I got called into the office one day and was handed a slip of paper. I was informed I was on loan to the USO to help out with a show they were putting on. At this time, I didn't know I was to be part of that show.
There used to be a TV show called " The $1.98 Beauty Pageant. Ours was a little less at $1.96. I got there and some guys talked to me for a bit and showed me some music. They asked me what I sang and had me sing for them. I was informed of there plan for the pageant.
I'm not beautiful and never was. I'd never been a pageant girl. I never considered they meant for me to be in it. They said they needed pretty girls who had talent to entertain the troops.
Then they dropped the bombshell. I was asked what I'd like to sing. I asked, what they meant? I really thought I was there just to help out. So we spent the day going over possible songs and outfits.
We settled on "Sweet Violets" which I'd already sung at a company picnic that was televised back home. They said that made me not a pro but someone with a little experience. They were sure I could do it. Me? Not so much.
I turned my nose up at all the scanty outfits they shoved my way. It was bad enough there was a part in the judging where I had to appear in my bathing suit. I wasn't shoving my tata's in the face of every guy in the audience.
I had a gown I'd bought somewhere. It was rust colored and full length with a poofy skirt. It covered my chest for the most part and I liked the way I looked in it. I offered to wear that and it satisfied them. Together, we found the orange boa feathers or whatever kind of feathers they were. On my neck I wore my opal I'd gotten from Ian.
Then another bombshell was dropped but it wasn't a big deal. I was told the winner had already been picked. They had a new base commander or what ever that term was. He was a little weasely looking black guy but he had the rank. Because he was black they wanted the winner to be black.
I didn't care. I didn't want to be in it in the first place and I sure didn't want to win. At least they let me sing my whole song and dammitall, I was good! The winner couldn't carry a tune in a bucket but she was young, black and pretty and that was what counted. I swear, her voice was like nails on a chalk board.
I don't know if she knew ahead of time that she would be the winner. Maybe nobody did because there were two other black girls in it too. She got all teary eyed when she won. If she knew she was a damn good actress.
I had met Tom the week before all this started at the USO. I knew he would be in the audience. I don't know if he took these or his friend did but I got the prints and they were pretty bad with hardly any lighting. Maybe they never thought to use the flash or maybe they were too far away. I was surprised at the crowd that was there, in the first place.
Please forgive the crappy photos.
I won Miss Congeniality. Maybe that was rigged too? I don't know but I liked it and the audience loved it. This is my prize. I've never eaten an eggplant before but I think I tasted of one since and didn't like it.
It sat on my table for about two weeks till it got all spotty and went in the trash.
The chair is on the table because when you clean it goes up there along with anything else like the butt can. Then the girl on buffer duty buffs the whole bay.
With my feathers. I still have one of those and the pageant sign that I kept.
Practice.
These were some of the USO guys.
I forget which ones were the ones with the contest and which one worked at the center where it was held.
I think these were the two that got me into it.