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8 Celebrities You May Have Forgotten Were Veterans

There are a number of notable rockers and other celebrities that served in the military, but there are also a number of entertainers you may not remember also enlisted.

Bea Arthur posing for a photo; Mr. T posing for a photo.
George De Sota, Brad Barket/Getty Images

There are a number of notable rockers and other celebrities who served in the military. However, there are also a number of entertainers you may not remember also enlisted.

This Veterans Day, we take a look at some celebrities you may have forgotten were also veterans.

But First, Some Facts About Veterans Day!

Per the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Day is observed on November 11 to honor the end of World War I. While the Treaty of Versailles officially brought an end to WWI on June 28, 1919, fighting in "The Great War" ended seven months prior "on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month." Because of the end of the fighting, President Woodrow Wilson declared the occasion "Armistice Day" in November 1919.

It wasn't until 1968 that the United States officially made "Armistice Day" a legal holiday. At that time, the holiday was a way to honor WWI veterans. Following World War II and the Korean War, Congress changed the holiday's name to Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all American war veterans.

However, there was a brief period of time when Veterans Day didn't fall on November 11. In 1968, the Uniform Holiday Bill was signed into law. This law ensured four national holidays -- Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Columbus Day -- all fell on Mondays. The purpose of doing this was to encourage potential travel and other recreational activities due to a three-day weekend.

While the law was well-intentioned, the VA notes, "It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people."

Bob Ross

shutterstock_1508288462.jpgZoe Cappello/Shutterstock.com

Bea Arthur

GettyImages-83979348.jpgFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - DECEMBER 09: Actress Bea Arthur speaks during the 2008 Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel on December 9, 2008 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)


James Doohan

GettyImages-1825238.jpgRobert Mora/Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD - MARCH 2: Actor James Doohan attends the TV Land Awards 2003 at the Hollywood Palladium on March 2, 2003 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Robert Mora/Getty Images)


Leonard Nimoy

GettyImages-168754377.jpgFrazer Harrison/Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 14: Actor Leonard Nimoy arrives at the premiere of Paramount Pictures' 'Star Trek Into Darkness' at the Dolby Theatre on May 14, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)


Maynard James Keenan

GettyImages-81438355.jpgMichael Buckner/Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD - JUNE 04: Maynard James Keenan of Tool attends Billabong's Second Annual Design for Humanity benefitting The Surfrider Foundation at Avalon on June 4, 2008 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)


Jimi Hendrix

GettyImages-2636580-1.jpgEvening Standard/Getty Images

Rock guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix (1942 - 1970) caught mid guitar-break during his performance at the Isle of Wight Festival, August 1970. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)


Mel Brooks

GettyImages-634942958.jpgJohn Phillips/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 12: Mel Brooks attends the 70th EE British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) at Royal Albert Hall on February 12, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)


Mr. T

GettyImages-951611582.jpgLarry French/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 26: Mr. T attends the Team USA Awards at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts on April 26, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for USOC)

Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights