In late 1957, Jayne Mansfield took a USO-style break from her filming schedules to tour US military bases in South Korea, including Camp Casey (home of the 7th Infantry Division at the time). True to her larger-than-life “blonde bombshell” persona, she brought total Hollywood glamour to the sub-zero Korean winter.
While the soldiers were bundled up in heavy olive-drab parkas to combat the biting cold, Mansfield famously braved the elements in her signature form-fitting sweaters, high heels, and occasionally a bright coat with a fur collar. It made for some of the most striking, surreal press photographs of the era.
To visit the more remote outposts like Camp Casey, which were located quite close to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), she was flown around in US Army H-19 or H-21 helicopters, often posing playfully with the pilots and ground crews.
Following in the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe’s legendary 1954 troop tour, Mansfield’s visit was a massive event for the thousands of soldiers stationed in Korea post-armistice. She signed endless autographs, shared meals with the troops in the mess halls, and put on lively shows that packed out the base amphitheaters.
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