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James Earl Jones

This well known actor (and voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars) was in the US Army from 1950-1953. By the end of summer 1953, Jones received his second lieutenant's commission, his official orders, and was off to Fort Benning to attend Basic Infantry Officers School. While there, Jones went through Ranger training. Jones graduated from Ranger training, and received his black and gold arc tab insignia. His first duty station was supposed to be at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, but his orders changed, and his unit was instead sent to Colorado where the Army planned to establish a cold weather training command at the old Camp Hale near Aspen, Colorado. His regiment was established as training unit, to train in the bitter cold weather and the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains.

After the military, Jones became a successful actor in television, film, and on stage. In his long and illustrious career, he's been nominated for numerous Emmy, Golden Globe, Tony and Academy Awards, with two Emmy wins, two Golden Globe wins, and an honorary Oscar to his credit. Along the way, he's inhabited roles in many famous films, including Darth Vader from the Star Wars series, Thulsa Doom from Conan the Barbarian, Lt. Lothar Zogg in Dr. Strangelove, King Zamunda in Coming to America, Mufasa in The Lion King, and even the "voice" of CNN. With no signs of slowing down, Jones continues to act to this day.

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Leslie Nielsen

This Canadian born funny man was in the RCAF during WW2, as an enlisted man he trained as an aerial gunner, however did not make it overseas before the war ended . 

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Sean Connery, known for many acting roles, but none more famous than James Bond. In 1946, at the age of 16, Connery enlisted in His Majesty’s Royal Navy. He received training at the naval gunnery school in Portsmouth and was assigned to an anti-aircraft artillery crew. His first and only ship assignment was the Illustrious-class aircraft carrier HMS Formidable. After three years of naval service, Connery was medically discharged due to a duodenal ulcer. He also starred in several WW2 movies including A Bridge too Far and The Longest Day. He passed away on October 31, 2020. 

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Günter Meisner (18 April 1926 – 5 December 1994) was a German film and television character actor. He is remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of Adolf Hitler. He was fluent in four languages and appeared in many English-language, German-language and French-language films. Born in Bremen, Meisner briefly worked at a steel foundry before training as a radio operator with the Luftwaffe's Fallschirmjäger. After the war, though he was interested in a career in sculpture and painting, in 1948 he switched to drama and studied under Gustaf Gründgens at Düsseldorf's State Conservatory. 

Meisner often played stock character Nazi officers and other sinister characters. He portrayed Hitler in the 1982 Franco-German action comedy, L'as des as (Ace of Aces), and in the ABC television miniseries, The Winds of War (mini series). He also appeared in the CBS mini series, Blood and Honor and Southern Television's, Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years. Other films Meisner took part in were Is Paris Burning?, The Quiller Memorandum, Funeral in Berlin, and The Boys from Brazil. He was Mr. Slugworth/Mr. Wilkinson in the 1971 film version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He also appeared in several television commercials. Meisner died on 5 December 1994 at the age of 68 of heart failure, during the filming of an episode of the television series Tatort. He is buried in Berlin's Friedhof Heerstraße Cemetery.

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Charlton Heston, a well known and veteran actor also served during WW2. 

In 1942, the Japanese had invaded Kiska and Attu, part of the Alaskan Aleutian Island chain. Heston was assigned to the 77th Bombardment Squadron, part of the 11th Air Force which was stationed in the Aleutian chain. He served as a radio operator and gunner on B-25 medium bombers. For 2 years Heston flew missions over the Kuril islands of northern Japan. The weather in which he flew was extreme with limited radar and low visibility, and radiomen played a vital role in getting planes on the landing strips safely. In late 1944, rumors were going through Heston's unit about the upcoming invasion of the Japanese mainland. Not long after this, a transport plane was coming in for landing when it hit a cross wind and crashed. Heston as well as others rushed to the scene to help, while running towards the downed plane, he slipped on the ice and fell down, and was run over by a military ambulance. He was taken to the field hospital along with the crew of the crashed plane. Fortunately his injuries were not severe and he was sent to recuperate at Elmendorf Field in Anchorage Alaska. As his recovery progressed he was assigned to the base control tower and he felt that he was well enough to get back in the fight. However in early August 1945, events changed as the two atomic bombs were used to force Japan to surrender. Heston, along with many others felt that by using the bombs, it saved countless American lives and he later said that if he had gone on the invasion, he doubted he would be alive today. After the surrender, Staff Sergeant Helston was transferred to Great Falls Montana where he was formally discharged.  

Later in his career as a leading actor and Hollywood star, he was again asked to serve his country, this time as a narrator on training films for the Department of Energy regarding nuclear weapons. This work required Heston to hold the highest clearance at that time, which was called "Q" Clearance. On April 5, 2008, he passed away due to complications with pneumonia. He was in nearly 100 movies and is perhaps best known for his work in Ben Hur, The 10 Commandments, Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green and The Omega man. 

 

 

 

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