Three-time Academy Award-nominated actor Kirk Douglas served with the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1944 on a submarine chaser during World War II.

Douglas played military men in numerous films, with varying nuance, including Top Secret Affair (1957), Town Without Pity (1961), The Hook (1963), Seven Days in May (1964), Heroes of Telemark (1965), In Harm's Way (1965), Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), Is Paris Burning (1966), The Final Countdown (1980), and Saturn 3 (1980).

Feb 6, 2020 · Anyone who has spent a day in the service knows, of course, that Douglas wasn’t sent to Europe to bomb Hitler’s Germany as an Army pilot — he failed the dexterity test — but instead he was ...

Feb 6, 2020 · Kirk Douglas’ Military Career: Douglas joined the United States Navy in 1941, shortly after the United States entered World War II, where he served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare aboard USS PC-1139.

May 22, 2023 · While he wanted to serve in Europe, Douglas failed the necessary dexterity test, and thus found himself enlisting in the US Navy. After taking the midshipmen course at Notre Dame, he was commissioned as an ensign and assigned to the USS PC-1139, a PC-461 -class submarine chaser.

Douglas enlisted in the United States Navy in 1941, shortly after the United States entered World War II, where he served as a gunnery and communications officer in anti-submarine warfare on board PC-1139. He was medically discharged for war injuries in 1944. He was deemed too old for the Air Force, but accepted into the Navy.

Jul 21, 2024 · Kirk Douglas enlisted in the United States Navy in 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a communications officer, he helped hunt down enemy submarines by relaying critical messages during anti-submarine warfare.

In February 2020, actor Kirk Douglas, who portrayed several memorable military characters in his decades-long film career, passed away at the age of 103. On film, Douglas played a Navy captain twice: once in In Harm’s Way (set in World War II) and again in The Final Countdown (set during the Cold War and on the eve of World War II).

Nov 27, 2024 · Douglas enlisted in the United States Navy on November 6, 1939, and was assigned to the USS Nevada, a battleship that was part of the Pacific Fleet. During his time in the Navy, Douglas served as a pharmacist’s mate, responsible for dispensing medication and medical supplies to the crew.

Feb 10, 2020 · Kirk Douglas's Naval Reserve service record from his Official Military Personnel File. (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, National Archives at St. Louis; National Archives Identifier 299693)