Bring Joy to Vietnam
A Journal of Notes
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
The SEAL Story of: The
U.S.O. Show
By Chuck Detmer
SEAL Team Two’s third platoon was stationed at an
old French compound about a mile from Binh Thuy Air Base. For reasons we never
knew, our base of less than 100 sailors was to have its own private U.S.O. show.
We didn’t expect a Bob Hope extravaganza, but were a
little disappointed when, after all the hype, we learned it was a three person
show starring Dale Robertson. We didn’t have anything against Dale Robertson,
we were just wondering what he did besides cowboy. When we found out one of the
other two persons was Playboy Bunny Joy Wilkerson, we no longer cared about
what Dale was going to do.
The show was to consist of Dale Robertson hosting, a
female singer (Joy Llers) doing numbers from a Broadway show that she’d been
in, and a Playboy Bunny (Joy Wilkerson), just looking good. Dale was a real
down to earth nice guy. He told a couple of jokes, then introduced the singer
by saying she was having trouble with her voice. The singer gave it a try but
very little came out and she looked as though trying to sing really hurt. Dale
stopped her before she lost what little voice she had left. We gave her a hand
and thanked her for trying.
When it looked as though the show was over; Dale
said that, with a little encouragement, we might be able to convince Bunny Joy
Wilkerson to do a couple of numbers. The singer was a nice looking gal, but we
were more interested in eyeballing the Bunny’s talents anyway. Joy warned us
she wasn’t a singer but was willing to try. Boy was she telling the truth! Even
with her very obvious assets, when she started to sing all we could do was
wince. In order to stop our pain, or maybe to give Joy some relief, Dale cut
the song short.
In an effort to give us some kind of a show Dale
told us he was going to do a card trick. It sounded to us like the show might
hit an even lower low. Dale must have read the disappointment in our faces as
he held up his hands to assure us we were going to like the trick. The trick
consisted of Dale placing a card on the ground in front of each us and letting
Joy, in her low-cut outfit, bend over and pick them up. Since we were all
seated on the ground we had a great view. Dale was right, the trick was a huge
success.
After the show all three performers hung around and
talked. They were all super friendly. It felt good to meet people who cared
enough to make the trip and risk the embarrassment of trying to do something
just to make a bunch of servicemen happy. The thing we enjoyed the most was
that they just hung out with us and talked after the show. We all recognized
the fact that these good folks really cared.
Dale had a lot of questions about SEALs and what the
enemy was like. We told him there was a patrol going out to snatch a prisoner
that night and if he had his six-gun that never ran out of bullets, he was
welcome to come along. As it turned out Dale was just like the characters he
played and jumped at the chance. The base C.O. got word of what was going on
and insisted Dale get out of the boat before it could get underway.
The C.O. looked at us in disbelief and asked if we
were out of our minds. We told him we weren’t stupid, Dale
Robertson was going to stay in the boat.. For some
reason our answer didn’t convince the C.O. that we weren’t stupid.
The snatchers on the op were Larry Bailey, Lenny
Waugh, Bill Goines, Ken Estok, Harry Mattingly and a VN Sgt. named Thanh. After
hitting three empty hootches they came upon four sleeping V.C. in the same
hootch and decided to take all four back. The prisoners were tied, gagged,
brought back to the boat, blindfolded and transported back to base.
The prisoners were put into an extra room at the
compound before being transported to Sa Dec. We saw Dale the next morning and
he asked if he could see what Viet Cong looked like.
While on the way to see the prisoners the girls
appeared and asked to come along too. You know we didn’t say no to them. We
felt bad about dragging the prisoners out all muddy, bound, gagged and
blindfolded, so we cleaned them up as best we could We didn’t want to shock the
girls so we even took the gags and blindfolds off the prisoners before letting
the girls see them. When our guests asked if they could take pictures of the
prisoners, things really got out of hand. Before it was over it looked more like
a family reunion than a combat operation. I still wonder what those V.C.
thought after being snatched, bound, gagged and blindfolded only to find
themselves being photographed the next morning with two luscious babes. Talk
about the fortunes of war; those poor guys had a great war stop which I’m sure,
no one ever believed.
More about Joy
--
JOY WILKERSON- Actress, Racer, Talk Show Hostess.
Joy Wilkerson was named as one of the “Two Thousand Women of Achievement-1971.”
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
"My true story "Bring
Joy to Vietnam" comes from my heart's desire to pay homage and bring honor
to my thousands of Military Pen Pals from 1963 to 1975 I had the
privilege of being bestowed 113 titles from all the Armed Forces which ended up
with my being given the title of "Miss South Vietnam." The support I
provided for the armed forces at home and at the war sites was both wonderful
and terrible. With great sorrow, I would hear from friends of those who
were killed, and feel the pain of all who suffered during the war. I
treasure all the momentos sent to me by these important friends who appreciated
my recognition of their service and sacrifices.
I Want to tell you that our “San
Diego Insider” show about “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories that featured
you won an Emmy. The Emmy Awards
ceremony last month at the U.S. Grant hotel, downtown
Jack Gates
"Joy Wilkerson has had many
remarkable careers. All
fascinating. She is
a bundle of energy, heart
and...Joy!" - Jack Gates
Channel 4
Visit the author at http://www.joywilkerson.com
About the Author
Joy Wilkerson was named as one of the “Two Thousand Women of Achievement 1971”. She was one of the few women to start in the racing businesses. Her show biz career started from 1962 , with five Danny Thomas Specials on Television, She was the entertainer for many charities, such as: Blind Children’s Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis, March of Dimes, and mainly the U.S.O. She was awarded the title of: Miss South Vietnam given by all the U.S.A. Military Services, for USO work and after trip to Vietnam with Dale Robertson in 1967. Over the course of her career, she has received numerous awards and recognition’s for her charitable work given by various branches of military services, and certificate of achievement from many other charities.
Wilkerson also appeared on hundreds of T.V. and radio talk shows around the world. She also co-starred in: “Bigfoot” with John Carradine and Lindsay Crosby. Her other film credits are: “Run Angel Run”(girlfriend to William Smith) and “They Only Kill Their Masters”, starring James Garner. She’s also a lecturer, broadcaster and TV hostess of “The Joy Wilkerson Show” written, produced and directed by motion picture film-maker, Anthony Cardoza. The half hour variety/talk show was syndicated in the U.S.and sold internationally
The energetic Ms. Wilkerson dabbled in a variety of sports, including auto racing, in which the famous racing promoter gave her her first try in an all women stock car race at Ascot Park Speedway, in Gardena, California. Prior to her fender banging experience, she was a trophy girl at that track and fell in love with the speeding sprint and midget race cars on the half mile clay oval, where she presented the winning hardware to famous speedsters, in her shocking pink micro-mini dresses.
Wilkerson also raced against astronaut legend Pete Conrad in a Toyota-match race at Watkins Glen. New York. She also competed in ABC-N’s “Wide World Of Sports” Demolition Derby against Cha’Cha’ Muldowney, the drag racing queen and Ricky Nelson, Parnelli Jones and a host of other Indianapolis drivers.
Some of the cars she drove were TQ midgets, full sized midgets, sprint cars, dune buggies, SCCA-Formula Fords at Willow Springs, Stock Cars at 605 Speedway. She drove at Flemington Speedway (N.J.) and paced the NASCAR hotshoes at Ontario Motor Speedway, in a Datsun 280-Z for the Winston-500 mile stock car race. She also drove Gary Bettenhausen’s sprint car in Terre Haute, Indiana. Not claiming to be a champion race driver, she did it to help the future ladies in motor racing get publicity and notoriety. In one case. She met an astronaut’s/Indy 500 racer and taught her how to get PR for herself. The lady driver went on to make a name for herself in the racing history books.
Wilkerson’s other attributes are ballroom dancing, swimming, horseback riding, jogging, skipping rope, public relations, skating and FAST CARS.
Danny Thomas (a second cousin) started Wilkerson’s career in showbiz and Bob Hope sent her to her first trophy-girl presentation to Riverside international Raceway (California) which unknowingly connected her with the auto racing world. Born a Leo, she fits right into the limelight of Hollywood and the kleiglights that brightens her being who she is. JOY WILKERSON. Photography by : Anthony Cardoza.
Hi, Joy! It''s been a few years since Can Tho, but I have fond memories of your visit there! And it was heartwarming to recall the "abduction" my SEAL guys perpetrated on you that night on the Bassac River! We laughed about that for years, and you were such a good sport about it. I saw Dale Robertson a couple of years later, and do you know what? He even remembered my name! I bought your book, and it will be one of my "wee treasures" from now on.
I hope you have had a great life; you deserve it!
Allbest,
Larry Bailey
Retired SEAL officer