Was Bea Arthur in the military? What we know as the Golden Girls icon’s bio was reportedly removed from DOD website

Bea Arthur, known for her iconic roles in The Golden Girls and Maude, lived an impressive life outside her acting career. Arthur, born Bernice Frankel, enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during World War II.

However, her military service records were recently removed from the Department of Defense (DOD) website, prompting questions and concerns about preserving important historical contributions.

At the age of 20, Bea Arthur joined the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserve on February 20, 1943. According to an article by the Reserve National Guard, she had to get her parents’ permission to join since she was under 21.

Arthur advanced during her 31 months of service to the rank of staff sergeant and was honorably discharged on September 26, 1945. According to reports, she mostly worked as a dispatcher and truck driver during her tenure—positions that weren’t common for women at the time.

The Marine Corps, which had been reluctant to bring women into its ranks, made its Women’s Reserve a part of the main corps in February 1943, allowing women to take on non-combat positions to free up men for duty on the front lines. Bea Arthur was one of about 20,000 women who enlisted in the Marine Corps during this period and played a critical role in the war effort.

More about Bea Arthur's name Removal from the Department of Defense Website

Arthur’s military service was recognized on the Department of Defense website in recent years, where she was listed among other female service members. However, her name recently made headlines when reports surfaced that it, along with others—such as Jackie Robinson’s—had been removed from the list.

According to Distractify, this appears to be part of a larger effort to take down mentions of diversity and inclusion in U.S. military history.

The removal has sparked backlash, with many questioning why a major figure like Arthur would be erased from military records. The DOD has stated that updates to the website are part of an ongoing review process and that some names were removed due to an error. As of the latest reports, Robinson’s page has since been restored, but Arthur’s remains missing.

Although Bea Arthur had an impressive career, she rarely spoke publicly about her time in the military. In fact, she denied it outright when asked during her lifetime. Her son, Daniel Saks, said she “almost never” talked about her Marine Corps service other than to say that she “could drive any vehicle.”