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Stranger than (T) fiction

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:50 pm
by TamaraSegunda
Sometimes truth really IS stranger than fiction.

A story in this morning's San Diego Union-Tribune read like a story on Fictionmania. The story (link below) recounts the wartime experiences of long-time Old Globe Theater staffer Tommy Thompson. Tommy, who trained as a dancer before he was drafted, ended up in the Burma/India zone where he spent his tour as a USO girl. He was, as the story says, the army's only official female impersonator, but none of the troops who say him do his raunchy striptease burlesque act ever knew that Tommy (Marylin) was packing a little something extra in his g-string.

If I'd read this on a T fiction board, I'd have written it off as pretty implausible, but the story in the newspaper version includes a couple of photos (that don't seem to be visible in the on-line version) to prove it. On that score, I'd have to say that passing is probably a lot easier if the folks who are watching you haven't seen any women in a year or two.
.......Tamara Segunda

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib ... 4work.html

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 5:55 pm
by DonnaT
Thanks Tamara, that was interesting.

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 6:53 pm
by Lorna
That was great! Thanks for the link. :)

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:37 pm
by Kristen
Tamara,, Very intresting, who knew??? Anyone near "The Globe" to check it out. Thanks so much for the link.......Kristen

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 12:57 am
by Anita
Thanks, Tamara, that was very entertaining. Pictures would have been nice. As the article points out, there were drag acts out there, and I would have thought that would have been "good enough." To try to do what this story says does seem unbelieveable. Fun to read, though.

Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:54 pm
by Sallee
I read that storyin the San Diego Union Trib I would really like to go find the gentleman at the Old Globe and ask about his experiences It seemed like he had to spend the better part of WW2 en femme :P Darn the luck

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 2:30 am
by Beauty
Hi Tamara,

That was a great story! :) Wow! :) You're right for a while it did seem like reading T fiction. :)

I found their site and their staff page :

http://oldglobe.org/people/staff.html

PATRON SERVICES
...
Patron Services Representative
Merlin D. "Tommy" Thompson

Like the article said he won't be around forever. I'm not sure he'd want TG'd people to thank him, but maybe he does or wouldn't mind. If I try to contact him I'll merely say thanks for serving his country proudly. :) What a great man and soldier. :)

Thanks for starting a great thread Tamara! :)

Beauty

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 4:33 pm
by Samantha Jane
Hi Tamara,

Great link and very interesting.

Thanks

Charlotte xx