In honor of Veteran's Day, we're taking a look back at some of the most famous people who have served in the military.
Some stars, such as Chuck Norris or Elvis Presley, have well documented their time in the armed forces — while others, like Drew Carey, may come as more of a surprise.
Check out 19 icons who served in the armed forces, including a baseball great, two famous reclusive novelists, and one "Golden Girl."
This report was also written by Jennifer Michalski.
Comedian Drew Carey started performing stand-up comedy during his six years in the Marines.
In 1981, Drew Carey entered the United States Marine Corps Reserve, a stint that lasted six years.
It was during his service that he first started performing stand-up comedy.
"While in the Marine Reserves, I was looking for a way to make some more money, and it was suggested that I try using my jokes,"he later said.
Carey, who teamed up with the United Services Organization, has since visited military bases in Iraq to perform comedy for troops stationed there.
Thomas Pynchon served in the Navy.
Considering his monumental importance to American letters and literature in general, little is actually known about Pynchon, who refuses to be photographed and doesn't grant interviews.
One of the only confirmed photos of the author of such celebrated postmodern doorstops as Gravity's Rainbow and Mason & Dixon is from his two-year stint in the US Navy, which came in the middle of his four years at Cornell University in the late 1950s.
Pynchon's time in the Navy is evident in many of his major works: V. follows the misadventures of a recently-discharged Navy sailor in early-60s New York. Gravity's Rainbow, which takes place in World War II's European theater and revolves around Nazi Germany's V-2 missile program, is particularly rife with military-related themes and characters.
Hugh Hefner got his start in publishing while in the US Army.
Before Playboy existed, Hefner had a successful career in the military.
In 1944, after graduating high school, Hefner enlisted in the Army as an infantry clerk.
He frequently contributed cartoons for various military newspapers before he was discharged in 1946.
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