Acclaimed Americans You Never Knew Were Veterans

Ernest Hemingway

Many people think of Veterans Day as a remembrance for those who fought and died for our country in the armed services. While this isn’t incorrect, the day has a slight somber connotation with it because of its direct connection with war. But there are many veterans who survive the horrors of battle and live celebrated and philanthropic lives, veterans who we have since looked to as our main sources of entertainment and amusement. 

Many of these acclaimed Americans’ time in the service has been overshadowed by their superstar status. For example, before becoming a television staple peddling Jell-O Pudding Pops and headlining a show with his name in the title, Bill Cosby served in the navy for four years. He spent his time rehabbing Korean War victims before being honorably discharged in 1960. 

Media magnate and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner was an infantry clerk in the U.S. Army from 1944-1946.

Before discovering his flare for entertainment in the wrestling ring and serving as governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura was a part of the UDT, the unit that would merge to help form Navy SEALS, for six years.

Before garnering acclaim as a Pulitzer Prize winning author, Ernest Hemingway served as a volunteer ambulance driver on the Italian front in WWI. The injury he suffered inspired his masterful novel A Farewell to Arms.

Thirty Presidents of the United States have served in the military, whether in state militias or the reserve corps. Though, six of them did not engage in combat. 

It is with a happy heart that we should celebrate, not mourn, our veterans. Veterans Day is a time where we are able to reflect on the people who protect our freedoms everyday. Without these famous individuals, and those who don’t share the limelight and fly under the radar, we would be unable to call ourselves “The land of the free, home of the brave.”