Was James Earl Jones in the army? Military service career explored as the iconic actor dies aged 93

Veteran actor James Earl Jones passed away on the morning of Monday, September 9, at his home in Dutchess County, Pawling, New York, surrounded by his family. He was 93 at the time of his demise. The exact cause of his death remains undisclosed at the time of writing.

The news was shared by his agent Barry McPherson with the BBC. Later, his representatives at the Independent Artist Group also confirmed the same. Jones is survived by his only child, son Flynn Earl Jones, whom he shared with his late wife and actress Cecilia Hart.

Besides being an acclaimed TV, film, and Broadway actor, who was best known for voicing Mufasa in The Lion King and the Star Wars villain Darth Vader in the original 1977 film, followed by its sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, James Earl Jones was also an army veteran.

In the early 1950s, James Earl Jones joined the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant. He was later promoted to first lieutenant before his discharge a couple of years later, following which he pursued his lifelong dream of acting.

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All you need to know about James Earl Jones’ military career

In the summer of 1953, James Earl Jones got himself admitted to the University of Michigan as a pre-medical student but soon changed his major to theater. Not only that but he joined the school’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and was funded by them.

However, he soon gave up on becoming a doctor, put his drama career on hold, and he decided to join the military.

Soon, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and thought he would be stationed overseas to combat in the ongoing Korean War.

However, when the war ended in an armistice, the EGOT winner was sent to attend the Officers Basic Course in Fort Benning (present-day Fort Moore), Georgia while also going to the Ranger School.

Later, upon the completion of his training, James Earl Jones was assigned as the leader of the 38th Regimental Combat Team and served at a closed-site cold weather training command center at Camp Hale, Leadville, Colorado. He also served for the Headquarters Company while in the regiment.

“Our regiment was established as a training unit, to train in the bitter cold weather and the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains. I took to the physical challenge, so much so that I wanted to stay there, testing myself in that awesome environment, and mastering the skills of survival,” Jones told the Army in an interview.

He further continued by saying:

“I loved the austere beauty of the mountains and the exhilaration of the weather and the altitude. I didn't mind the rigors of the work or the pioneer-like existence. I thought it was a good life.”

During his military career, James Earl Jones was appointed as a member of the Pershing Rifles Drill Tam and the National Society of Scabbard and Blade. He was soon promoted to first lieutenant and considered his fellow servicemen as “the only semblance of a social life.”

In 1955, he left the Army and graduated from the Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance with a bachelor’s degree. Subsequently, he moved to New York City, where he pursued an acting degree from the American Theater Wing using his GI Bill, and eventually went on to become a successful and celebrated actor with a career spanning six decades.