Martha Raye...........

greenberetTFS · 05-09-2011, 11:38

Martha Raye

Remember her?.........

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.

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....

Big Teddy

**Pete** · 05-09-2011, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

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

Big Teddy

Well, she is there along with a great number of Green Berets but it is still the Fort Bragg Cemetery. Lots of soldiers, their wifes and kids out there.

05-09-2011, 13:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

Martha Raye

Remember her?.........

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.

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....

Big Teddy

Since Martha Raye was neither a Bird Colonel, nor a nurse, odds are that story is more myth than reality.

Maggie was an Honorary LTC in the US Army, and an Honorary Green Beret. Her career in show biz and her 5th grade education would almost certainly have precluded her from becoming a Nurse.

Great lady

RIP