Authors who served in the military but didn’t write much about it
Mario Puzo, author of “The Godfather,” was brought up in a poor family in New York. He served in Germany in World War II and later went to college on the GI Bill. (Evan Kafka / Associated Press)
Edward Gorey, author of “The Gashlycrumb Tinies” and other delightfully macabre works, was drafted into the Army at age 18. He spent World War II working as a clerk at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. (Susan Ragan / Associated Press)
Known for his mystery novels, Elmore Leonard served with the Seabees in the Navy during World War II. (Dermot Cleary / Associated Press)
Bestselling novelist and political critic Gore Vidal skipped college and enlisted in the Army, serving on a supply ship in the Aleutian Islands. (Franco Origlia / Getty Images)