Born August 27, 1916, as Margy Reed, Martha Raye came into the world while her parents were performing in Butte, Montana. Her parents, Pete F. Reed Jr., an Irish immigrant, and Maybelle Hazel Reed, were both vaudeville performers. The family was appearing at a vaudeville and burlesque theater when Martha was born at St. James Hospital.

Butte was the undisputed Copper Capital of the World in 1916. Irish immigrants made up approximately one-fourth of the city’s population, many of whom called Dublin Gulch home.

Martha’s introduction to show business came early. At just three years old, she was already touring with her parents’ variety show, Reed and Hopper. With a childhood spent traveling from one performance to another, formal schooling was limited. She attended the Professional Children’s School in New York City for a short time but never had the opportunity for a traditional education.

During her teenage years, Raye worked as a vocalist with the Paul Ash and Boris Morros orchestras. In 1934, she made her first film appearance in the musical short A Nite in the Nite Club. Two years later, she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures, where her talent for comedy earned her roles in several films.

By 1936, she was also a featured cast member on CBS’s weekly Al Jolson Show. That same year, she appeared in her first featured motion picture, Rhythm on the Range, alongside Bing Crosby and Frances Farmer.

While Hollywood made Martha Raye a familiar face to American audiences, it was her work entertaining American servicemen that would become one of the most enduring parts of her legacy.

In 1942, Raye joined the United Service Organizations (USO), beginning a commitment to entertaining American troops that would continue through World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. She made numerous trips overseas, including 12 tours to Vietnam over a period of nine years, where she spent time with Special Forces soldiers.

Her dedication earned her the affection and respect of the troops. She was made an honorary member of the Green Berets and received the honorary title of Lieutenant Colonel from President Lyndon B. Johnson.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton awarded Raye the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her service and dedication to American military personnel.

Martha Raye died in Los Angeles, California, in 1994, at the age of 78, from pneumonia and cardiovascular disease. Her final resting place was among the U.S. Army Special Forces at the Main Post Cemetery at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, now known as Fort Liberty. She was the first civilian woman to receive that honor.

Some critics labeled Raye a “war hawk,” suggesting she favored war over peace. But that label overlooks what she actually devoted so much of her life to doing.

Martha Raye wasn’t there to make political statements or tell soldiers why they should be fighting. She was there for the men and women who had left their homes and families, knowing they might never return. She understood that sometimes a little laughter, a familiar song, or simply someone taking the time to visit could make a difference.

She gave American servicemen something that couldn’t be measured in medals or military honors: a few minutes of human kindness in the middle of a very difficult world.

And perhaps that is the part of Martha Raye’s story worth remembering most. A little girl born in Butte, Montana, who spent her life on stage, eventually found one of her most important audiences far from Hollywood — among the soldiers who needed her most.