The people on this list led inspired lives that made them well-known public figures. Many were involved in the film industry, becoming famous for their art in front of and behind the screen. However, their later careers in the spotlight weren’t the only things these icons had in common. As it turns out, they were also military veterans, who had served their time during WWII.
8. Mel Brooks
With widely-acclaimed work as a writer-director under his belt, Mel Brooks hardly needs an introduction. His uproarious comedies like, “Young Frankenstein,” “Blazing Saddles,” and “Spaceballs” made his name virtually appear in flashing lights wherever you saw it.
But along with his genius in the film industry, he was also rather adept at defusing German mines.
Brooks first enlisted in the army when he was just 17. Serving in the 1104th Engineer Combat Battalion, he was part of an elite unit that took on sniper fire and constant shelling to help build bridges, reopen blocked roads and deactivate landmines before the advancing Allied forces had to deal with them.
This fact just makes his work in 1968’s “The Producers,” including the famous song “springtime for Hitler,” all the more relevant.