33. Bill Cosby
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Now disgraced comedy-legend, Bill Cosby served as a hospital corpsman in 1956 and recalls everything his time of service gave to him: “The years I spent in the Navy and so many moments remembering that the Navy gave me a wake-up call. The Navy showed me obedience and that’s the thing that pushed me to realize the mistakes I had made in my young life at 19-years-old and that I could do something with myself and become somebody.”
32. Adam Driver
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“Star Wars” and “Girls” star Adam Driver joined the Marines after 9/11. In an interview with “Entertainment Tonight”, he explained how serving his country helped push him into acting. “When you get out of the Marine Corps, you feel like you can do anything. That was part of why I went to re-audition for Juilliard. I thought, ‘Worse comes to worst, I know how to live. I’ll live in Central Park or something. I’ll survive.’ You feel like all civilian problems are meaningless and small, which is a complete illusion, but you have this confidence. You’ve been torn down so much — physically, emotionally, verbally — you feel like you’re indestructible … Joining the military was beneficial because I think I had the will but didn’t have the drive or didn’t know where to put it. And I learned in the military where to put it.”
31. Willie Nelson
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Nelson served nine months in the Air Force when he graduated high school. Because of back problems the singer/songwriter was honorably discharged after a rather short time in service.