One for the Money, Two for the Show! A lyric made popular by none other than the king of rock and roll himself, Elvis Presley. But he wasn’t always for the money or the show; he dedicated precious time to serve his country in the military, too.
From 1958 to 1960, Elvis Presley served in the US Army, deciding to enlist at a time when his career was already starting to pick up. Since there was a lot of outrage as a result of his sexual performances and provocative lyrics, joining the army removed heat from the public’s sentiments towards him. Many religious leaders were appeased, and even though he was given an option to join in special services, he chose to enroll as a normal soldier.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s military experience may be no match to all the fight scenes we’d seen him endure in films like Terminator, but he did spend real service in the Austrian army before he became a popular weightlifter, actor, and eventual governor of California.
His enlistment however, was not by choice. The law of his home country mandates that, at the age of 18, all Austrian males should serve at least a year in the army. He was a conscript. During his time, he managed to bag the Mr. Europe Contest while actively serving in the army.
Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio is one of the best baseball players of all-time. But even if one is not a fan of the sport, men and women across generations would know him as the lucky stud who married the sexy blonde and famous actress, Marilyn Monroe.
This baseball legend served in the military during the Second World War, but despite him being drafted, he was never part of all the real action that held the world in shock. Instead, he was assigned as an athletics instructor in bases around America, thousands of miles away from the enemy.
Don Rickles
Have you heard of insult comedy? That’s when comedians create laughter at the expense of the participating audience. Most of the time it is associated with toilet humor (aka, one of the best ways to get a quick laugh). One person who has mastered this is Don Rickles, also known as “The Merchant of Venom.”
This droll comedian served in the navy from 1944 through to his honorable discharge in 1946 after the end of the Second World War. He sailed from Norfolk, Virginia to Papua New Guinea as a seaman first class aboard the USS Cyrene. He sailed where trouble loomed, including the Philippines, where he complained about the tropics being “so hot and humid, the crew rotted.”
Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda’s acting career spanned five decades. He made his debut in Hollywood in 1935, but he had sufficient experience as a Broadway actor. He appeared in popular films such as Tom Joad, and an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath.
During the Second World War, Henry Fonda enlisted in the US Navy as a seaman and got the first assignment in air combat intelligence. In his military career, he received a Bronze Star and a Presidential Citation. And before his discharge in 1945, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant.