The Forgotten Great Martha Raye

The most unforgivable oversight of TV is that her shows were not taped.

This is a great story about a great woman.

I was unaware of her credentials or where she is buried.

Somehow I just can't see Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, or Jessica Simpson doing what this woman (and the other USO women, including Ann Margaret & Joey Heatherton) did for our troops in past wars.

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

The following is from an Army Aviator who takes a trip down memory lane:

"It was just before Thanksgiving '67 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 (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 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 oak leaf? I am a Lt. Colonel in the US 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."

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

Martha Raye joined the USO soon after the US entered WWII. During WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, she traveled extensively to entertain our troops, despite her extreme fear of flying. In 1966 she went to Vietnam to entertain two platoons of airmen, both were called out on a mission. She held the show there till they returned. She often served as a nurse on these trips.

She was an honorary Green Beret. Visited U.S. Army Special Forces in Vietnam without fanfare. Registered nurse Lt. Colonel, helped out when things got bad in Special Forces A-Camps. Affectionately known by Green Berets as "Colonel Maggie."

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