Trading Fame for Honor. The MOST famous soldiers.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

These folks didnt HAVE TO serve, but they set aside their career, their fame and fortunes, to fight for freedom. I dedicate this thread to them, their bravery and service is legendary, and we thank them for risking their lives for a grateful people.

Let's take a look, shall we? Can you think of someone I left out?

Elvis Presley

This man, well on his way to becoming the #1 best selling entertainer of all time, did not have to go, he volunteered.



Bob Feller, legendary pitcher



Tony Bennett, legendary singer




Bob Hope (60+ YEARS of entertaining troops oversees, his calm, sly grin and ability to make generations laugh. Thanks, Bob, for the memories.)

He never served, but has put his life on the line over more YEARS then maybe anyone man or woman in history. He also brought more soldiers more laughs than any man or woman in history: From this picture, taken during WORLD WAR II, he served the USO until his 100th birthday.



Yes, The Man, is 100 years old here, putting on his last show in Iraq:



Ann Margret



Bill Cosby



Both brothers Dom Dimaggio & Joe Dimmagio





Art Carney



Audie L. Murphy. (5'5 146lbs. The most decorated WWII soldier!)



Lee Marvin



Steve McQueen



Captain Kangaroo



Jim Nabors



James Earl Jones



"Scotty" James Doohan


Ted Williams



Oliver Stone (in Vietnam)


JRR Tolkien



Russel Johnson



Benny Hill (Yes, THAT Benny Hill!)

[Bekki]

Awesome thread Lesliewest....

But you left out a big one...

Audie L. Murphy.

This little baby faced young man (turned down by the Marines)
for looking to young, he joined the Army and went on
to become the Highest decorated soldier in US History.

Other notable figures who served include.

Lee Marvin. (USMC)

Steve MC Queen. (USMC)
Earned a Navy achievement medal for leaping over board to rescue
several crewmembers who fell overboard...

Bob Keeshan "Captain" Kangaroo (USMC)


Jim Nabors (USMC)

James Earl Jones (Us Army)

James Doohan ~ "Scotty" of Star Trek
(Canadian Infantry division)

His first tour of Duty...
Storming the Beaches of Normandy...

Ted Williams (USMC Aviator.) WWII and Korea

Oliver Stone. (USA)
volunteered for service in the US Army and specifically
requested combat duty... HOOWAH!

JRR Tolkien. (British army)

Volunteered for service in WWI in the British Army
and was commisioned as an officer in the Lancshire Fusiliers
he served with the 13th regiment (reserve) Battalion, and with
the 11th (Service) Batallion with the British Expeditionary Force.

Russel Johnson (US Army air corps)
Known most notably as "The Professor" on Gilligans Island
he Volunteered for service in the Army Air Force in WWII.
He flew 44 Combat missions a B-25 Mitchell Bomber.
Durning combat action over the Philippines in 1945
His bomber was heavily damaged and shot down.
He earned the Purple Heart, and the Air medal for his bravery.

And Last, but certainly not least....

Jimm Stewart. (US Air Force)

He was worried that his expertise as a Pilot and status
as a celebrity would keep him out of action.
And this did happen at first but he was eventualy asigned
to the 445th Bombardment Group at Sioux City AAB, Iowa.
Where he served as Operations officer for the 703rd Bombardment
Squadron and later as Commander.

He flew over 20 combat missions and earned such medals as
The Air Medal, The Distingused Flying Cross, French Croix de Guerre
and 7 Battle stars. He was noted as the first American Celebrity to put
his Massively successful career aside to serve his country in battle.

Here is the link where I found the information on these great
heroes.

10 true celebrity war heroes & Military men


/Salute

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Updated OP. Thanks, as always Bekki!

[Cam_Neely]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman





Hoby Baker (college Hockey)

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Hell yea!

[Teldurn]

Pat Tillman looks like someone you'd see in Doom or something. That's a chin worthy of a videogame

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

The Original Rock.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Jackie Robinson.

[Bekki]

Itt is always an honor to pay tribute to the
brave men and Women who serve.

Here are a few more...

Drew Carey (USMC)

Brian Keith

Walt Disney (US Army.)
he was not Dishonorably discharged as is th common rumor.
But was Mia for a short time when his ambulance was damaged.

Henry Fonda

Johnny Carson

Micky Rooney

Charles Durning

Rod Serling

Ernest Borgnine

Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Also if your interested...
Tune in to the Military Channel this week
as the have a special on this very subject entitled...

Celebrities in Uniform.

Also I have a Correction...

Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo)
was in the Marine Corps enlisted late during WWII
But he did not see action.

[LordMond63]

I'll add one:

Clark Gable.

After the death of his wife Carole Lombard in a plane crash (flying back from a War Bonds tour IIRC), Gable volunteered for the USAAF and flew 5 combat missions over Germany, including one in which his plane (a B-17) was hit by flak and attacked by fighters. He was decorated with the DFC and Air Medal.

For a list of others who served even though they didn't have to:

http://www.jodavidsmeyer.com/combat/...s_in_wwii.html

[LordMond63]

During one of Bob Hope's visits to Vietnam, he brought along football star Rosey Grier. Grier was an opponent of our involvement in Vietnam but he was more than willing to travel to the war zone to entertain the troops (and put his life at risk in the process).

Grier was quoted in both one of Hope's autobiographies and in at least one of Hope's biographies saying (paraphrasing here) that, while he opposed the involvement and the leaders who sent the troops to Vietnam, he had nothing but love and admiration for the troops themselves. That would seem to me to be a true example of "supporting the troops while opposing the war". As outstanding a football player as Rosey Grier was, I'd say that he was- and is- an even more outstanding human being.

[Hobgoblin]

thank you for this lesliewest

hob

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

thank you for this lesliewest

hob

/salute.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Pat Tillman (My friend J. Leary took this picture on the right, onsite, and on the ground, in Afghanistan just last year.)



Rocco Francis Marchegiano, known to the world as "Rocky" Marciano.



Jackie Robinson



Drew Carey (USMC) (I promise you, this is him!!)



Brian Keith



Walt Disney (US Army.)



Henry Fonda



Don Knotts



Johnny Carson



Micky Rooney



Charles Durning



Rod Serling



Ernest Borgnine



Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (As Gunga Din)



Clark Gable

[JollySwagMan]

Have to spread some more rep around first, nice one Leslie

[Bekki]

Have to spread some more rep around first, nice one Leslie

I don't...

+1 Lesliewest.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Thank you for the kind words.

More to come....

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Shout out to the US Navy! All these folks served the Navy proudly.

Stanley Kirk Burrell (M.C. Hammer)



MLB Hall-of-Famer Yogi Berra saw action during the D-Day invasion during his service in the U.S. Navy.




Yogi, on right, posing with his father (non uniform).

Roger Staubach



David Robinson

[toughguyjoe]

**** I thought this was a trade thread at first. I have plenty of Honor and was looking to Pick up some more Fame.

Good read though.

[LeslieWest_GuitarGod]

Today some big ups to some famous US Marines

Roberto Clemente





Roberto, with baseball legends "Say Hey" Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.

Brian Gerard James - WWE Wrestler "Road Dogg" Jesse James, World Tag Team Champions as "The New Age Outlaws" with Bad A$$ Billy Gunn (The blonde dude).



R. Lee Ermey (starred in Full Metal Jacket)



Phil and Don Everly (The Everly Brothers)



Bill Gallo (One of the all-time-great cartoonists. A true pioneer in the news industry.)





That's New York Daily News' Bill Gallo on the left, prodding for hidden mines on Iwo Jima Beach on March 1, 1945, as part of a Marine demolition crew.