Five Celebrities that served during World War II

1. Gene Rayburn: The man who would be best known for hosting the 1960’s and 70’s incarnations the Mark Goodson produced “Match Game” actually served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. After the war he would begin his career in media starting out as a radio personality on the legendary WNEW-AM in New York City. Born Eugene Jelyevich, he would later change his last name to Rubessa. Eventually he would go with the sir name of Rayburn by the luck of picking out a random name out of the telephone book.

2. Mel Brooks: Maybe it was about Brooks not just being Jewish, but actually fighting the Nazis and their leader Adolf Hitler to actually get away with making up a fictional musical about a “Springtime for Hitler.” First in the movie version of “The Producers,” later a stage musical based on that movie,” and then another movie based on former two. Before he could make a killing (money wise) with the above three more/less; Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky) served as a corporal in the 1104 Engineer Combat Battalion, 78th Infantry Division in the U.S. Army during the second World War. His task was to defuse land mines that he and his division would come across.

3. Tony Bennett: Anthony Dominick Benedetto would be drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944, and would serve in the 63rd Infantry Division. That division would be responsible for the liberation of the Landsbergconcentration camp. He saw the horrors of war first hand and it convinced Benedetto to become a lifelongpacifist, as much as the Herbert Hoover era made Benedetto a lifelong Democrat. That military service however would foster a love of preforming in front of people, even though he was into music (and painting) before his service to our country. He would attend theAmerican Theatre Wing on the GI Bill, and was taught the bel canto discipline. It would eventually help him win his first contract with Columbia Records and prove to the company that he was different from Frank Sinatra who was bound for Capitol Records. He also needed an American sounding name and Bennett would serve him well.

4. Mickey Rooney: He served for almost two years in the U.S. Army under the command of the highly respected George Patton himself. He would earn a Bronze Star. His acting career would go into decline, but he kept his head up and stayedafloat. He even tried his hand at Broadway…and was successful. While his star power stayed steady, his love life was another. His longest marriage however would be to Jan Chamberlin and while they separated, they were never officially divorced either. He would live to be 93 years of age. Passing away in the year 2014.

5. Yogi Berra: In-between his time in the Minor League and Major Leagues, Yogi Berra would serve in the U.S. Navy as agunners mate. He would also be part of the famous D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944. He would be fired upon by the enemy, but by the Grace of God he is not hit. He would live to do a lot of hitting in the game of Baseball for 18 seasons and for the New York Yankees ballclub. He would play a single season for the crosstown Mets and would coach and manger both teams(as well as coach the Houston Astros) for the rest of his baseball career.
Honorable Mentions:

6. Glenn Miller: He wanted to serve in World War II but at the age of 38, he was too old to be drafted. He was accepted into the Army and would be in charge of a “modernized Army band.” He would be the leader of the Army Air Forces band from 1942 up to his disappearance and likely death in 1944 over the English Channel.

7. Bob Keeshan: He enlisted in United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1945, and likely would have gone to war had Japan not surrendered. Eventually he would play the silent Clarabell the Clown on “Howdy Doody,” but would achieve greater fame as the title character on the long running children’s TV series Captain Kangaroo.