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Harry Belafonte (1927-2023) -

Singer, actor, and social activist Harry Belafonte dropped out of high school to join the Navy. He contributed to the war effort from 1944 to 1945. At the time, the military services were segregated.

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Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) -

German-American singer and actress Marlene Dietrich was known for her humanitarian efforts during WII. She housed German and French exiles, provided financial support, and even advocated for their American citizenship.

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Stan Lee (1922-2018) -

The Marvel co-creator served in WWII. He joined the US Army, where he had the important duty of repairing communication towers. He was later sent to the Training Film Division, where his writing talents were employed to help write and create training videos to help soldiers.

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Henry Fonda (1905-1982) -

Fonda enlisted in the US Navy to fight, saying, "I don't want to be in a fake war in a studio." He served for three years, initially as a Quartermaster third Class on the destroyer USS Satterlee. Fonda was later commissioned as Lieutenant Junior Grade in Air Combat Intelligence in the Central Pacific.

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Josephine Baker (1906-1975) -

American-born Josephine Baker was a French citizen who was active in the French Resistance. Besides entertaining troops, she also sheltered refugees and delivered secret messages, including military intelligence. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre for her dangerous spy work.

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Ian Fleming (1908-1964) -

The mastermind behind James Bond spent the war devising and overseeing operations in naval intelligence. Commander Ian Fleming created a team, known as 30 Assault Unit, which succeeded in capturing an Enigma machine.

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Kirk Douglas (1916-2020) -

Born as Issur Danielovitch, and using the moniker Izzy Demsky, Kirk Douglas officially changed his name just before joining the US Navy in 1941. He served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare, but received a medical discharge due to war injuries in 1944.

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David Niven (1910-1983) -

Though living in Hollywood when the war broke out, David Niven traveled back to Britain to rejoin the army, which he had served in during the '30s. He took part in the Invasion of Normandy, and even advanced to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

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Johnny Carson (1925-2005) -

Late-night television host Johnny Carson served in the US Navy. He was assigned to the battleship USS Pennsylvania, which survived Pearl Harbor. There, his duties were to decode encrypted enemy radio traffic.

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Alec Guinness (1914-2000) -

English actor Alec Guinness joined the Royal Navy in 1939 and commanded a landing craft in the 1943 invasion of Italy. He later supplied arms to Yugoslavian Partisan fighters.

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Christopher Lee (1922-2015) -

The English actor had a prolific career as a movie villain, notably as Dracula, a role he played 10 times. However, in WWII, he served as a Royal Air Force intelligence officer in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Italy. In the months after the war ended, he helped track down and interrogate Nazi war criminals.

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Walter Matthau (1920-2000) -

During WWII, actor and comedian Walter Matthau served in the US Army Air Forces with the Eighth Air Force in England. He was a B-24 Liberator radioman-gunner, in the same 453rd Bombardment Group as James Stewart.

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James Stewart (1908-1997) -

James Stewart became the first major American movie star to enlist in the US Air Force to fight in WWII. In 1941, he first participated in recruitment drives, including radio appearances and propaganda films. He later flew and commanded many bombing missions over Nazi-occupied Europe.

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Roald Dahl (1916-1990) -

The famous author of children's literature (pictured here in uniform with Ernest Hemingway) served in the Royal Air Force. He was qualified to see combat over Greece in 1941, but was sent home following injuries from a plane crash. Dahl was later posted to the US to work as a spy delivering information to Winston Churchill.

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Jason Robards (1922-2000) -

After graduating from high school in 1940, actor Jason Robards joined the US Navy, serving as a radioman 3rd class aboard the USS Northampton in 1941, which was sunk by Japanese torpedoes while he was aboard. Robards later served aboard the USS Nashville during the invasion of Mindoro, in the Philippines.

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Joe Louis (1914-1981) -

The world heavyweight boxing champ became a vital publicity asset by joining a segregated cavalry unit. He boxed in charity matches to raise funds, and was used in recruitment campaigns.

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Paul Newman (1925-2008) -

After completing high school, Paul Newman joined the US Navy in 1943. He served as a radio operator and turret gunner on aircraft carriers involved in the Pacific War. Newman also trained replacement combat pilots and air crewmen.

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Marcel Marceau (1923-2007) -

The famous French mime artist was named Marcel Mangel and came from a Jewish family, who had to live in hiding in occupied France. Taking the name Marceau, he joined the Resistance and helped smuggle Jewish children into Switzerland. He saved at least 70 children.

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Yogi Berra (1925-2015) -

Baseball star Yogi Berra signed with the New York Yankees in 1943, but put his baseball career on hold to join the Navy. He was a gunner's mate assigned to the attack transport USS Bayfield.

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J.D. Salinger (1919-2010) -

The American writer was drafted into the US Army in 1942. He would carry pages of what became his iconic novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' (1951) into combat. Able to speak French and German, Salinger was assigned to counter-intelligence, and took part in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp.

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Charles Bronson (1921-2003) -

Charles Bronson was an American actor who was known for his roles in action, Western, and war movies. Before becoming an actor, Bronson served in the US Air Force as an aerial gunner in the Pacific War. He was given a Purple Heart after he was shot in combat.

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Lenny Bruce (1925-1966) -

Before he became a countercultural icon with his bold comedy, Lenny Bruce joined the US Navy at the age of 16. He spent the next years working as a shell passer aboard the USS Brooklyn, a fire support vessel in North Africa and in Italy during the Allied invasions of Sicily and Anzio.

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James Doohan (1920-2005) -

The 'Star Trek' actor didn't only serve in WWII, he almost died there. Prior to his acting career, Doohan served in the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the third Canadian Infantry Division. He also served as a pilot and saw combat in Europe, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, in which he was wounded.

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Medgar Evers (1925-1963) -

Prior to his assassination in 1963, famed civil rights activist Medgar Evers was enlisted in the US Army in 1943. He served with distinction in Europe as part of the 325th Port Company, a segregated unit of black soldiers.

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Tony Bennett (1926-2023) -

Tony Bennett was deployed to Europe with the 63rd Infantry Division, replacing casualties lost in the Battle of the Bulge. The crooner also witnessed the horror of the Holocaust when he helped liberate the Kaufering concentration camp.

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Clark Gable (1901-1960) -

The "King of Hollywood" enlisted in the US Army Air Forces after his wife, actress Carole Lombard, died in a plane crash when returning from a tour promoting the sale of war bonds Though he enlisted at the age of 43, Gable was stationed in England and flew five combat missions as an observer-gunner.

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Mel Brooks -

Legendary comedian and actor Mel Brooks joined the US Army when he was 17 years old. He served as part of an engineer combat battalion, diffusing land mines ahead of troop advances.

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Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) -

Audrey Hepburn’s British father was a Nazi sympathizer who became estranged from her family before the war. Hepburn, on the other hand, spent the war in occupied Holland, during which her uncle was executed for sabotage against the Nazi occupation and her half brother was sent to a German labor camp. She helped the Dutch Resistance by giving secret dance performances in order to raise money, as well as delivering messages and packages.

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Bob Barker -

The former 'The Price Is Right' host was enlisted in the US Navy during WWII. He was a trained fighter pilot, but didn't serve on active duty.

See also: Fascinating photos of World War II

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