The revelation of her full military service adds another layer to the incredible life of this beloved actress…
Bea Arthur is a television legend best known for her roles as Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls and Maude Findlay on All in the Family. Her service in the US Marine Corps is one area of ​​her life that you may not know about. This golden princess keeps getting cooler, which we think is unthinkable!
The government requested that women join the military when the United States entered World War II so that male troops could participate in battle. The Marine Corps did not have female reserves during this period, but most military branches did. This was changed on February 13, 1943, when they issued a statement imploring women to “Be a Marine… Free a Marine to fight.”
Despite some internal opposition from the Marine Corps, the public was generally supportive of the move. Many referred to the new recruits as “Glamarines” and “Femarines”, and by the end of the war, more than 20,000 had earned the title of Marine.
Bea Arthur, then known as Bernice Frankel, enlisted with her parent’s consent. A physical examination, personality assessment, and referrals were part of the procedure. The Marine Corps had not yet developed specific forms for the Reserve Women’s Section because it was so new. This indicated that US Navy papers were used for recruitment.
In June 1943, the request was approved.
Bea married Marine Robert Arthur a year after she enlisted. She requested that his surname be used on all official military records after he assumed it. After the divorce, she continued under this name, only changing it slightly to become her familiar stage identity.
Bea worked at US Marine Corps Air Station (USMCAS) in Cherry Point, North Carolina from 1944 to 1945. She performed driving and dispatching duties there. Records show she received only one misconduct report during this time, in late 1944. She suffered from venereal disease, which rendered her “unfit for service” for five weeks. As a result, a payroll deduction was made during this period.
ad for Maude. (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain / CBS Television Network)
Bea received an honorable discharge in September 1945 when the war ended. By the time her service ended, she had reached the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Bea Arthur was Dorothy Zbornak impersonated, as shown by her Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). She was known for being “overly aggressive” and “argumentative”, much like her Golden Girls roles, according to her superiors, who also noted that she displayed strict good taste.
Bea Arthur and Angela Lansbury appeared at the 1989 Emmy Awards. (Alan Light/Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0)
Plus, according to her file, she was “official, but probably a good worker if she gets her way!”
Bea Arthur went on to a long and lucrative career on stage and in television. After leaving the army, she went to theater school in New York, where she eventually made guest appearances on television.
She had her big break when she played Maude Findlay on All in the Family. A spin-off series was created for the work, which ran for six years. She then became a television classic by appearing on The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1993.
Bea mostly kept her military involvement a secret despite her enthusiasm to serve. She denied ever serving when asked about it in a 2001 interview with The Television Academy Foundation, replying, “Oh, no. No.”
More information from us: The Zimmermann Telegram: Justification for US Enlistment in Allied Powers
Bea Arthur’s OMPF was not published until 2010, a year after she died of lung cancer, revealing the full extent of her service.
OMPF Bea Arthur remained unpublished until 2010, a year after she died of lung cancer.
In retrospect, Bea Arthur’s military service shows her determination, determination, and resilience – qualities she carried with her throughout her life and which undoubtedly contributed to her lasting impact on the world of entertainment. Her ability to overcome obstacles as a Marine and as an actress is a testament to her remarkable character, making her a true inspiration for generations to come.