LTC Martha Raye USA (ret)

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The following is from an Army Aviator:


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, wearing 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 pax, an officious Captain said to Martha.... Ms. Ray,
with all these dead and wounded to process, there will not be time for your
show!


To all of our surprise, she pulled on her right collar and said....Captain, see
this silver oak leaf? I'm a Lt. Col in the US Army Reserve, and on this collar
is a "Caduceus" which means I am a Nurse, with a surgical speciality.. .. 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 is the only woman buried in the SF (Special Forces) cemetery at Ft.
Bragg . HAND SALUTE!


For more about this matter:


http://www.vietname xp.com/morestori es/MarthaRaye. htm



and here:



http://scholar. lib.vt.edu/ VA-news/VA- Pilot/issues/ 1994/ vp941022/10220294. htm