Margie Stewart (December 14, 1919 – April 26, 2012) was the official

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

poster girl during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. She appeared on twelve posters, of which a total of 94 million copies were distributed. She was born in

Wabash, Indiana Wabash is a city in Noble Township, Wabash County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 10,666 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Wabash County. Wabash is notable as claiming to be the first electrically lighted ci ...

and attended

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

. She became a model and appeared in about 20

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

movies, often in uncredited roles. Among her roles was that of Marjorie Forrester, Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve's niece, in '' Gildersleeve's Ghost''. In addition to appearing in the posters, Stewart toured the U.S. as one of the four members of a group called the Bondbardiers, accompanied by various Hollywood stars, to sell war bonds. In 1945, she toured Europe and was one of the first civilians to enter Germany after the end of the war. Her appearance in London's Hyde Park "caused gridlock."

Modeling

Described as "the U.S. military's official pinup" during

, Stewart worked as a model for posters to boost the morale of men in the United States armed forces during that war. A 1943 news brief noted, "Though she quit as a poster model to become a movie starlet ... Margie Stewart will ... appear on two special posters to be circulated by the army among overseas troops -- for morale effect." In 1944, Stewart was described in a photo caption as "credited with being the favorite poster girl of men in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

." She also posed for posters on the home front, "promoting everything from war bonds to security." She once estimated that more than 94 million of her posters were distributed worldwide during the war.

Later life

Stewart and her husband lived in

Studio City, California Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 192 ...

, and produced concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. She also did volunteer work at the

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (also commonly referred to as ''UCLA Medical Center'', "RRMC" or "Ronald Reagan") is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United ...

Personal life

In 1945, she married Jerry Jeroske, an army captain. The Jeroskes later changed their last name to Johnson. They had one child, Stephen, and three grandchildren. Jerry Johnson died in 2003.

Death

Stewart died of pneumonia on April 26, 2012, at a hospital in Burbank, California.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Margie 1919 births 2012 deaths Actresses from Indiana American film actresses Deaths from pneumonia in California Female models from Indiana Indiana University alumni People from Studio City, Los Angeles People from Wabash, Indiana 21st-century American women