, much cooler.”

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Pat Sajak

Pat Sajak — Wheel Of Fortune host Pat Sajak signed up for the Army as a clerk typist in 1968. He got to hone his broadcasting skills back then, while working as a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio.

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Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix — Jimi Hendrix, here in 1968, may be known as a rock rebel, but before that, he was an Army man. He chose to enlist in 1961, instead of serving a prison sentence. He didn’t serve long, however, and was discharged for an injury in 1962.

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Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood — Clint Eastwood, seen here in Marine Corps attire in 1986’s Heartbreak Ridge, has played plenty of veterans through the years and has a history in the armed services himself. He was drafted into the Army during the Korean War and then rained at Fort Ord in California. He was discharged in 1953.

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Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges — Jeff Bridges, seen here in 2019, is a man of the sea. The Oscar-winner comes from a Coast Guard family, so he was ready to serve along with his father and his brother Beau, a fellow actor.

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Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner — Hugh Hefner, here in 1970, wasn’t always a robe-wearing, smooth talking, magazine publisher. He served as an infantry clerk in the Army after high school and was discharged two years later in 1946.

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Sunny Anderson

Sunny Anderson — Food Network personality Sunny Anderson used her military career to make her broadcast dreams come true. She enlisted in the Air Force as a radio broadcaster and journalist, working in Seoul, South Korea and in San Antonio, Texas.

Remarking on her journey with ABC in 2013, she said, “I knew that there were radio stations, television stations, newspapers, and magazines, for the military, by the military, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

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Drew Carey

Drew Carey — Funny guy Drew Carey also served! After leaving Kent State University in 1980, the Price Is Right host enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and served for six years.

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James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones — James Earl Jones commanded legions as the voice of Darth Vader, but he also served as a young Army man. He joined the service after college and was eventually promoted to first lieutenant, as a member of the 75th Rangers Regime.

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Robin Quivers

Robin Quivers — Howard Stern’s right-hand radio woman Robin Quivers is an Air Force vet. She served her country from 1975 to 1978, after graduating from college with a nursing degree. She used those skills in the force, eventually rising to the rank of captain.

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Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck — Tom Selleck served as a soldier in the California Army National Guard from 1967 to 1973. It was decent research for one of his most iconic roles, mustachioed former Navy SEAL Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I.

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George Carlin

George Carlin — George Carlin wasn’t exactly a model soldier, but the comedian did join the Air Force in 1954 at 17. It was a rocky ride for the provocateur, who was court-martialed three times before receiving a general discharge in 1957.

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Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash — Johnny Cash was a man in uniform before he was the “Man In Black.” He enlisted in the Air Force after graduating high school in 1950. He was stationed in Germany as an intelligence-service radioman, during which time he wrote the lyrics for the song that would become “Folsom Prison Blues.”

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Mr. T

Mr. T — Mr. T, real name Laurence Tureaud, turned to the Army after being expelled from high school. He was a military policeman and later was selected among 6,000 trainees for promotion to squad leader.

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Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart — Classic actor Humphrey Bogart was in the Navy during World War I. He earned an honorqable discharge for his service.

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