Alan Alda -- US Army

Andy Rooney -- US Army

Art Carney -- US Army

Audie Murphy -- US Army

(Most decorated serviceman in WWII)

Julia Child -- Strategic Services

Bea Arthur -- US Marine Corps

Bill Cosby -- US Navy

Bob Keeshan -- (Captain Kangaroo)

US Marines

Brian Keith -- US Marine

Burgess Meredith - US Army Air Corps

Burt Lancaster -- US Army

Carl Reiner -- US Army

Caroll O`Connor -- Merchant Marines

Charles Bronson -- US Army

Charles Durning - US Army, three Purple Hearts, and the Silver Star

Charlton Heston -- US Army

Chuck Norris -- US Air Force

Clark Gable -- US Air Force

Clint Eastwood -- US Army

Clint Walker -- Merchant Marines

Clu Gulager -- US Marine

David Eigenberg -- US Marine

Don Adams -- US Marine

Don Knotts – US Army

Don Rickles -- US Navy

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. -- US Navy

Drew Carey -- US Marines

Eddie Albert -- US Navy Bronze Star

Eli Wallach -- US Army

Ernest Borgnine -- US Navy

Frank Gorshin - US Army

Gene Autry -- Air Transport Command

Gene Hackman -- US Marine

Audrey Hepburn -- resistance fighter

George C Scott -- US Marine

George Jones -- US Marine

George Kennedy -- US Army

George Peppard -- US Marine

Glen Ford -- US Marine

Glenn Miller -- US Army

Harvey Keitel -- US Marine

Henry Fonda -- US Navy, Bronze Star

Humphrey Bogart - US Navy

Jack Lemmon -- US Navy Reserve

Jack Palance -- US Army

(severely wounded)

Jack Warden -- 101 Airborne

Jackie Coogan -- US Army

James Arness -- US Army, Purple Heart

James Franciscus -- US Marine

Jason Robards Jr -- US Navy

Jimmy Stewart -- US Army

John Russell -- US Marine

Johnny Carson -- US Navy

Josh Gracin -- US Marine

Kirk Douglas -- US Navy

Lee Marvin -- US Marine Purple Heart

Mel Brooks -- combat engineer

Mickey Rooney -- US Army

Mike Connors -- US Marine

Mike Farrell -- US Marine

Montel Williams -- US Navy

Ossie Davis -- US Army

Richard Boone -- US Navy

Robert Montgomery -- US Navy Reserve

Buddy Rich -- U S Marine

Robert Ryan -- US Marine

Robert Stack -- US Navy

Robert Wagner -- US Marine

Rod Serling -- US Army

Rod Stieger -- US Navy

Ronald Reagan -- US Army

Scott Glenn -- US Marine

Shecky Greene - US Navy

Shaggy -- US Marine

Sterling Hayden USMC

Steve McQueen -- US Marine

Tony Bennett -- US Army

Tony Curtis -- US Navy

Tyrone Power -- US Marine

Vic Damone -- US Army

Werner Kemperer -- US Army

William Holden - US Army

Flying United

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat.  It was going to be a long flight. Perhaps I will get a short nap, I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation:.  'Where are you headed?'  I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

Great Lakes Air Base. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Iraq.

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached Chicago,  and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to Chicago. His friend agreed. I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. 

I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him.' 

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning  a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.'This is your thanks.' 

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it.  Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars. Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain's hand.  With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot.  Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.'

I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers. Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.' Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little.

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America for an amount of up to and including my life. That is Honor, and there are still too many people in our  country who no longer understand that.

Home

HOME

SSgt Barry Sadler,

Green Beret

Linda Scott

Army

Everly Brothers

Marines

Jimmy Clanton

Army

Buddy Knox, Army

Jay Traynor (Jay & Americans, Tokens ) U S Marines

Burch Ray, Army

Josh Gracin -- US Marine

Lloyd Price       Freddie Cannon Tony Bennett   Henry Mancini Marty Robbins Del Shannon   Bobby Vinton  Steve Lawrence, Army                 Army                  Army                Army               Navy                Army              Army              Eddie Fisher Army

Drew Carey

Marines

Joe Butler

Lovin' Spoonful

Air Force

Clyde McPhatter

Army

Montel Williams

Navy

Jimmie Rodgers

US Air Force

Walter Cronkite

Army

Gary Lewis 

The Playboys

- Army

Fanfare for the Common Man

Aaron Copeland, Boston Pops

Have you ever been at the airport and observed Soldiers returning home from far-off battlefields?

I've been approaching Soldiers in airports and thanking them for serving for us, but I have noticed that it felt a little bit  awkward for both of us.  But they have always appreciated being thanked, and I have always felt better having expressed my gratitude.

Scott Truitt started to think that it would be nice if civilians had a gesture or sign that they could use to say "thank you" quickly and easily without even having to approach them. It's a silent hand signal called The Gratitude Exchange. If you appreciate their service, give them a sign. Say "thank you from the bottom of my heart."  Visit The Gratitute Exchange, learn the hand motion and watch a short film.

And my hero,

my little brother

Jim Rucker USMC

Gary Troxel Fleetwoods

- Navy 

Angelo D'Aleo,

Belmonts

- Navy

Willie Nelson, Army

Bill Cosby

Navy

Nick Santo

The Capris

- Army

More to come: Our Gratitude to Dee, Jack and

Gary for their contributions.

Send suggestions and tips by Email, to:  theClayColeShow@yahoo.com

Private Cecil Gant, Army

(“The G.I. Sing-sation,”) reached #1 R&B over a 28-week run in 1944-45 with

I Wonder” (Gilt-Edge). Ironically his song was covered by another Army Private Lloyd Thompson

on (Savoy).

Earl Palmer, Army did more than any other musician to

define rock ’n’ roll drumming with Fats Domino, Lloyd Price,

Little Richard, and hundreds more. Earl died Sept' 08 

Jimi Hendrix

Army

101st Airborne

Division

Drake Levin,

Paul Revere &

the Raiders  Army    

Tommy Roe

Army 

Elvis Presley

Army

The Del-Vikings were all in the

U S Air Force and met in 1955 at the NCO Service Club in Pittsburgh. Original members were Clarence Quick, Kripp Johnson, Don Jackson, Samuel Patterson, and Bernard Robertson. 

("Come Go With Me")

The Essex - U S Marines, formed in 1962. Walter Vickers, Rodney Taylor were stationed in Japan.  At Camp LeJeune, they enlisted Rudolph Johnson Billy Hill & Anita Humes.  All were in USMC when they recorded "Easier Said Than Done"

Herb Alpert   Army

Lou ChristieArmy

.

ROCK STARS IN UNIFORM

Don Ho entered the US Air Force, flying fighter jets. As the Korean War wound down, he piloted transport planes between Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu and Tokyo. Returning to civilian life as an entertainer, during his shows,

Larry Palumbo "Earls" - U S Army

Died in Parachute accident

Jimmy Boyd Army

Scott Muni  Murray the K Soupy Sales

Marines   Army           Navy

he always bought every veteran a drink and toasted them.  -- Submitted by Jack Pecinich, NJ

Scroll Down to Bottom      for Photo Honor Roll

Sid Bernstein

Army

You should tune-in to HOOAH!!!! Radio,

the ONLY veteran owned, FREE internet-based radio station, saluting our troops, veterans and their families.

HOOAH!!!! Radio brings another way for families and soldiers to connect with one another, another way for us to salute our men and women of the US Military and Allied Forces being active duty or a veteran, and to act as a source of entertainment, directed towards their interests and personalities. For them, by them and their families.  www.Hooah.com

Jack Scott

Army

Les Cauchi,

Brooklyn Bridge

- Army