Wow, talk about "The Rest of the Story"!
That's awesome! I never knew that about her.








Subject: Martha Raye


Some of you won’t know who she was----but this is pretty impressive. I thought she was just a comedian.

Some of you remember Martha Raye very well. A comedian and singer, she had a large mouth and appeared with Bob Hope, and on other radio programs and usually played supportive roles in comedy films and musicals. She was also loved for the work she did entertaining troops in WWII and Korea.



Some things you probably did not know about
Martha Raye


Most of the old time entertainers were made out of a lot sterner stuff than today's crop of activists and whiners in Hollywood.



It was just before Thanksgiving ’67 and we were ferrying dead and wounded from a large GRF west of Pleiku, Vietnam.
We had run out of body bags by noon, so the Hook (CH-47 CHINOOK) was pretty rough in the back.
All of a sudden, we heard a 'take-charge' woman's voice in the rear.

There was the singer and actress, Martha Raye, with a SF (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 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' Colonel in the US Army Reserve, and on this is a ’Caduse’ which means
I am a Nurse, with a surgical specialty....now, take me to your wounded.
He said, yes ma'am.... Follow me.

Several times at the Army Field Hospital in Pleiku, she would ’cover’ a surgical shift, giving a nurse a well-deserved break.

Martha is the only woman buried in the SF (Special Forces) cemetery at Ft. Bragg.

WOW what a very special woman :D:D:D

I didn;t know that either.I always liked her work now I admire her even more

What an incredible story! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for sharing this...
I just printed it to show my sons...they think that some of the old entertainers were pretty lame....
I then told them about Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable and others...and asked whether any of the rappers had served?

Thank you,Ditter
Lee Marvin, Captian Kangaroo ,Mr .Rogers,just to name a very few battle scared vets.Heros for sure, old school, never said a word about their service. They fought in some very famous battles.

Thanks, Ditter. This will make a wonderful article for my newsletter. I remember watching her when I was a kid and thought she was hilarious. This adds a whole new dimension to her personality.

I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing.

Lee Marvin (actor) was indeed a US Marine, was in the Battle on Iwo Jima. He was wounded earned a Purple Heart an the Navy Cross, Now Bob Keedshan, (Captian Kangroo) was also a US Marine he was also in the same Battle. Now Mr. Rogers, was never in the Military, he was to old for Viet Nam. But he was a bad man...look on www.sopes.com. I would not lie about that.

Snopes says he was not a bad man.

I could have read it wrong, eyes aint what they use to be.
I thought i read that he had to do Comunity Service for a crime he had commited. The show was the comunity service.

I'm old enough to remember Martha Raye very well and her entertaining the troops with Bob Hope etc, but I never knew she was a nurse?

There is an actres i cant remember her name she played Maude on tv. on the golden girles any way She was a US MARINE

Bea Arthur? I believe it..lol

YES thats her.. A Marine friend told me all about her, my friend shes a Marine and live in Flordia her and her husband.

My ex was a Marine.
His father told me boot camp changed him...made him a man. I say it also made him a perfectionist impossible to live with...lol.
But...oooohh....did he look good in his uniform!

Yes Mame dont we Marines look good in our uniforms, I have a son in the Army and he's at Arlington Va. his duties is to lay our heros to rest. He's told me severals time he likes my uniform better than his.

thanks ditter!

Wow!

Thanks Ditter, I'll show that to my two Army guys. DH, a Viet Nam Vet and DS on 3rd tour in Iraq. We liked Martha Raye and Bob Hope as well as the other entertainers.

All of my Sons (4)went Army, they ask my wife one day "do you think Dads mad at us fo going Army" i told them that it thier choice not mine. Im a 20+ Retired Marine. 3 have served in Iraq and Afganistan, i have a nephew that has 5 tours in Iraq and now hes in Afganistan. sdand and sones for there service He's also a Marine. So please thank your husband and sone for there service and welcome home..

Gunny, many thanks to you and yours too.
God Bless you all.

Thank Very Much

God Bless

I loved Martha and used to watch all the old movies when I was growing up. I did not know this though. She was loud but not a bragger. Hugs to Martha!!!!!

Hoooah!

I'll be jiggerd, I never knew that about Martha Raye, just thought she was a commediane. Lot of good people were actors in those good old days.

Thanks Ditter. Loved Martha Raye.

Wow! Makes me tear up! I love hero stories!

My dad shared stories about many actors and actresses. The names didn't always ring bells. I remember hoer, however, because we called her Mouth-a Ray. She would open that big mouth of hers ad the sounds would come pouring out. Thanks for the refresher Ditter.

I didn't know that about Martha Ray. My husband and I used to enjoy the "Bob Hope Christmas Special" every year. Thanks for the info.

I agree, thank you for sharing!

I KNEW there was a reason I liked her!!

Impressive!!! I always liked her, but she earned a special place in my heart for her service to our country.

Great story! She was a very special lady!

I remember her but did not know that about her. Way to go, Ms Raye.

I remember Martha Raye. I had no idea she was a military murse. I rmember the military nurses I met....you didn't argue with them. They took charge and did what needed to be done. She was a special lady.

I always admired her, never knew this about her. It just goes to show how special she was. Thank You.

WOW - I had no idea!

A great lady and I remember her well with Bob Hope and those specials. I thought I had remembered her being some kind of a nurse, but I had no idea she was a full bird Colonel in the Reserves. A wonderful memory, thanks.

Reread it. The part you are mentioning is part of the rumor. Later in that paragraph it states that this is false. I don't think you eyes are the problem. I think Snopes worded it poorly.