Chris Noel (Sandra Louise Noel, born July 2, 1941) is a retired American actress and entertainer. Noel is best known for her appearances in beach party movies in the 1960s, and for her work on the

Armed Forces Radio And Television Service The American Forces Network (AFN) is a government television and radio broadcast service the United States Armed Forces provides to soldiers stationed or assigned overseas, and is headquartered at Fort Meade in Maryland. AFN comprises two sub ...

as the "Voice of Vietnam". A popular pin-up girl of the era, Noel made frequent visits to troops, and was at risk many times, having twice been shot at in the helicopters she was riding. She hosted the radio program ''A Date With Chris'', one of Armed Forces Radio's most popular shows.

Model

Noel's picture appeared on the cover of ''

Good Housekeeping ''Good Housekeeping'' is an American lifestyle media brand that covers a wide range of topics from home decor and renovation, health, beauty and food, to entertainment, pets and gifts. The Good Housekeeping Institute which opened its "Experiment ...

'' magazine when she was 16 years old, and she was painted as a

pin-up model A pin-up model is a model whose mass-produced pictures and photographs have wide appeal within the popular culture of a society. Pin-up models are usually glamour, actresses, or fashion models whose pictures are intended for informal and aesth ...

Gil Elvgren Gillette Alexander Elvgren (March 15, 1914 – February 29, 1980) was an American painter of pin-up models, advertising and illustration. Best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow, Elvgren studied at the American Academ ...

. Won the Miss Palm Beach pageant. After moving to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, she became a

cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ent ...

for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

football team. Posters that showed her holding a

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...

Brownie camera were displayed in camera stores. She also had her own modeling school in

Lake Park, Florida Lake Park is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Lake Park is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 9,047 at the 2020 US census. Geography Lake Park is located at (26.800389, –80.064237). ...

. Noel was the cover girl for a number of

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

s and appeared in

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

for

Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is a series of American Car, automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company, Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its Ford Mustang (seventh ...

and other products.

Vietnam

In addition to her work on radio during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, she toured the country eight times, including twice with

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

's USO tours. Her interest in that war's military personnel began with her visit to a San Francisco VA hospital in 1965. At the VA hospital, she sang the song ''

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is a jazz song written for the stage musical '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' (1949), with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Leo Robin. Carol Channing introduced the song in the original Broadway production, an ...

'' and talk to the Vets. She said, "That was the moment. I prayed to God to help me help young men in war." She was considered so valuable to American military morale, that the enemy placed a $10,000 bounty on her. Noel opened the show with the greeting "Hi, Love". Twice her chopper was downed by enemy fire while she was visiting American military personnel in Vietnam. Her radio show ''A Date with Chris'' was recorded in California and South Vietnam between 1966 and 1971 for the Armed Forces Radio heard on 300 stations around the world. Noel was the DJ for her show and did interviews with artists including

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Lawrence Welk Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the ...

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer, actress, film producer and author. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato) and is known for her 1965 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walki ...

and others. Noel received the Distinguished Vietnam Veteran award in 1984 from the Veterans Network for her work during the war. Her last visit to South Vietnam was in 1969. Noel first co-hosted an Armed Forces Radio show called ''Small World'', which was a hit and led to her own show. She was dating singer Jack Jones at the time. Noel sang, danced, read poetry, signed autographs, talk to, kissed and hugged the troops in South Vietnam from 1966 to 1970. She is the only woman to travel through South Vietnam to remote bases in helicopters, riding with the door open, next to the gunner. She survived mortar and

assault rifle An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, intermediate-rifle cartridge and a Magazine (firearms), detachable magazine.C. Taylor, ''The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat'', F.A. Moyer '' ...

attacks in war zones. Noel broadcast her radio show from

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

while in South Vietnam. She also made a number of visits troops at the

Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...

, some with Betty Waldron and Bill Thrasher.

Singer

In the early 1970s, Noel was in New York and was working with Paul Colby, impresario and owner of the Greenwich Village club,

The Bitter End The Bitter End is a 230-person capacity nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually s ...

. She was performing cover songs by

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for his signature blend of humoro ...

and needed a backup band, so Colby asked Dennis Lepri, who had worked with

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (born Kenneth Donald Rogers) (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particul ...

and Gunhill Road, to form a band for her and produce her sound. After auditioning many New York area musicians, the band "Quilt" was formed. After extensive rehearsals at the Bitter End, the band showcased for selected industry executives to mixed reviews. Sometime after, the band was dissolved and Noel pursued other interests. In 1999 she released the CD ''Nashville Impact''.

Personal life

Following his proposal in a helicopter, Noel wed soldier

Green Beret The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos, a special-forces unit active during World War II. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Roy ...

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Ty Herrington, who she later found out was diagnosed as a "

paranoid schizophrenic Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, hearing voices), delusions, disorganized thinking and behavior, and flat or inappropriate affect. Symptoms develop gradually and typically begin ...

manic-depressive Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that each last from days to weeks, and in some cases months. If the elevated m ...

". He killed himself in December 1969 after they had been married for 11 months. She went on to marry three more times, once to a

Texan Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous state in the South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and has an international border wit ...

independent

oil producer This is a list of countries by oil production (i.e., petroleum production), as compiled from the U.S. Energy Information Administration database for calendar year 2023, tabulating all countries on a comparable best-estimate basis. Compared w ...

, another to a guy she met in church, and last to a lawyer. Noel also has written books, her latest book is about filming ''Cease Fire'' with

Don Johnson Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emm ...

. Another book is a 1987 book called ''Matter of Survival: The "War" Jane Never Saw'' and the 2011 book, ''Vietnam And Me'' her personal memoir of the war. In the 1960s her best friend was Eileen O’Neill and she dated

Chad Everett Raymon Lee Cramton (June 11, 1937 – July 24, 2012), known professionally as Chad Everett, was an American actor who appeared in more than 40 films and television series. He played Dr. Joe Gannon in the television drama '' Medical Center'', wh ...

. Chris Noel was asked and attended the dedication of the

Vietnam Veterans Memorial The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, commonly called the Vietnam Memorial, is a U.S. national memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring service members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. The site is dominated by two black granit ...

in Washington DC in 1982. Noel and Captain Ty Herrington, (Clyde Berkley) born July 2, 1941, were married on January 11, 1969 in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

. Ty Herrington released a 45 RPM promo single, with the songs: ''A Gun Don't Make A Man'' written by Boudleaux & Felice Bryant, and ''When The Green Berets Come Home'' written by Boudleaux Bryant in 1968. “I didn't know how many people were going to remember me,” she said. “But everywhere I went veterans came up to me and thanked me. It felt like I was right back in Vietnam again.” Noel founded the Women's Interactive Network in 1985 to help women with Post-traumatic stress disorder. In 1993, she opened a shelter in

Boynton Beach, Florida Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is situated about north of Miami. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded a population of 80,380. Boynton Beach is located in the Mi ...

, providing space for 10–12 drug-free veterans at a time. In 2019 she received

Amvets American Veterans (AMVETS) is a non-partisan, volunteer-led organization formed by World War II veterans of the United States military. It advocates for its members as well as for causes that its members deem helpful to the nation at large. The g ...

Silver Helmet Award. In 2004 a DVD documentary of her life was released ''Blonde Bombshell: The Incredible True Story of Chris Noel''. In May 2022 Noel was Awarded the ''Heroes Honor Lifetime Award'' at the Heroes Honor Festival.heroeshonorfestival.com, Chris Noel
/ref>

Los Angeles Veterans Hospital

When a group of veterans went on a hunger strike in 1981 at the Los Angeles Veterans Hospital to get better treatment, the

Reagan administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following his landslide victory over ...

asked Noel to act as an intermediary with the veterans. Noel helped negotiate an end to the hunger strike.

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Because of her lifelong work with troops and veterans, as well as for being shot at in an army helicopter twice over South Vietnam, which with surviving assault attacks in the war caused

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...

, some groups and individuals have petitioned for Chris Noel to be awarded the

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...

Film and TV

Noel began acting started in 1963 on stage in the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

play Mister Roberts with

Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC Western (genre), Western television series ' ...

, her boyfriend at the time. Also in the Mister Roberts play was

Will Hutchins Marshall Lowell Hutchason (May 5, 1930 – April 21, 2025), known professionally as Will Hutchins, was an American actor most noted for playing the lead role of the young lawyer Tom Brewster, in the Western television series '' Sugarfoot'', ...

Vincent Gardenia Vincent Gardenia (born Vincenzo Scognamiglio; January 7, 1920 – December 9, 1992) was an Italian-American stage, film and television actor. He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, first for '' Bang the Drum Slowl ...

Tony Mordente Anthony Charles Mordente Jr. (December 3, 1935 – June 11, 2024) was an American actor, dancer, choreographer, and television director. Early life and career Born in Brooklyn, the son of a beer truck driver, Mordente went to dance school at the ...

, Alan Yorke,

Vince O'Brien Vincent J. O'Brien (January 11, 1919 – June 19, 2010) was an American character actor, who appeared as a doctor in Woody Allen's film ''Annie Hall'' (1977) and appeared on television and in print ads as the Shell Answer Man. O'Brien grew up in ...

, Bill Fletcher, John J. Martin, directed by Billy Matthews. Noel acting in film started with a role in ''

Soldier in the Rain ''Soldier in the Rain'' is a 1963 American comedy buddy film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen. Tuesday Weld portrays Gleason's character's romantic partner. Produced by Martin Jurow and co-written by ...

'', with

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of counterculture of the 1960s, 1960s counterculture, made him a top box office draw for his films of the late ...

and included working with

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

in ''

Girl Happy ''Girl Happy'' is a 1965 American musical romantic comedy and beach party film starring Elvis Presley in his eighteenth feature. The movie won a fourth-place prize Laurel Award in the category Top Musical of 1965. It featured the song " Puppet ...

''. She also was in

Beach Ball A beach ball is an inflatable ball for beach and water games. Their large size and light weight require little effort to propel them. Beach balls became popular in the beach-themed films of the 1960s starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Ava ...

with

Edd Byrnes Edward Byrne Breitenberger (July 30, 1932 – January 8, 2020), known professionally as Edd Byrnes, was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the television series '' 77 Sunset Strip.'' He also was featured in the 1978 film '' Gr ...

, and

Cease Fire A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may be ...

with

Filmography

Film

Television

Books

Books by Chris Noel: *''Matter of Survival: The "War" Jane Never Saw'' *''Vietnam And Me'', Noel's personal memoir of the war *''Confessions Of A Pin-Up Girl: The Hollywood Sex Symbol Who Became A Vietnam Icon'' *''Filming Cease Fire'' *''Filming Happy Girls'' *''Filming Soldier in the Rain'' *''Filming The Glory Stompers'' *''Filming Beach Ball'' *''Filming College Girl'' *''Filming For Singles Only'' *''Filming Wild Times'' *''Filming Joy in the Morning'' *''Filming Bewitched Love Is Blind: Behind the Scenes with Liz Montgomery and Dick York'' *DVD documentary ''Blonde Bombshell: The Incredible True Story of Chris Noel''

Broadway

*1963, Mister Roberts, Directed by Billy Matthews, Hugh O'Brian leading role.

Music

* ''Doll House'' B side: ''Mr. and Mrs. Smith'' - 1968 Single Promo * ''Forgotten Man'' - 1982 Album - Dedicated to Vietnam Veterans * ''Nashville Impact'' – 1999 Album * ''...Next Stop Is Vietnam, The War on Record: 1961-2008'' Introduction To "A Date With Chris" - 2010 Album.discogs.com, Next Stop Is Vietnam
/ref>

References

External links

youtube.com, Chris Noel, The Voice of Vietnamyoutube.com Chris Radio in VietnamAmerican Forces Radio Vietnam, A Date With Chris
*
Chris Noel, AFRTS Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Noel, Chris Living people 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American television actresses American cheerleaders American women in the Vietnam War NFL cheerleaders Chris Noel 1941 births 21st-century American women writers American radio DJs American women radio hosts Female models from Florida American female models 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers American women DJs