Being one of the last surviving stars of the film industry’s Golden Age, Izzy Demsky, better known as Kirk Douglas, is an American actor, producer, director, and author.
He gave himself the name Kirk Douglas in 1941, right before he joined the navy, and shortly after the US entered the Second World War. He served the military as a communications and gunnery officer in anti-submarine warfare. What he could have achieved thereon we will never know, as he was medically discharged after suffering injuries following the dropping of an accidental depth charge in 1944.
Pat Tillman
The moment Pat Tillman decided to turn his back on his professional football career, as player for the Arizona Cardinals, he instantly became a hero to many. He had selflessly turned a blind eye to the millions of dollars his contract awarded, to fight against terrorism.
It was a decision he made in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. He served his time in tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, but it was an unintentional bullet that did him in; his death a tragic result of friendly fire that was kept secret even at his funeral, so as not to soil his reputation as a war hero. He was awarded the Purple Heart and a Silver Star for his bravery.
John Glenn
One can only gaze into outer space and dream of what John Glenn has achieved throughout his life. He certainly was ahead of his time, a valiant risk taker, and for that his rewards were out of this world.
John Glenn was the first US astronaut to orbit the earth. He completed three orbits in total in 1962, after having started merely as a backup pilot for Alan Shepard and Virgil “Gus” Grissom. He joined the Project Mercury Astronaut Training in 1959 and served both in the Marines and NASA. He then pursued a political career and won a senatorial seat out of Ohio.
Mickey Rooney
We absolutely love Mickey Rooney for his cute and funny facial expressions on and off the screen. Being the last surviving actor of the silent film era, Rooney made a name for himself as a radio personality, comedian, producer, and vaudevillian. He appeared in more than 300 films, making his one epic career.
He was also one of the highest paid actors in showbiz during his time. In 1944, he was drafted by the army, assigned mostly to entertain the troops on stage and on radio during WWII. He earned himself a Bronze Star for his performances as well as a World War II Victory Medal, and a medal for good conduct in appreciation of his military service.
Oliver Stone
When American filmmaker Oliver Stone started working on the movie Platoon, all the ingredients necessary to make the war action drama a critical success had already been cooked up in his mind years ago, from a time when he himself had been shot at, his life at risk, all in the name of freedom and democracy.
In 1967, Stone joined the US Army. He didn’t want to be there simply as a witness to the atrocities of war. He wanted to participate in combat himself, made a special request for it, and was wounded in action twice during the Vietnam War. He was awarded a Bronze Star with a “V” device, and a Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster. Most of all, his experiences in battle elevated Platoon to cinematic heights.