Ernest Hemingway
Not only was Ernest Hemingway one of the greatest novelists of all time, but his combat stories would transport you back to the darkest of times on the frontlines. He wrote about being shot at and inhaling nothing but the foul stench of death and newly spilled blood in cramped trenched.
His experiences in Italy during WWI served as inspiration for many of his written works, where he worked as a Red Cross ambulance driver. Only a week into active action, he was injured by Austrian mortar fire. For his valor during WWII, he received the Bronze Star. Henry Louis Gates argues that the great Hemingway’s unique literary style was inspired by his combat experiences.