A Veterans Day Salute to Classic Rock Legends Who Served in the Military

To all of the brave men and women who have served our great country, The Hawk salutes you.  In celebration of Veterans Day, here are the Top 5 Classic Rock Legends who served in the United States military.

1.  Jimi Hendrix – Before Jimi became the greatest guitar player of all time, he served as a paratrooper in the Army’s famous 101st Airborne.  According to his superiors, James Marshall Hendrix wasn’t particularly suited for military life.  One officer noted that he was more interested in “playing his guitar” than being a soldier.  Jimi received an honorable discharge in 1962 after injuring himself in a parachute jump.

2.  Jerry Garcia – Another counter culture icon who served in the military before inspiring the peace movement of the late 60′s was Grateful Dead leader Jerome John “Jerry” Garcia.  Like Hendrix, Jerry wasn’t cut out for the Army.  After going AWOL on several occasions, he received a dishonorable discharge.

3.  John Fogerty – Like his famous Creedence Clearwater Revival song suggests, Fogerty was not a “fortunate son”.  In fact, he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War.  He was able to avoid deployment by registering in the Army Reserve and later had a short stint in the United States Coast Guard.

4.  Axl Rose – The subject of Axl’s military career is shrouded in controversy.  According to some sources, Axl served in the Army and was stationed in Germany in the early 1980s.  Other sources have disputed that claim.  While Axl has never addressed the issue publicly, he is known to have a tattoo of the 32nd Armory Regiment Crest on his forearm.

5.  Ray Manzarek - Before he became an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War, the legendary Doors keyboardist volunteered to serve in the Army.  He enlisted in 1962 and spent a year stationed in Thailand. Manzarek wasn't suited for military life and enrolled in UCLA's film school after being granted a discharge.  In his autobiography "Light My Fire", Manzarek shared stories of his commanding officer, who once told him "Manzarek, some people are just not meant for military service. You are a rake and a reprobate. Not to mention sexually perverse. We don't need you in the U.S. Army."