Famous Athletes Who Served Their Country Proudly

 A 10-time All-Star and six-time champion with the New York Yankees, pitcher Whitey Ford served in the Army during the Korean War from 1951 to 1952. The legendary southpaw had his best year in the majors in 1961, when he won his one and only Cy Young Award and was named World Series MVP.

 Before winning three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s, defensive tackle Chad Hennings served in the United States Air Force during the Gulf War. Hennings was deployed twice in the war and flew a total of 45 missions before being promoted to captain prior to his discharge. 

Arnold Palmer will forever have a place as one of golf's all-time greats, though casual fans may not know that the King enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1950 as a yeoman and served three years during the Korean War period. 

 A 12-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner, Tom Seaver joined the United States Marine Corps in 1962 out of high school. After serving one year for the Marines posted in 29 Palms, California, Seaver went on to play baseball at the University of Southern California before embarking on his Hall of Fame career.

Chuck Bednarik was one of the last true two-way players, playing linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. An eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time First-Team All-Pro, Bednarik led the Eagles to a championship in 1960 and was inducted into Canton in 1967. He also was a gunner on 30 missions in World War II and earned the Air Medal, four Oak Leaf Clusters, the European Theater Operations Medal, four Battle Stars and the Good Conduct Medal.

After being drafted in 1968 out of Notre Dame, Steelers halfback Rocky Bleier was drafted into the Army and was sent to Vietnam after his rookie season. He earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star after being wounded in action, suffering gunshot and grenade injuries, and he eventually returned to the Steelers in 1974. After fighting for a roster spot, Bleier went on to win four Super Bowl rings.

As an NBA champion, basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Rhodes Scholar and former United States senator, Bill Bradley has lived quite a life. Lost, however, among all of Bradley’s incredible accomplishments is the fact that he was also a member of the United States Air Force Reserve from 1967 to 1978.

 The man who is second all time on the MLB hit list with a total of 4,191, Ty Cobb enlisted in the Chemical Corps branch of the United States military in October 1918. Cobb served 67 days overseas in the Army before receiving an honorable discharge and returning to the major leagues..

 Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente is beloved in the baseball world and with good reason. Although he seems to be remembered most for his tragic death on a humanitarian mission, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Clemente was a Private First Class in the Marine Corps for almost 10 years of his baseball career.

 An All-Star in 1950 for the New York Yankees, Jerry Coleman is in the Hall of Fame as a broadcaster for the Padres. He was a Marine pilot, joining in 1942, and flew 57 missions in a dive bomber. Of note, he was a bystander when Ted Williams crash-landed.

 Drafted in 1942, Robinson was famously court-martialed in 1944 for refusing to sit in the back of an Army bus, but was later acquitted. After an honorable discharge a few years later, Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, became a National League MVP and his No. 42 is now retired across all of Major League Baseball. 

 Aside from being professional baseball's ultimate iron man (he played 27 seasons for crying out loud), Ryan served one year with the Army Reserves in 1967 before returning to dominate pro baseball. He definitely learned how to fight in the Army, too. 

Eighteen-time All-Star, 13-time champion and one of the most endearing baseball players in history, New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra was a member of the U.S. Navy during World War II. In fact, Berra served as a gunner's mate on the USS Bayfield during the D-Day invasion. 

 New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio served in the U.S. Seventh Army Air Force from 1943-1945. The star that he was, DiMaggio was initially given preferential treatment — so much so, that at one point DiMaggio demanded to see live combat from his superiors. His request was denied. DiMaggio still holds the major league record for most consecutive games with a hit, at 56. 

 A cultural icon during his time, boxer Jack Dempsey was World Heavyweight Champion from 1919 to 1926. After being labeled by some as a “slacker” for not enlisting in WWI (although he had attempted to), Dempsey silenced any critics by enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1942 during World War II. Dempsey was honorably discharged in 1945. 

 The undefeated heavyweight champ, Marciano actually began his boxing career in the Army when he was drafted in 1943. He was shipped to France after D-Day and discharged in 1947 and went on to one of the most iconic boxing careers of all time. 

 Aptly nicknamed “The Admiral,” NBA Hall of Fame center David Robinson chose to attend the United States Naval Academy for his college years. Robinson ended up being the No. 1 pick of the 1987 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, but due to his commitment to the Navy, Robinson served two years for his country as a civil engineer before joining the Spurs in 1989. 

Most all of us know the story of Pat Tillman. After the attacks on 9/11, Tillman, a safety for the Arizona Cardinals playing on a multimillion-dollar contract, chose to give up football and enlist in the United States Army. He was killed in action serving in Afghanistan in 2004. Although much controversy has been raised over the past decade about the nature of his death, there is no one who questions Tillman and his love and devotion to his country.

 Former Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva nearly had his NFL dream ended after he was cut by the Eagles in the summer of 2014, but a preseason game against the interstate rival Steelers saw coach Mike Tomlin impressed by the 6-foot-9 defensive end. Villanueva, who served three tours in Afghanistan after attending West Point, was decorated for bravery, earning a Bronze Star for rescuing fellow soldiers while under enemy fire.

When baseball fans talk about the greatest players ever, it is often forgotten that Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams missed out on seven prime years of his career when he chose to serve in the United States Marine Corps during both World War II and the Korean War. “The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived” won his first AL MVP award and played in his only World Series upon his return to the majors in 1946.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Hall of Famer Roger Staubach played his college football at the United States Naval Academy. Staubach is easily the greatest football player in Navy history, as he nearly led the Midshipmen to a national championship in 1963 (finished second in the AP) and won the Heisman Trophy that same year.

One of the greatest pitchers of the live ball era, Warren Spahn chose to enlist in the United States Army in 1942 after playing one year in the minors. Spahn saw live combat at the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded a Purple Heart for his service. After leaving the military in 1946, Spahn would go on to win 363 games in his Hall of Fame career.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Bud Moore had just as many accomplishments in combat as he did as an owner on the racetrack. He was part of the D-Day invasion at Utah Beach and took part in five major battles in Europe. For his service he won two Bronze Stars and five Purple Hearts, helping capture a German headquarters.

 Legendary Giants outfielder Willie Mays' baseball résumé is simply amazing. Mays was a 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove winner and two-time MVP, and he hit 660 homers in his career. If those accolades weren’t amazing enough, Mays would have without question added to them had he not missed 266 games in 1952 after being drafted into the Army to serve in the Korean War.