It was well recognized that Martha Raye endured less comfort and more danger than any other Vietnam entertainer. The most unforgivable oversight is that her television shows were not taped.
Most of the old-time entertainers were made of a lot sterner stuff than today's crop of bland whiners. Somehow I just can't see Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton, or Jessica Simpson doing what this woman (and the other USO women, including Ann Margaret and Joey Heatherton) did for our troops in past wars.
The following is from an Army aviator who takes a trip down memory lane:"It was just before Thanksgiving in 1967, and we were ferrying dead and wounded from a large GRF west of Pleiku. We had run out of body bags by noon, so the Hook (a CH-47 Chinook) was pretty rough in the back.Several times at the Army Field Hospital in Pleiku, she would 'cover' a surgical shift, giving a nurse a well-deserved break.
All of a sudden, we heard a 'take-charge' woman's voice in the rear.
It was the singer and actress, Martha Raye, with a Special Forces beret and jungle fatigues with subdued markings, helping the wounded into the Chinook, and carrying the dead aboard.
'Maggie' had been visiting her SF 'heroes' out 'west'.
We took off, short of fuel, and headed to the USAF hospital pad at Pleiku.
As we all started unloading our sad pax's, a 'smart mouth' USAF Captain said to Martha: "Ms Ray, with all these dead and wounded to process, there would not be time for your show!"
To all of our surprise, she pulled on her right collar and said:."Captain, see this eagle? I am a full 'bird' in the Army Reserve, and on this is a 'caduceus', which means I am a nurse, with a surgical specialty. Now, take me to your wounded!"
He said: "Yes ma'am.... Follow me."
I was unaware of her credentials or where she is buried.
Martha is the only woman buried in the Special Forces cemetery at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
25 January 2013
Women in the military
Rico says his friend Mike forwards this:
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