Bea Arthur the Marine? Despite Her Denial, New Reports Surface of the Late Star's Military Past

Was a Golden Girl a Marine? Despite frequent denials that she ever served in the Armed Forces, reports have surfaced that late Tony winner Bea Arthur worked in the Marine Corps for 30 months, according to TheSmokingGun.com. A 1943 letter cited Arthur giving the Marine Corps an account of her previous employment as she readied to enlist.

Arthur began basic training in March 1943 and then was assigned duties as a typist in Washington, D.C. As part of her service, she was reviewed, which revealed characteristics of her famously brassy personality. Thee reviews found her vocabulary "excellent", her conversation "argumentative" and her general behavior "over aggressive." Her general personality was rated as "officious—but probably a good worker—if she has her own way!"

Arthur's rank later climbed from private to corporal to sergeant and staff sergeant. She received an honorable discharge in September 1945. While she enlisted under the name Bernice Frankel, she later took the name of her husband, Robert Aurthur (and changed the spelling). 

The beloved actress, who died at the age of 86 in 2009, received a Tony Award for her role in Mame. Her many other Broadway credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Bea Arthur on Broadway, The Floating Light Bulb, The Threepenny Opera and Nature's Way. She is best remembered for her work on TV's Golden Girls and Maude.