#26: Mel Brooks

Rank: Corporal and Combat Engineer, United States Army

Duration: 2 Years

Mel Brooks, renowned for his uproarious comedic genius, forged his path to fame with iconic films like Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. However, before his Hollywood acclaim, Brooks bravely served in the United States Army during the mid-1940s.

Stationed as an infantryman, he confronted the horrors of war head-on, navigating the perilous task of diffusing landmines while comrades pressed forward into Nazi territory. Surviving the harrowing ordeal, Brooks emerged as a resilient figure, transitioning seamlessly into a Hollywood luminary, leaving an indelible mark both in front of and behind the camera.