While celebrities like Betty White, Morgan Freeman, Tom Selleck As more people made their names in the entertainment industry, they also felt a higher calling to serve their country.
Although Freeman had a passion for theater, he decided to turn down a theater scholarship to Jackson State University in order to pursue his Air Force dream.
“This is the boy who joined the Air Force a long time ago.” His love of flying was sparked by watching movies at his local theater every week,” the Shawshank Redemption actor wrote on Facebook alongside his in November 2019 official military photo. “I salute all of our military members for their selfless sacrifice and dedication to our peace and freedom.”
For his part, Selleck was already on his way to becoming a real star when he received a draft notice for the Vietnam War.
“I was a sergeant in the US Army Infantry, National Guard and Vietnam era. In that sense, we’re all brothers and sisters,” Selleck recalled in a 2022 interview with Military.com.
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Keep scrolling to see Freeman, Selleck and more stars – including Adam Driver And Drew Carey — Who are military veterans:
1 out of 10
Betty White
When the United States entered World War II in 1941, White volunteered for American Women’s Voluntary Services. While on duty, she would gather supplies and drive them to barracks in the Hollywood Hills, while also attending dances for retreating troops in the evenings.
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2 out of 10
Bob Barker
The former host of The Price Is Right served in the United States Navy Reserve in 1943 during World War II. He originally signed up for fighter pilot training, but did not enter active duty.
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3 out of 10
BeaArthur
Like her future “Golden Girls” co-star White, Arthur volunteered at the start of World War II. The All in the Family graduate was one of the first to enlist in the United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in 1943. After completing her basic training, she became a shorthand typist at Marines Headquarters in Washington, DC before transferring to North Carolina to work as an auxiliary truck driver. Upon completing her service in 1945, Arthur rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant.
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4 out of 10
Drew Carey
After dropping out of college in 1980, the comedian decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1980. Carey served as a field radio operator in the 25th Marine Regiment in Ohio for six years.
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5 out of 10
Adam Driver
Shortly after September 11, at the age of 18, Driver enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Two years into his service, the Star Wars actor fractured his sternum after a mountain bike accident. Driver and his squad were due to be deployed to Iraq at the time, but due to his worsening injury, the Girls alum was medically discharged and given the rank of private after his departure. In 2015, Driver spoke about the injury that cut short his military career.
“It was pretty devastating. It took me a long time to get over it,” he admitted during an interview with Terry Gross on the radio show Fresh Air. “It’s really about the people, that small, intimate group of people that you’re lucky enough to be with, to work. And it’s about her. Then it was quite embarrassing and awful not to go because you hurt yourself.”
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6 out of 10
Tom Selleck
Selleck enlisted in the California National Guard upon receiving a call-up to serve in the Vietnam War. He then served in the 160th Infantry Regiment from 1967 to 1973. His photo was later used for California National Guard recruiting posters.
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7 out of 10
Morgan Freeman
Freeman began his Air Force career repairing automatic tracking radars used to measure the position of aircraft and missiles. Freemen served from 1955 to 1959 and left the airline service with the rank of Airman First Class.
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8 out of 10
Rob Riggle
Before becoming a comedian, Riggle hoped to become a naval aviator in the Marines. He enlisted in 1990 after receiving his pilot’s license. When he attended school to become a military pilot, Riggle decided to pursue his dreams of comedy instead. He chose to become a ground officer, which had a shorter contract. He served on active duty for nine years before moving to the reserve.
After the September 11 attacks, Riggle was called upon to help at Ground Zero. Shortly thereafter, he volunteered to return to active duty and was deployed to Afghanistan. In 2007, Riggle also served as a military correspondent for The Daily Show and traveled to Iraq to entertain troops in USO jurisdictions. He officially retired from the Marines Reserves in 2013 after 23 years of service
During his time in the Marines, Riggle achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel and received a number of awards including the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal and more.
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9 out of 10
Prince Harry
Prince Harry served in the British Army for a decade. He served as a pilot and rose to captain during two tours of Afghanistan. In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry recounted his time in the military and said he was involved in six missions that killed 25 Taliban members. After retiring from the Army, Harry continued to work with veterans and founded his nonprofit organization Invictus Games, a sporting event for injured veterans.
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10 out of 10
Prince William
Like his brother, the Prince of Wales served in the British military and completed seven and a half years of full-time service. However, William chose to train in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, becoming a second lieutenant and flight officer respectively. Due to his line of succession in the monarchy, he chose not to serve at the front.
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