If my Dad were alive today he would be 101 years this Christmas. During the filming of the movie, my Dad became friends with Cadet Nurse Beulah Tyler and you will see several photos of both of them together in the movie photos below. Even though Cadet Nurse Tyler's part was cut from the movie she will always be a fond memory when I think of the movie because of the photos with my Dad.
Please join me in wishing ex-Cadet Nurse Beulah Tyler "Happy Birthday" by writing a comment to this post. She will be 85 years young this Christmas and, as you can see from her pictures, she has the same beautiful smile now as she was back in 1945.
Below you will find some e-mail correspondence that I've had recently with ex-Cadet Nurse Beulah Tyler and her family. I hope you will enjoy her photos and will send comments on any of our posts.
Sincerely,
Chet Nowlen
welldone@comcast.net
--------------------------------------------------------------
12/27/09
Dear Chet,
I was showing your blog to my husband's sister's family -- and the surprise of reading your happy birthday wishes to my mom brought tears to my eyes! Thank you so much. I hope that you and your family have a 2010 New Year full of wonder and joy.
Wendy
------------------------------------------------------------------
12/10/09
Thanks so much for the birthday greetings!
----------------------------------------------
12/05/09
Dear Chet,
Thanks so much for sending me the photos from the movie set. Wendy was here for Thanksgiving and brought them to me -- they brought back memories. I was never in the movie, so guess I wasn't cut out to be a movie star OR a nurse (I fainted in surgery and even injecting patients) but I did become an art teacher. Your dad was really a cute guy! His birthday was just one day before mine, and I think my trip there was shortly after Christmas so I had just turned 21 and he was 37 or 38(?). I found Angelo on the internet (look him up, it's amazing!).
Thanks again for the photos - I made copies of them for my four "kids."
My best wishes,
ex-Cadet Nurse Beulah Tyler
---------------------------------------
Dear ex-Cadet Nurse, Beulah Tyler,
Thank you for your reply. I am so delighted you enjoyed the copies of your photos. I have looked at your smile all of my life and I have always thought to myself, "That's the most beautiful smile I have ever seen." Your beautiful smile is still there in your most recent photos as well.
A year or two ago I received an e-mail from the wife of Angelo's grandson and I sent her the photos that Angelo was in also. This was a birthday gift for her husband. I never heard from her again. I lost her e-mail address somewhere along the way.
My dad was 39 when I was born in 1948. He lived to be 83 and if he were still alive today he would be 101 this Christmas. He was older than all the other soldiers so that how the nickname "Pappy" came into being. My mom and I called him "Pappy" as well.
I would like to add your note to me on my BLOG for the movie. Do I have your permission to post it?
Please advise.
Thanks,
Chet
-------------------------------------
Dear Chet,
Of course you may, and I am honored.
I think you have inherited your dad Pappy's winning ways!
Thanks again,
ex-Cadet Nurse Beulah Tyler
-----------------------------------
11/08/09
Hi Chet –
I wanted to thank you for the pictures of Beaulah Tyler on your blog. She is my grandmother, and she was beautiful then and is beautiful now J I had never seen those pictures before, so it was really nice to see more of her young life in pictures.
Thanks!
Katie
------------------------------------
08/08/09
Hi Chet,
I got a kick out of reading your blog http://storyofgijoe.blogspot.com/search?q=Tyler . The young woman in the picture who is the "Cadet Nurse Poster Girl" and is smiling at your dad is my mom! She's still gorgeous at age 84 - you can see current pictures of her at http://www.flickr.com/photos/9948202@N07/sets/72157621825847249/detail/
My mom had told me that she was flown out to Hollywood to be in a movie but that her scenes were cut. I'm not sure she is aware of the pictures you have of her on the set. Where did you get them? Where did the text for the captions come from? Could I have your permission to post them on my flickr site as long as I credit your blog as the source?
I'm so glad you posted the pictures - isn't the internet amazing? I'll print them and give them to her along with the DVD as a present! I found it for sale at Amazon for about $40.00 -- do you sell copies of the DVD or do you know of a reputable seller?
Thank you!
Wendy
-------------------------------------
08/08/09
Hi Wendy,
I am so excited that you found my BLOG. My Dad gave me the stills many years ago and I think I have a copy of your mom's pictures that I had laminated, if you would like I will be glad to mail them to you.
You are the second person to respond to the BLOG that had someone in the movie. I mailed the laminated pictures to a lady that wanted them as a birthday gift for her husband. who is the son of Pvt. Angelo Arena. Angelo is also in the picture with your mom sitting on the ground.
You are right! Your mom is gorgeous at 84. She has such a beautiful smile. Its no wonder the guys surrounded her.
You do have my permission to post her pictures to your flickr - Do I have your permission to post her pictures, poster and bio on the my GI Joe blog?
The text for the caption are from the info typed on the back of each picture.
I have the DVD but I wish I some to sell - I had no idea they were selling for $40. I will see if I can find a reseller and let you know if I can find them at a more affordable price.
If my Dad were still alive he would be 101 December 24th of this year. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Chet Nowlen
--------------------------------------
08/11/09
Hi Chet,
Thank you for responding with such enthusiasm! Your compliment made her day! And guess what, my mom's birthday is December 25th! So she and your dad had birthdays only one day apart (although born in different years). She also told me a story about how they used to give celebrity's birthdays to kids who were born on December 25th -- and they were in the process of giving Ernie Pyle's birthday to her (another publicity opportunity, I'm sure) but he died first. She said that if she had gotten it, she would have celebrated it on that day every year, too! I just looked up his birthday on the internet, and it has already passed this year, August 3rd. Too bad, just missed it!
It took a while to get back to you because I wanted to get permission from my mom to post her pictures. She gave suggestions for me to edit the description for accuracy (she didn't remember the origin of the title of the poster "BE A" as being from her name and asked me to take it out -- I know I didn't make this up, but still I want to be respectful for what she wants "out there" on the net!). Now that it is edited she doesn't mind me giving you permission to post her pictures and description on your blog. Although your blog is so beautiful with the sepia toned pictures that I can't imagine adding any with full color. See how I added yours to my flickr page -- is how I did it okay with you? http://www.flickr.com/photos/9948202@N07/sets/72157621981649258/
I also found out that she already has a copy of "The Story of G.I. Joe" (VHS version) so I'm glad I asked her. Yes, she would be very interested in receiving laminated copies of the publicity photos if you don't mind mailing them to me (I would be glad to pay for them or you could send them.
Thank you again!
Wendy
--------------------------------
08/14/09
Wendy,
I did not mail the first picture as I told you in a previous e-mail. Instead, I stopped by Office Depot and had them copy and laminate the picture of your Mom sitting on the ground. The only drawback is one picture is more black and white and the other is has the natural aged color of the black and white. I trust you both will enjoy the pictures. If you want copies of any of the other pictures all you have to do is click on the picture and it will enlarge to full size and then you can print it out on your printer - does a better job on a laser printer.
I will edit my blog but I will post your Mom's pictures - I will only show the link to your flickr page.
Please let me know when you get the pictures and if you both like them.
Thanks,
Chet
---------------------------
08/14/09
Dear Chet,
Thank you so much for all you are doing for my mom. I know she will love the pictures! And thank you for your interest in putting my flickr link on your blog. If you are curious about what I look like, here's my picture (I'm in the middle) with my two sisters. http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e6ygPv6Nv7KivqtCIVWN0g?feat=directlink
Sincerely,
Wendy
-------------------------
08/17/09
Hi Chet,
I received your laminated pictures this weekend - thank you so much for sending them! You are so kind and generous to extend yourself for my mom. I'm going to copy them (especially for the "original" of the publicity captions) for myself and my siblings and then send them on to my mom (we're in the middle of a family health emergency right now, so I will when things settle down).
I really like your link caption, "84 years young." Before I send her the link to your blog, you'll want to put the "h" on "Beulah." And it would be "poster" instead of "posters" since there was only one (albeit one with two images of her). The artist for the poster was quite famous and when I have the time I'll add a link to information about him.
Sincerely,
Wendy
