CelebVet

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Dick Van Dyke “I'm looking for work if anybody has,” joked the now 100-year-old comedian and entertainer Dick Van Dyke. Best known for his iconic roles in films like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and the classic television series The Dick Van Dyke Show, the beloved actor has officially joined the centenarian club. Van Dyke celebrated his 100th birthday on December 13, a milestone marked not by a lavish Hollywood gala, but in true Van Dyke fashion: with a low-key day at home watching Jeopardy! reruns with his wife, Arlene Silver.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Tony Bennett Tony Bennett, the timeless crooner and Army veteran, passed away on July 21 just a few weeks shy of his 97th birthday. His illustrious career won him 20 Grammy Awards and a recent resurgence in popularity through his musical collaboration with pop sensation Lady Gaga. He broke the Guiness World Record for oldest person to release an album of new material at age 95. Like many of his generation, Bennett served in the military during World War II.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Zach Bryan A Navy Vet made former President Obama’s list of favorite music of 2022, next to names like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Tony Bennett Tony Bennett, the timeless crooner whose career won him 20 Grammy Awards, will celebrate his 96th birthday next month. He’s currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity through his musical collaboration with Lady Gaga. And like many of his generation, Bennett served in the military during World War II.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Rob Riggle “The only way I was going to make full colonel is if I became Colonel Sanders. Which I did,” joked Rob Riggle. The comedian known for roles in television and film staples like SNL, The Daily Show, and The Hangover served 23 years in the Marine Corps as a Civil Affairs Officer and Public Affairs Officer. Lieutenant Colonel Riggle was awarded more than 21 medals and ribbons in his nine years of active duty and 14 years in the reserves, retiring from the military in 2013.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Jeff Bridges Beyond a 5 decade-long acting career, Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges has more to celebrate. He recently revealed his cancer is in remission, and he survived a debilitating case of COVID-19. The 71-year old actor, musician, and producer served in the Coast Guard Reserves before his illustrious work on screen.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet : Bill Withers, Singer & Songwriter Songs like “Lean on Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and “Just the Two of Us” are staples of the 1970s that still ring relevant today. Singer/songwriter Bill Withers gave us these catchy classics, but many people don’t know that he served in the Navy for nine years. 

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Michael Conner Humphreys Twenty years ago a young boy with a thick southern accent nabbed a role in an Oscar-winning film. But instead of growing into a career in Hollywood, Michael Conner Humphreys, the young “Forrest Gump,” chose the military. The actor enlisted in the Army in 2005 mirroring the life of his classic character.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Don Rickles Don Rickles, WWII Navy Vet and the “King of insult comedy”, passed away from kidney failure last Thursday at the age of 90. His death symbolizes the end of a golden era of entertainment - he brushed elbows with the likes of Frank Sinatra and was an honorary member of The Rat Pack, slinging insults on their character freely and often, despite their celebrity.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Morgan Freeman For those who think 50 years old is too old to hit it big in Hollywood, think again. Morgan Freeman, an Air Force Veteran, logged many of those years on the Broadway stage, and behind the cameras of the small and big screens, before finally breaking out with his first Academy Award nomination.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Norman Lear, TV and Film Producer & Author Norman Lear served as an Army Air Force gunner, flying 52 combat missions in the Mediterranean theater, and was awarded the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Harvey Keitel, Actor Still active on the big and small screens, the Marine Corps’ very own Harvey Keitel is now 50 years into the acting profession. True to the Corps motto of Semper Fidelis, he carries with him a dedication to his fellow jarheads that has never wavered.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Ronald Lee Ermey, Actor and Marine Many of us know Ronald Lee Ermey as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the action classic Full Metal Jacket, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor. However, far fewer know that Ermey was first a United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant before his acting career.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Tucker Smallwood, Actor You might recognize actor Tucker Smallwood from his appearances in some of America’s best-loved, award-winning television series – including Seinfeld, The X-Files, Friends, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise – his roles in more than 30 films, or his compelling performances on and off Broadway in more than 40 theatrical productions. But this former U.S. Army infantryman is now taking on an even grander stage, advocating for fellow veterans and sharing his experiences from the Vietnam War.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Jamey Johnson, Country Singer and Songwriter Maybe one of the most unexpected holiday gifts last year was the Christmas-themed EP, The Christmas Song, a touching compilation by the Grammy-nominated country singer and songwriter, Jamey Johnson – a former Marine and Veterans Advantage’s latest CelebVet.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Drew Carey, Marine Before Comedian Drew Carey is a very funny man. With a successful career rifling for laughs, it might be hard to believe The Price is Right host and comedian is a Marine.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Ellis Marsalis, Jazz Great & U.S. Marine After completing his Marine Corps duty, Ellis Marsalis returned to New Orleans, the town where he was born, and the place known for its iconic music: Jazz. He married Dolores Ferdinand, a New Orleans native, raised his six sons there, and the jazz capital of the U.S. continues as his hometown to this day.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: John Doman, Actor On the eve of his last episode of "The Wire" appearing on HBO this month, Philadelphia native and Veterans Advantage member John Doman looks back on his Marine Corps years as setting the stage for his current onscreen and onstage success.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Robert Kiyosaki, Best-selling Author Author of Rich Dad Poor Dad - the world-renown book that held a top spot on the New York Times bestsellers list for over six years, Kiyosaki is an investor, entrepreneur, educator and proud Marine whose perspectives on money have found a huge following nationwide.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Oliver Stone, Film Director Oliver Stone's films often question the role of politicians, military brass and big business. But as the former Purple Heart/Bronze star soldier enters this year’s hot summer movie season, he may find himself best known for a World Trade Center movie blockbuster that touches the hearts of all Americans.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Charles Osgood, Broadcaster Charles Osgood has been called "one of the last great broadcast writers" by the late Charles Kuralt. But few people know that he enjoyed early success as the official announcer of the U.S. Army Band (1956-1959). He later brought his classic storytelling style to illustrate experiences of World War II GIs.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Nelson DeMille, Best-Selling Novelist When he got out of the Army in 1969, DeMille returned to the States and went back to Hofstra University, earning his bachelor’s degree in political science and history. He married and had two children, divorced, and remarried.

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Craig Morgan, Singer & Songwriter Country music singer/songwriter Craig Morgan, who will perform on his first USO tour for service members at "Operation Enduring Freedom" forward operating bases, is a former Army paratrooper who sa

WeSalute Awards CelebVet: Kris Kristofferson, Entertainer Kris Kristofferson was born on June 22, 1936 in Brownsville, Texas. The son of an Air Force major general, he spent his youth in flux, moving around the country wherever his father was assigned.