James Garner
James Garner, whose real name was James Scott Bumgarner, was a prolific actor and award-winning Hollywood Star who also served in the Merchant Marines in the Korean War. He dropped out of high school during the tail end of World War II and lied about his age to join the Merchant Marines in supplying aid to Europe. After the war ended, he returned to finish high school before dropping out a second time to join the Oklahoma National Guard. As luck would have it, he was drafted to serve in the Korean War where he was awarded two purple hearts. He eventually left the army and moved back to California where he found his love of acting.
Harry Dean Stanton
Harry Dean Stanton is an American singer and musician who also dabbled in acting. He dropped out of college to study acting, but then World War II broke out and he immediately signed up for the United States Navy. During the war, he served in the battle of Okinawa (made famous by the desperate Japanese attempts with suicide bombers), where he was aboard a landing ship as a galley cook. He left the movie after the war to pursue journalism then switched to radio before finding a home on the stage.
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel, the famous US actor who is very well known for his role as the Wolf in “Pulp Fiction,” also served in the Marine Corps. He join the Marines when he was only 17 and was still afraid of the dark. He went on to serve in Lebanon during operation Blue Bat which was a military intervention by the United States during the period of conflict. (The US wanted to support the pro-Western Lebanese government that was in power the time.) He left the military after this for a series for jobs before making it big on stage. He has since gone on to have many more roles in film and television.