Martha Raye

Martha Raye

It was well recognized that Martha Raye endured less comfort and more danger than any other Vietnam entertainer. The most unforgivable oversight of TV is that her shows were not taped.

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

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.

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 Raye, 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 U.S. 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."

BTW: Martha is the only woman buried in the SF (Special Forces) cemetery at Ft Bragg. -- Mike Zimmerle

NOTE: Several times at the Army Field Hospital in Pleiku, Vietnam, Raye would 'cover' a surgical shift, giving a nurse a well-deserved break. Raye received numerous awards and commendations from the military in appreciation for her years of service and in 1993, President Bill Clinton awarded the entertainer with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Raye died on the 19th October, 1994 and was buried among veterans of many wars at the Fort Bragg Cemetery in Fayetteville, NC. A special request was made for her to be buried there since she wasn’t military. Visit the Colonel Maggie site.

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