Celebrities who served in WWII

The following is a list of American/British/Canadian celebrities who served either on actice duty or in reserve status during World War II:

American

  • Don Adams, actor/comedian, United States Marine Corps, fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal.
  • Eddie Albert, actor, United States Navy, winner of the Bronze Star for actions during the Battle of Tarawa in November, 1943.
  • James Arness, actor, United States Army, severely wounded during the Battle of Anzio.
  • Lew Ayres, actor, Medical Corps, conscientious objector who served in the Pacific and New Guinea.
  • Lex Barker, actor, United States Army, enlisted as a Private, rose to the rank of Major. Fought in the North African campaign and in the Allied invasion of Sicily where he was badly wounded.
  • Fred Blassie, professional wrestler, actor, recording star. United States Navy.
  • Ernest Borgnine, actor, United States Navy.
  • Charles Bronson, actor, United States Army Air Forces, tail gunner on B-29.
  • Mel Brooks, actor/director, United States Army, served as an engineer in North Africa.
  • Raymond Burr, actor, United States Navy, wounded in the Battle of Okinawa.
  • Art Carney, actor, United States Army, wounded in the leg during the Battle of Normandy.
  • Jackie Coogan, actor, United States Army Air Forces, volunteered for hazardous duty as a Flight Officer for the 1st Air Commando Group, flying gliders.
  • Tony Curtis, actor, United States Navy, served from 1942-1945 aboard a submarine tender in the Pacific Theater. Personally witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay.
  • Charles Durning, actor, United States Army Rangers, participated in the Battle of Normandy landings and was one of the few survivors of the infamous Malmedy massacre.
  • Douglas Fairbanks Jr., actor, Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, assigned to Lord Mountbatten's Commando staff in England where he formulated an idea for a unit designed to create military deception involving fake beach landings to confuse the enemy. This unit was called the Beach Jumpers and it saw its initial action in Operation Husky. Later, after the invasion of southern France, Fairbanks was awarded the U.S. Navy's Legion of Merit with bronze V for valor, the Italian War Cross for Military Valor, the French Legion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre with Palm, plus the British Distinguished Service Cross.
  • Bob Feller, baseball player, United States Navy, chief of an anti-aircraft gun crew aboard USS Alabama, earned five campaign ribbons, eight battle stars.
  • Glenn Ford, actor, naturalized US citizen, United States Marine Corps, winner of the Legion d'Honneur.
  • Clark Gable, actor, Major, United States Army Air Forces, winner of the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal.
  • Harold Gould, actor, United States Army, fought in a mortar company in France.
  • Hank Greenberg, baseball player, Lieutenant, United States Army Air Forces, scouted B-29 base locations in China-Burma-India theater.
  • Sterling Hayden, actor, OSS, United States Marine Corps. Winner of the Silver Star.
  • Joseph Heller, writer/satirist, United States Army Air Forces, flew 60 combat missions out of Corsica as a B-25 bombardier.
  • Charlton Heston, actor, Staff Sergeant, United States Army Air Forces, B-25 radio-operator/gunner stationed in the Aleutian Islands.
  • Russell Johnson, actor, United States Army Air Forces, flew 44 combat missions as a B-24 gunner, earning a Purple Heart when shot down over the Philippines.
  • Brian Keith, actor, United States Marine Corps, served as aerial gunner, earned the Air Medal.
  • Norman Lear, tv writer/producer, United States Army Air Forces, B-17 radio operator with the 463rd Bombardment Group, 772nd Bombardment Squadron of the 15th Air Force with whom he earned the Air Medal.
  • Delbert Mann, director, United States Army Air Forces, B-24 pilot who flew 35 combat missions in the European Theater of Operations with the 8th Air Force.
  • Lee Marvin, actor, United States Marine Corps, wounded during the Battle of Saipan.
  • Walter Matthau, actor, United States Army Air Forces, Staff Sergeant, B-24 radioman-gunner in same group as James Stewart.
  • Glenn Miller, band leader, Captain, United States Army Air Forces, killed on ACTIVE duty.
  • Robert Montgomery, actor, Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy.
  • Tom Poston, actor/comedian, United States Army Air Forces, Captain, served with distinction in the European Theater.
  • Tyrone Power, actor, Second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps, served with VMR-253 during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
  • Don Rickles, actor/comedian, United States Navy, served as a seaman aboard USS Cyrene, a motor torpedo boat tender.
  • Jason Robards Jr, actor, United States Navy, winner of the Navy Cross.
  • Dan Rowan, comedian/tv personality, United States Army Air Forces, flew P-40's in the Pacific Theater, scoring two kills before being shot down and seriously wounded over New Guinea. Winner of the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.
  • Rod Serling, screenwriter/tv personality, United States Army, paratrooper who served with the 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific Theater, earning the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for bravery.
  • Warren Spahn, baseball player, United States Army, combat engineer who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and at the Ludendorff Bridge, earning a battlefield commission. Also won the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for bravery.
  • Rod Steiger, actor, United States Navy, served aboard destroyers in the Pacific Theater.
  • Jimmy Stewart actor, served in the United States Army Air Forces; Stewart flew 20 combat missions. Postwar, in the Air Force reserves, he was promoted to brigadier general.
  • John Russell, actor, United States Marine Corps.
  • Robert Ryan, actor, United States Marine Corps
  • Kurt Vonnegut, writer, United States Army, POW in Germany.
  • Jack Warden, actor, United States Army, paratrooper in the 101st Airborne.
  • Ted Williams, baseball player, fighter pilot, United States Marine Corps.
  • Jonathan Winters, actor/comedian, United States Marine Corps, served in the South Pacific.
  • Ed Wood, director, United States Marine Corps, fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal.

British

  • Dirk Bogarde, actor, British Army, Captain, primarily an intelligence officer, was one of the first Allied officers to reach the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp which left him with a life-long hostility towards Germany.
  • Noel Coward, actor, writer, composer, wit, Secret Intelligence Service, MI5.
  • Roald Dahl, author, Royal Air Force, fought in Greece and the Middle East, becoming a flying ace and eventually retiring with the rank of Wing Commander.
  • Denholm Elliott, actor, Royal Air Force, shot down over Germany in 1942 and spent rest of the war as a P.O.W..
  • Alec Guinness, actor, Royal Navy.
  • Christopher Lee, actor, Royal Air Force, Intelligence Officer.
  • Spike Milligan, comedian, writer, artist, musician, humanitarian, poet, 56th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery, D Battery.
  • David Niven, actor, British Army, Highland Light Infantry, rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the British Commandos.
  • Donald Pleasance, actor, Royal Air Force, shot down and tortured by the S.S.
  • Richard Todd, actor, British Army, paratrooper dropped in Normandy, fought in engagement for Pegasus Bridge

Canadian

  • James Doohan, actor, Royal Canadian Artillery, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, Royal Canadian Air Force. Severely wounded during the invasion of Normandy at Juno Beach on D-Day.
  • Gerald Kent, actor, Canadian Army, captured during the raid and later died in a German POW camp.

See Also

List of Meritorious Service Medal recipients

This is a list of recipients of the United States Meritorious Service Medal. Abraham J. Turner...