100+ Celebrities Who Served in the Military

Everyone that joins the military has their own individual reasons for doing so—one common thread is a love of country and the desire to serve. Here are some celebrities that answered the call. Some are well known for their service and some may surprise you.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley
Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons

During a time when Elvis’ rock & roll was being viewed as something far to provocative and outrageous, he did something surprising and enlisted in the United States Army. Although he was offered a cushy spot, safe housing, and a job entertaining the troops, he decided to enlist as a soldier just like everyone else. This earned him the respect of his fellow soldiers and others who had previously viewed him as a “detriment to society.” A lot happened while he served in Germany: his mom passed away, he met his future wife, Priscilla, and unfortunately began what would ultimately become a life-long dependency on drugs.


Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio
Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons

Who hasn’t heard of Joe DiMaggio? He is one of the greatest baseball players of all time. The legend who married Marilyn Monroe also spent time in the Army during WW2. But he didn’t enter the battle ground at all, he spent his service time on bases around America where he was an athletics instructor.


Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Before he was a governor. Before he was an actor. Before he was a bodybuilder, world-class Arnold Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian Army during 1965. This was not by choice, but due to a requirement at the time that all Austrian males who reached 18 serve one year. During his time in the Army, he actually won the Junior Mr. Europe Contest. After the military, he went on to build an incredible resume as a bodybuilder and actor, before venturing into politics where he served as Governor of California from 2003 to 2011.