By George Osepchuk

WWII and its ending with the unconditional surrender of Japan found me on Okinawa with the 7th. Infantry Division. I had my Basic Training at Camp Fannin, Texas and then went to Fort Mead, Maryland, onto Vancouver Barracks, Portland, Oregon and then to Oahu, Hawaii for jungle training. We spent 30 days aboard a troop transport after leaving Hawaii, which was only a two-week stay. Our large ship convoy arrived at Naha, Harbor Okinawa where the last battle of the war had just ended approximately ten days before us infantry replacements landed. Our division was then sent to Korea for occupation duties (to disarm the Japanese) in August 1945.

A buddy of mine, Dan Ruff and I had been together all the way from the induction process to the orders for Korea.

7th Div. players in costume

After about five months in Korea, Dan had gotten assigned to the Special Services Division and worked on the Military Radio Network in Seoul, Korea. This eventually led him to helping P.F.C. Tony Starr produce a burlesque show forthe troops. It was not

common knowledge that U.S. troops were in Korea so we did not get the abundance of attention that troops occupying Japan did. The troops in Japan had the benefit of USO shows that we didn't. Tony Starr, who produced his own shows in the USA before becoming a P.F.C. with

joined the show received leave of detached service from our outfits with a letter from division command ordering our release to join the show. Tony and Dan also selected individuals with musical, play-acting, and drama classes while in high school. They even assembled a seven-piece band as part of the show.

The "Bits Of Burlesque" show consisted of us GIs dressed in short skirts with coconut-stuffed bra tops doing chorus dances in our combat boots making for a

hilarious act. We also had vocalists singing popular songs, accordion and harmonica players and comedy skits. Tony was the star as he did the strip tease as per burlesque shows. He had an authentic costume he wore during his dance. The GIs in the audience actually thought he was female. The "Bits Of Burlesque" show traveled all over South Korea performing at the many military outfits. We traveled with the show and performed for 5 to 6 months until USO shows started to arrive in Korea.

Bits-of-Burlesque Program. Click for larger view

The show was mentioned in the Pacific Stars and Stripes with a front-page photo of our star, Tony Starr in the January, 1946 issue. My good buddies were all in the show together,