#42: J.D. Salinger

Rank: Staff Sergeant, United States Army

Duration: 5 Years

J.D. Salinger, celebrated for his literary masterpiece “The Catcher in the Rye,” led a storied military career during World War II. Serving as an infantry soldier, he landed on Utah Beach during the Normandy invasion, endured the harrowing Battle of the Bulge, and bore witness to the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp.

Remarkably, amidst the chaos of war, Salinger continued to develop his seminal novel “The Catcher in the Rye,” which would later resonate deeply with generations for its exploration of post-war disillusionment and alienation.