As a member of the Farmer Veteran Coalition and a proud veteran-owned business, Z&M is obsessed with all things military. Stop by our winery in Leavenworth or our Lawrence vineyard and it’s unmistakable, from the military memorabilia lining the walls to the custom-made labels celebrating the various units in which our co-founder, MAJ (Ret.) Bryan Zesiger served.
That’s why we got interested in this homage to other Americans who have raised their right hands and sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. So without further ado, here’s our ultimate list of famous veterans!
Elvis Presley
When Elvis joined the Army in 1958, it was big news. Literally. The media showed up to watch his haircut where he shed his trademark pompadour for the standard GI buzzcut.
The King attended basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, after which he was assigned to the US Army’s Second Armored Division, “Hell on Wheels.”
Afterward, he was shipped off to Friedberg, Germany, bringing his dad and grandma out to live off-post.
Elvis didn’t stay in the barracks, instead shuttling back and forth between Ray Barracks, Friedberg and the nearby town of Bad Nauheim. To this day, Bad Nauheim boasts an Elvis Presley Square. For its part, Friedberg dedicated an Elvis Presley Platz in 1998.
Friedberg is also where he met the future Priscilla Presley–whose last name at the time was Beaulieu–in a Bad Nauheim club. The daughter of a US Air Force officer, Priscilla had recently moved to Wiesbaden, Germany from Texas. She was 14 when they met, and Elvis was 24.
Clint Eastwood
“I was drafted during the Korean War,” Eastwood remembers. “None of us wanted to go… It was only a couple of years after World War II had ended. We said, ‘Wait a second? Didn’t we just get through with that?'”
This reminiscence may strike some as rather strange, since Eastwood’s Korean War service consisted of serving as a swimming instructor at Fort Ord.
Morgan Freeman
National treasure Morgan Freeman is a celebrity veteran, having served in the Air Force for three years. He wanted to fly until he actually got into a cockpit, when he realized he was more interested in the idea of being a flyboy than actually being a pilot.
Freeman had turned down a drama scholarship to do his stint in the military, who went on to act for nearly two decades before attaining national recognition and stardom.
Chuck Norris
Before his name became shorthand for “badass” and an early aughts meme, Chuck Norris was an Airman, serving at Osan Air Base in South Korea as an Air Policeman. It was another Airman who gave him the nickname Chuck.
He also learned martial arts while stationed in South Korea. After rejoining civilian life, Norris applied to be a police officer and was waitlisted. That was when he decided to open his own martial arts studio, which led to the creation of a chain, which culminated in his entering and dominating martial arts competitions.
The rest is history.
Larry David
Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David did a hitch in the Army Reserves after college near the end of the Vietnam War.
Becoming a Reservist was a gambit to avoid being sent to Vietnam. Not a natural athlete, basic training was a challenge for David. He also hated waking up early and being yelled at (who doesn’t?).
He got himself discharged by putting on a performance that got him declared mentally unfit by an Army psychologist.
Bea Arthur
Not all famous veterans are men. Let’s remember the famous women veterans, as well.
Golden Girls icon Bea Arthur served in the military, enlisting for the Marines before the age of 21 instead of starting work as planned.
She served as a typist and truck driver during her time in the USMC.
Harriet Tubman
While she never served in uniform, Harriet Tubman served as a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War.
Tubman built a spy ring that provided valuable intelligence to the North during a dangerous time. One notable achievement was assisting Union Colonel James Montgomery in South Carolina, freeing nearly 1,000 enslaved people from plantations along South Carolina’s Combahee River.
Ice-T
Former Infantryman Ice-T served as a squad leader at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He originally enlisted after the birth of his daughter, seeking to escape the difficulties of life in what is now known as South Los Angeles.
It was during his time at Schofield Barracks that he bought turntables, speakers, and a mixer, eventually becoming the rap legend he is today.
Johnny Cash
Before he was the Man in Black, Johnny Cash was an Airman, having volunteered for the Korean War. He was stationed in what was the time West Germany, at Landsberg am Lech, working as a Morse code interceptor.
While it was a lonely time for Cash, it was where he saw the documentary “Inside Folsom Prison,” which of course would later prove to be the inspiration for one of his greatest hits, “Folsom Prison Blues.”
Z&M Honors Vets
The military enjoys a high degree of respect from Americans, which is definitely appropriate. However, because of the small number of Americans who serve in the military, most of their fellow citizens are unaware of the talent, creativity, and drive that lives among members of our Armed Forces.
This list of famous veterans is just a small glimpse of the kind of unique and gifted people that serve in the military. The kind of unique, creative people that go from being Apache helicopter pilots to starting wineries where they make jalapeno and coffee wines.
At Z&M, we show our commitment to the veteran and military communities in many ways. From the artwork on our bottles, to the produce we buy from other Farmer Veterans. Another, tangible way we support our military community–right up the road from our winery at Fort Leavenworth–is our pledge to hire military spouses.