World War II Hollywood And The American Hero

It's interesting that three of the Twentieth Century's most visual symbols of American patriotism, military heroism, and the fight for individual freedom were Hollywood actors who came of age during World War II but never saw combat. Charlton Heston enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1941 and was stationed in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. He never saw combat. Ronald Reagan enlisted in the Army Enlisted Reserve in 1937. By the end of the war his unit had produced 400 Army training films. He never saw combat. John Wayne, the star of countless World War II movies, never served in the military.