Did Sam Elliott Serve in the Military? Everything We Know
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Fans are loving Rob Gronkowski and Sam Elliott’s new USAA commercial, but one line has many curiously running to Google.
In the 45-second segment, former NFL star Gronk is a casting director while Sam plays himself as the commercial’s talent. After saying his first line—"USAA: For the military community and their families"—Gronk calls "cut" and tells Sam he needs to be “Gronkier.” While the definition of such a word is up for debate, that’s not what fans are searching the web for—they’re curious to know if Sam really is a veteran.
“As a veteran, I’m already in,” Sam told Gronk at the close of the commercial, depicting his eligibility for USAA.
So, is it true?
Did Sam Elliott Serve in the Military?
Sam served in the California Air National Guards 146th Airlift Wing. While he was enlisted in the reserve branch, he was never actually deployed. And it’s something that he’s had to come to terms with over the years.
“I always felt guilty about it, and then I got an opportunity to do a movie called We Were Soldiers,” he revealed in an interview with Bang Showbiz. “I played a guy who served in four different military conflicts… and then I got an opportunity to go see the [Vietnam Memorial] on the fourth of July… I’ve always felt guilty about the fact that I didn’t go. I got into the National Guard, and I was one of the lucky ones.”
So there you have it. The A Star Is Born actor was in the military but never actively deployed to fight for the country.
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