CelebVet
Military & Veterans Life
CelebVet: Dick Van Dyke
“I'm looking for work if anybody has," joked 98-year old comedian and entertainer Dick Van Dyke recently. Best known for his iconic roles in television shows and films like “Mary Poppins,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” the actor also served in World War II like most of his generation.
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CelebVet: Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett, the timeless crooner and Army veteran, passed away on July 21 just a few weeks shy of his 97th birthday. His illustrious career won him 20 Grammy Awards and a recent resurgence in popularity through his musical collaboration with pop sensation Lady Gaga. He broke the Guiness World Record for oldest person to release an album of new material at age 95. Like many of his generation, Bennett served in the military during World War II.
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CelebVet: Zach Bryan
A Navy Vet made former President Obama’s list of favorite music of 2022, next to names like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar.
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CelebVet: Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett, the timeless crooner whose career won him 20 Grammy Awards, will celebrate his 96th birthday next month. He’s currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity through his musical collaboration with Lady Gaga. And like many of his generation, Bennett served in the military during World War II.
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CelebVet: Rob Riggle
“The only way I was going to make full colonel is if I became Colonel Sanders. Which I did,” joked Rob Riggle. The comedian known for roles in television and film staples like SNL, The Daily Show, and The Hangover served 23 years in the Marine Corps as a Civil Affairs Officer and Public Affairs Officer. Lieutenant Colonel Riggle was awarded more than 21 medals and ribbons in his nine years of active duty and 14 years in the reserves, retiring from the military in 2013.
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CelebVet: Jeff Bridges
Beyond a 5 decade-long acting career, Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges has more to celebrate. He recently revealed his cancer is in remission, and he survived a debilitating case of COVID-19. The 71-year old actor, musician, and producer served in the Coast Guard Reserves before his illustrious work on screen.
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CelebVet : Bill Withers, Singer & Songwriter
Songs like “Lean on Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and “Just the Two of Us” are staples of the 1970s that still ring relevant today. Singer/songwriter Bill Withers gave us these catchy classics, but many people don’t know that he served in the Navy for nine years.
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CelebVet: Michael Conner Humphreys
Twenty years ago a young boy with a thick southern accent nabbed a role in an Oscar-winning film. But instead of growing into a career in Hollywood, Michael Conner Humphreys, the young “Forrest Gump,” chose the military. The actor enlisted in the Army in 2005 mirroring the life of his classic character.
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CelebVet: Don Rickles
Don Rickles, WWII Navy Vet and the “King of insult comedy”, passed away from kidney failure last Thursday at the age of 90. His death symbolizes the end of a golden era of entertainment - he brushed elbows with the likes of Frank Sinatra and was an honorary member of The Rat Pack, slinging insults on their character freely and often, despite their celebrity.
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CelebVet: Morgan Freeman
For those who think 50 years old is too old to hit it big in Hollywood, think again. Morgan Freeman, an Air Force Veteran, logged many of those years on the Broadway stage, and behind the cameras of the small and big screens, before finally breaking out with his first Academy Award nomination.
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CelebVet: Norman Lear, TV and Film Producer & Author
Norman Lear served as an Army Air Force gunner, flying 52 combat missions in the Mediterranean theater, and was awarded the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters.
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CelebVet: Harvey Keitel, Actor
Still active on the big and small screens, the Marine Corps’ very own Harvey Keitel is now 50 years into the acting profession. True to the Corps motto of Semper Fidelis, he carries with him a dedication to his fellow jarheads that has never wavered.
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CelebVet: Ronald Lee Ermey, Actor and Marine
Many of us know Ronald Lee Ermey as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the action classic Full Metal Jacket, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor. However, far fewer know that Ermey was first a United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant before his acting career.
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CelebVet: Deshauna Barber, Miss USA
This month marks the 241st birthday of the U.S. Army, but it will also be the first year that one of its own reigns as Miss USA. This past Sunday evening, Deshauna Barber, a U.S. Army Reservist, was named to the title, also making her the first military service member to win the crown.
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CelebVet: Tucker Smallwood, Actor
You might recognize actor Tucker Smallwood from his appearances in some of America’s best-loved, award-winning television series – including Seinfeld, The X-Files, Friends, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise – his roles in more than 30 films, or his compelling performances on and off Broadway in more than 40 theatrical productions. But this former U.S. Army infantryman is now taking on an even grander stage, advocating for fellow veterans and sharing his experiences from the Vietnam War.
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CelebVet: Jamey Johnson, Country Singer and Songwriter
Maybe one of the most unexpected holiday gifts last year was the Christmas-themed EP, The Christmas Song, a touching compilation by the Grammy-nominated country singer and songwriter, Jamey Johnson – a former Marine and Veterans Advantage’s latest CelebVet.
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CelebVet: Drew Carey, Marine Before Comedian
Drew Carey is a very funny man. With a successful career rifling for laughs, it might be hard to believe The Price is Right host and comedian is a Marine.
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CelebVet: Ellis Marsalis, Jazz Great & U.S. Marine
After completing his Marine Corps duty, Ellis Marsalis returned to New Orleans, the town where he was born, and the place known for its iconic music: Jazz. He married Dolores Ferdinand, a New Orleans native, raised his six sons there, and the jazz capital of the U.S. continues as his hometown to this day.
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CelebVet: John Doman, Actor
On the eve of his last episode of "The Wire" appearing on HBO this month, Philadelphia native and Veterans Advantage member John Doman looks back on his Marine Corps years as setting the stage for his current onscreen and onstage success.
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CelebVet: Robert Kiyosaki, Best-selling Author
Author of Rich Dad Poor Dad - the world-renown book that held a top spot on the New York Times bestsellers list for over six years, Kiyosaki is an investor, entrepreneur, educator and proud Marine whose perspectives on money have found a huge following nationwide.
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CelebVet: Oliver Stone, Film Director
Oliver Stone's films often question the role of politicians, military brass and big business. But as the former Purple Heart/Bronze star soldier enters this year’s hot summer movie season, he may find himself best known for a World Trade Center movie blockbuster that touches the hearts of all Americans.
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CelebVet: Charles Osgood, Broadcaster
Charles Osgood has been called "one of the last great broadcast writers" by the late Charles Kuralt. But few people know that he enjoyed early success as the official announcer of the U.S. Army Band (1956-1959). He later brought his classic storytelling style to illustrate experiences of World War II GIs.
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CelebVet: Nelson DeMille, Best-Selling Novelist
When he got out of the Army in 1969, DeMille returned to the States and went back to Hofstra University, earning his bachelor’s degree in political science and history. He married and had two children, divorced, and remarried.
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CelebVet: Craig Morgan, Singer & Songwriter
Country music singer/songwriter Craig Morgan, who will perform on his first USO tour for service members at "Operation Enduring Freedom" forward operating bases, is a former Army paratrooper who sa