<div><p>In a time of crisis, Americans pull together and answer the call of duty, whether young or old, rich or poor, famous or not.</p><p>World War 2 was one of those climatic moments, and everyone did what they could to help, including some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities. Several movie stars put their careers on hold to enlist, and lots more celebrities served before they became famous.</p><p>What's so interesting about these stories is that if you have a relative who fought in the war, there's a chance their paths crossed with one of these huge stars!</p><p><strong>1. Bea Arthur</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--28-.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--28-_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--28-_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--28-_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--28-_GH_content_850px.jpg 850w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--28-_GH_content_950px.jpg 950w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--28-_GH_content_1050px.jpg 1050w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--28-_GH_content_1150px.jpg 1150w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--28-_GH_content_1250px.jpg 1250w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>Before she was a Golden Girl, this actress and comedienne was a Marine. She drove a truck and worked as a secretary in the corps, proving you should never judge a book by its cover!</p><p></p><p><strong>2. Johnny Carson</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/8c27f8215feac53366aeea4a8f69e93d.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/8c27f8215feac53366aeea4a8f69e93d_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/8c27f8215feac53366aeea4a8f69e93d_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>Which of these impressive facts about the King of Late Night is the coolest: the fact that he served in the Navy, or that he had a 10-0 boxing record during his service?</p><p></p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p></p><p><strong>3. Mel Brooks</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/mb.png" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/mb_GH_content_550px.png 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/mb_GH_content_650px.png 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>The funnyman who directed <em>Blazing Saddles </em>and <em>The Producers</em> has always had a sense of humor. As an army engineer, he would clear landmines, build bridges, and sing Al Jolson's "Toot, Toot, Tootsie" to the Germans using a bullhorn.</p><p></p><p><strong>4. Jimmy Stewart</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/jimmy_stewart_2.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/jimmy_stewart_2_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/jimmy_stewart_2_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>Stewart was already a big star when he signed up for the Army Air Corps (after bulking up to meet their weight limit). Throughout the war, he still paid his agent 10% of his army salary.</p><p><strong>Click on the next page for more stories about heroic celebrities!</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>As these stories prove, celebrities - just like the many brave men and women across America - dropped everything to serve their country.</p><p>While some left award-winning acting careers at the height of their fame to serve, others left college and their homes to fight before they became household names.</p><p>While many were humble about their service, they deserve to be recognized for what they did!</p><p></p><p><strong>5. Henry Fonda</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/h.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/h_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/h_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>Famous for saying he "didn't want to be in a fake war in a studio," Fonda also put his Oscar-winning movie career on hold to serve in the Navy.</p><p></p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p></p><p><strong>6. James Doohan</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/Monty.PNG" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/Monty_GH_content_550px.PNG 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/Monty_GH_content_650px.PNG 650w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p><em>Star Trek</em> fans may be surprised to learn that Scotty is really Canadian. In the war, Doohan stormed Normandy beach with the Canadian army. He was shot 6 times, only surviving because his silver cigarette case blocked a bullet from hitting his heart.</p><p></p><p><strong>7. Charlton Heston</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/charlton-heston1.jpg" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>Before his acting career began, Heston was a radio operator and an aerial gunner who flew combat missions in a B-25 bomber plane.</p><p></p><p><strong>8. Tony Bennett</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--29-.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--29-_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--29-_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--29-_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--29-_GH_content_850px.jpg 850w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--29-_GH_content_950px.jpg 950w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--29-_GH_content_1050px.jpg 1050w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--29-_GH_content_1150px.jpg 1150w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/pjimage--29-_GH_content_1250px.jpg 1250w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>The "Rags to Riches" singer started his musical career while fighting in France and Germany, singing for other soldiers in a military band.</p><p></p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p></p><p><strong>9. Bob Barker</strong></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/Bob-Barker.png" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/Bob-Barker_GH_content_550px.png 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>In college on basketball scholarship when the war broke out, Baker dropped out top join the Navy, serving as a fighter pilot.</p><p></p><p><strong>Share these celebrity heroes with someone you know!</strong></p></div>