One of Hollywood’s elite comedians, Buster Keaton was well known for his silent films. His famous trademark at the time was physical comedy. He was nicknamed “The Great StoneFace,” because of his consistent deadpan expression through all his films, regardless of their themes.
In 1917, actively participating in vaudeville, Buster Keaton was drafted into the 40th Infantry Division. Not to be deterred from his practice while he was serving his time, he still managed to perform a bunch of vaudeville acts like the “Snake Dance,” where he charms a rope of sausages before a large crowd of fellow servicemen.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix knew he made the biggest mistake of his life when he got arrested for attempting to steal a car twice. In 1961, as punishment, Hendrix was given the option to choose between going to jail or joining the army, which really didn’t seem like much of a choice at all.
That was the curious start of his military career. He was stationed in Fort Campbell Kentucky with the 101st Airborne Division, where he was forced to work as hard as he could to complete his paratrooper training, and was then awarded a Screaming Eagles Patch. In 1962, Jimi Hendrix was discharged from the army after he injured his ankle during a jump.
George Carlin
It must have been hard to level with George Carlin. He was, after all, a genius whose increasingly black comedy reflected on politics, psychology, the English language, religion, and various taboo subjects. Before he became so famously jaded, a then unknown Carlin was undertaking service with the USAF.
Carlin received a total of three court martials during his service as a radar technician in Barksdale, which resulted in his general discharge. He was also working as a disc jockey while in the force, and this jump-started his career in the entertainment industry after he proved too much for the military.
Gene Kelly
If you are looking for Hollywood’s “whole package”, then Gene Kelly is your guy. Actor, director, writer, and funny man, he was best known for The Dick Van Dyke Show; a program he wrote, produced, and acted in as well.
Kelly was drafted into the US Army air force in 1942, where he unintentionally rose to a position of corporal. The Dick Van Dyke Show was only one of his many accomplishments at the time, but what a legend he has become in the entertainment business.
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien was an English poet and writer, best known for his fantastical works, “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Tolkien is a war veteran and served with the British Expeditionary Force during World War I as Second Lieutenant in the 11th Battalion. He saw many bloody battles, including the Battle of Somme. Ultimately his poor health would end his war days. Tolkien was sent home after he contracted a chronic fever from lice that infested him.