The idea of joining the army can be enticing to the young, with their predilection for adventure and the promise of colorful experiences arousing their daring senses. But the reality of it all can be too much, as actor Sidney Poitier attested.
He was a bit of a rebel during his time, lying about his age so he could get into the service. He managed to sneak in and eventually became a medical attendant in a mental hospital. Once in, his next challenge was to find a way to get out. He faked insanity, but the threat of shock treatment was enough for him to renege on this claim. After weeks of consulting with a psychiatrist, he was eventually given a military discharge, sane and all!
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix knew he made the biggest mistake of his life when he got arrested for attempting to steal a car twice. In 1961, as punishment, Hendrix was given the option to choose between going to jail or joining the army, which really didn’t seem like much of a choice at all.
That was the curious start of his military career. He was stationed in Fort Campbell Kentucky with the 101st Airborne Division, where he was forced to work as hard as he could to complete his paratrooper training, and was then awarded a Screaming Eagles Patch. In 1962, Jimi Hendrix was discharged from the army after he injured his ankle during a jump.
Robin Quivers
The vicissitudes that surround our lives can be quite unpredictable. Who would have guessed, for instance, that the co-host of The Howard Stern Show, a fine lady at that, and in such a wacky program, used to actually serve the USAF as a captain?
Robin Quivers still remained a member of the US Air Force reserve until 1990. After taking her first job in radio as a newscaster in Pennsylvania, she decided to return to Baltimore, just in time to breeze in when The Howard Stern Show was scouring for someone with a straightforward personality to balance his zany character.
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy’s experiences, which ultimately led him to become the record executive responsible for the famous Motown label, were filled with many trials. He even tried living on his hands, literally, by being a professional boxer, but it didn’t sufficiently take off. He joined the military instead, to participate in the Korean War.
Little did he know that his stint with the US Army would someday provide the foundation of his music recording business. He first opened a record shop after the war, and with his money from his discharge pay, decided to make his own records, that eventually morphed into Motown. From thereon, the cash flowed smoothly, without a bump on the road.
Johnny Carson
The effect of the great wars back in the day roused in young men a strong sense of pride and courage, of being wronged, and the will to rightfully correct it. One of those who felt the need to reinstall justice and order in the world was Johnny Carson, who would become famous as The Tonight Show host.
He enlisted in the United States navy as an apprentice seaman, and was enrolled in the V-5 program. He had hopes of being trained as a navy pilot but was instead sent for midshipman training at Columbia University. From there he became a member of the crew on the USS Pennsylvania. As he was always one to entertain, he performed tricks for his classmates to keep spirits high.