Mel Brooks
He’s best known for movies like “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein,” but Mel Brooks was also a minesweeper in WWII. The seventeen-year-old Jewish boy went out to clear landmines that were placed in front of the allied forces as they marched across Europe. Additionally, to counter German propaganda, the young comedian, on his own initiative, set up loudspeakers to play various Jewish artists back at them. This mockery continued to show itself during his long film career.
Roy Benavidez
During the height of the Vietnam War, a small team was deployed into the jungle to scout the enemy when it was attacked by Viet Cong forces. Benavidez wasn’t on that team.
He also wasn’t on the team sent to rescue them, until he heard what was going on and ran to the helicopter preparing to take off, carrying only his knife and medical supplies. Roy managed to save several lives that day and survived himself, in spite of receiving seven gunshot wounds and being hit with twenty-eight pieces of shrapnel while he worked to rescue the men. He would later receive the Medal of Honor for his efforts.
Alvin York
Sergeant York would later become famous due to the 1941 film about his life, but his actual accomplishments deserve fame on their own. In spite of originally being a conscientious objector when he was drafted into WWI, York managed to single-handedly eliminate a machine gun nest, kill six charging German soldiers with his pistol, and then capture 132 prisoners, which he and his seven men marched back to their command post. York received the Medal of Honor, the French Croix de Guerre and Legion of Honour, the Italian Croce al Merito di Guerra, and numerous other medals for his exploits.