Here's What We Know About Betty White's Military Service

It's nearly impossible to divorce Betty White from her character on The Golden Girls. The popular sitcom ran for seven seasons, from 1985 to 1992, and showed the world that it ain't over after 50. Each role was so perfectly formed and flawlessly executed by the actors who embodied them that it was tough to imagine that wasn't who they were in real life. Here's the thing: We're pretty sure Betty White was actually quite similar to Rose Nylund.

Suggesting that Betty and Rose weren't very different only gets sticky when you remember that Rose was written as kind of an idiot. But when we draw a comparison between the two, it's kindness that we think of. Rose was always thinking of others and went out of her way to help her friends. Betty was famously an animal lover who spent much of her life advocating for animal rights. That's why it's so hard to picture Betty White in the military, and yet, she was. Let's get into it.

When Betty died at the age of 99 on Dec. 31, 2021, the U.S. Army X account posted a tribute to her. "We are saddened by the passing of Betty White," it said. "Not only was she an amazing actress, she also served during WWII as a member of the American Women's Voluntary Services [AWVS]." Over on Betty's Instagram, her assistant posts a photo of the actor from her time in the military every Memorial Day.

In January 2023, the National Museum of American History revealed that they had recently acquired Betty's uniform from her time in the AWVS, which included the shoulder bag she carried. On it are "29 separate pieces of military insignia from the U.S. Army, Navy, Army Air Forces, and Marine Corps." There are two pins from the 213th Air Defense Artillery Regiment and the 137th Infantry Regiment that suggest Betty might have met folks from these units.

The contents of the bag tell the story of a woman who came upon friendship quite easily and was not keen to forget the folks she met. Inside, there were blank V-mail letters, a note with a list of individuals who gifted her with the various insignias, unused postcards from French North Africa, and a small stamp album. There were also personal items, including photos of a man who was not her fiancé. "Betty — I love you — for always. Wayne," read the words written on one photograph.

Betty was 17 years old when World War II started in 1939. America didn't join until 1941, and by that time, a woman named Alice T. McLean had already founded the AWVS, which was modeled after the Women's Voluntary Services in Great Britain. After the AWVS was created, Betty tucked away her acting dreams and joined. She was assigned to the motor transport services and was a driver until 1945.

Betty said she "drove a PX [post exchange] truck, carrying toothpaste, soap, candy, etc., to the various gun emplacement outfits that had been set up in the hills of Hollywood and Santa Monica," per her book, Here We Go Again. When she wasn't working, Betty would cut a rug at various recreation halls in the San Fernando Valley. "Ever hear of the age of innocence? Believe me, that was it," she wrote.