Athletes are often considered heroes for what they do on the field. However, it is what some athletes have done off the field that truly makes them heroes. Many of the athletes who served in the military on this list voluntarily left their sport to go serve and defend their country. Some left in the prime of their careers, while others turned down big money to do battle on a completely different field.
Many of the athletes who were soldiers on this list were also drafted into the military and were forced into service. But what may surprise you is that these athletes did not take the easy road out while serving their time. Ted Williams, who is arguably one of the best baseball players of all time, was a fighter pilot. Jackie Robinson was breaking down color barriers in the Army before doing so in professional baseball, and Yogi Berra was involved in the D-Day invasion.
One of the most famous stories involving an athlete in the military is Pat Tillman. Tillman famously turned down $3.6 million to defend his country and fight the war on terror. Read more about him and other athletes, all with different stories and backgrounds, who have served in the military.
http://www.ranker.com/list/athletes-who-served-in-the-military/zachary-benau,
Bob Feller
Bob Feller spent six full seasons in the Major Leagues, from1936-1941, and had a family draft exemption, but when he heard on the radio that the Japanese had just bombed Pearl harbor, he knew what he had to do. Feller was originally assigned to be a physical training instructor, but wanted to go into combat. He eventually was assigned as a gun-captain and served that role until he returned to the Major Leagues in 1945 to continue his Hall of Fame career.
David Robinson
David Robinson did not receive much attention from major colleges after high school, so he decided to follow in his dad's footsteps and join the Naval Academy. Robinson developed into one of the best basketball players in the country earning him the nickname "The Admiral."
The Spurs drafted Robinson with the first pick in the 1987 NBA Draft even though Robinson had to fulfill a two-year commitment to the Navy. Robinson fulfilled his commitment and returned to win Rookie of the Year for the Spurs in 1989.
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the major leagues in 1947, but before baseball, Robinson was part of a segregated Army unit in 1942. In 1944, Robinson was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus. He was eventually acquitted and received honorable discharge.
Joe Louis
Joe Louis became heavywight champion of the world in 1937 and held the title for 12 years, but what he did for his country might even be more impressive. Louis joined the Army in 1942 and boxed all around the world to help lift the spirit and morale of his fellow military members. In addition to boosting the moral of the military, he would encourage African-Americans to enlist and made sure they would be given the same arrangements as everyone else in the Army. Lewis was awarded the Legion of Merit for his service in 1945.
Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman was enjoying a successful pro football career with the Arizona Cardinals before he enlisted in the U.S. Army following 9/11. Tillman turned down a $3.6 million contract to fight the war on terror. In 2004, Tillman was tragically killed in Iraq in what turned out to be a friendly fire accident.
Rocky Bleier
Rocky Bleier was drafted into the Army to help with the Vietnam War after his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969. Bleier was seriously injured when his platoon was ambushed and a grenade sent shrapnel into his leg.
When Bleier returned from the war in 1971, he worked extremely hard to nurse himself back to health and back into the NFL. He ended up playing 10 more years of professional football and catching the game winning touchdown in Super Bowl XIII.
Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach graduated from the Naval Academy in 1965 and immediately started serving his four-year commitment to the Navy, before joining the Dallas Cowboys in 1969. Staubach served one year in Vietnam as a supply officer. Staubach considered staying in the military full-time, but found himself missing football.
Ted Williams
Ted Williams put up some of the most astonishing stats in baseball history and he did of all that while missing numerous years while serving in the military. Williams missed three season from 1943-1945 when he served in the Navy as a pilot and gunner. Williams once again returned to the military in 1952 where he saw combat in the Korean War.
Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn played in just four big league games before he was drafted into the Army in 1943. Spahn spent three years in Europe, where he was involved in some well-known battles and earned a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and a presidential citation for his service. He was discharged from the Army in 1946, when he returned to Major League Baseball he won 363 games, more than any other left-handed pitcher in history.
Yogi Berra
Before Yogi Berra started his famous baseball career with the New York Yankees, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1945. Berra was involved in the famous D-Day invasion on Normandy Beach during World War II. Berra was responsible for launching rockets at the German defenses on the beach.