American actor and television talk show host, Montel Williams, has a stellar resume, all starting with a previous career you wouldn’t expect from such a celebrity. Prior to all the lights and glamour of show business that he now dwells in, he actually spent a full 22 years serving his country as a lieutenant of the US Marine Corps. This was from 1974 to 1996, a world away from the spotlight.
He earned his degree in general engineering with a minor in international security while he was at Annapolis. He even studied Mandarin Chinese, perhaps as a foresight to the sleeping giant’s future rise in power.
Shaggy
90s kids, will remember Shaggy, a massive star at the time, for hits like “Bombastic,” “Angel,” and the often parodied, “It Wasn’t Me.” Shaggy started in music early, and quickly showed signs of talent. However, it wasn’t enough to keep him afloat, or to call it a stable career, so he joined the USMC in 1989.
He served as part of the 10th Marine Regiment right in time for the eruption of the Gulf War. He was deployed in Kuwait, where his experiences helped him sober up and clean up his act. In 1992, his debut album was released and it was a hit, gaining him a wave of success that carried through the early 2000s.
Michael Caine
British actor, Michael Caine, ironically got his first real taste of the preciousness of life when he was drafted as a British army soldier during the Korean War. It was in the arms of utter danger, having fought on the front lines, face to face with the enemy, that the meaning of being alive dawned on him; right as he was certain his own life was about to be snuffed out. He believes that every man should serve in the military for at least six months to ensure they get a taste of the profound lesson he learned.
Caine ended up contracting malaria and was medically discharged. He decided to head back home to London so that he could pursue his dream of acting... and the rest is history. His first big break came when he played a British army private in a war movie titled A Hill in Korea.
Johnny Carson
The effect of the great wars back in the day roused in young men a strong sense of pride and courage, of being wronged, and the will to rightfully correct it. One of those who felt the need to reinstall justice and order in the world was Johnny Carson, who would become famous as The Tonight Show host.
He enlisted in the United States navy as an apprentice seaman, and was enrolled in the V-5 program. He had hopes of being trained as a navy pilot but was instead sent for midshipman training at Columbia University. From there he became a member of the crew on the USS Pennsylvania. As he was always one to entertain, he performed tricks for his classmates to keep spirits high.
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway was not only one of the best novelists of all-time, his war stories would bring you back to the gravest of times, on the frontlines, shot at, surrounded by the stench of death and fresh blood.
In fact, most of his writing was influenced by his experiences during the WWI, where he served as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross, in Italy. There he was wounded by an Austrian mortar fire barely a week into active duty. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his bravery during WWII. Henry Louis Gates believes the great Hemingway shaped his unique literary style from what he experienced during wartime.