'Golden Girl' Bea Arthur Used To Be A Truck-Driving Marine

Oct 18, 2019 by apost team

Everyone knows Bea Arthur from her iconic portrayal of Dorothy, the level-headed, romantically-challenged substitute teacher from "The Golden Girls." Although she is also well-known for her role on "Maude," Bea Arthur has a colorful history that sheds new light on the strength she brought to the screen.

Born Bernice Frankel on May 13, 1922, in New York, NY, Bea Arthur's earliest careers included work as a medical technician and a shocking 30-month position in the Marines. Her time in the military was rarely discussed, and even many hardcore fans are shocked to discover that their favorite Golden Girl was once a tough truck driver in the military.

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Given her no-nonsense attitude, it's unsurprising that Dorothy's actress was once in the Marines. During World War II, Arthur enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve. She worked as both a typist and truck driver until September 1944 when she was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant according to the National WWII Museum.

When she eventually rose to fame for her roles in "Maude" and "The Golden Girls," Bea Arthur was inevitably questioned about her upbringing and past. People are always fascinated about what celebrities did before they got famous, but Arthur was oddly vague about her time in the military. In fact, she outright denied it when questioned in interviews, despite the records and military archives that prove her enlistment and career.

Who knows what prompted 21-year-old Bernice Frankel to enlist; at such a young age, she already had a tenacious work ethic that reflected in a diverse background with positions that included food analyst, lab tech and an office worker in New York City according to The Vintage News.

Records of her military career include a personality assessment that offer a glimpse at the star in her youth. Her posture was rated as neutral, and she appeared alert with trim grooming. Fans won't be surprised to know that her speak was marked as "fluent" with an "excellent vocabulary," and that her general attitude was "frank and open" as well as "over-aggressive."

The interviewer wrote that she was "probably a good worker - if she has her own way!" Arthur's strong personality was something that she carried throughout her life, and it's echoed in the roles that ultimately defined her entire career.

After she was discharged, Bernice Frankel married Private Robert Arthur in Ithaca, NY, and legally changed her name to Beatrice Arthur shortly thereafter. In 1947, she enrolled at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York City. She performed in numerous on- and off-Broadway productions, and in 1966, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in the musical "Mame".

In 1985, Arthur was cast for the role of Dorothy in "The Golden Girls", which ran for seven consecutive seasons as per Biography. After Arthur's departure from the hit series, she took on guest roles and smaller acts for several years before retiring and enjoying the rest of her life in Los Angeles.

She passed away in April 2009 in her Los Angeles home, but she is survived by two sons, two granddaughters and an incredible legacy that still attracts new audiences today. Tell us what you think about Bea's incredible life.