My second favorite redhead turns 69 today! Ann-Margret is famous for her roles in movies such as Bye, Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas. Those who think that her acting career was mere fluff should recall that she was twice nominated for an Academy Award for her performances in Carnal Knowledge and Tommy. As a boy growing up, all I knew of was her stunning beauty. What has impressed me most over the years about Ann-Margret Olsson, however, is that her stunning beauty seems to shine as brightly on the inside as on the outside.
Ann-Margret was a stalwart supporter of our soldiers in Viet Nam. First performing with Bob Hope in 1966, she has remained inspired by the sacrifice of "her gentlemen from Viet Nam." You won't find any self-serving tributes from vets to Ann-Margret on her website. You will find her very brief Viet Nam Veterans Reunion speech from 2005 which I encourage all of you to read. And for those of you who have heard the story of Ann signing an old photo for a vet at a book signing and making him the center of attention, well truthorfiction.com has researched the story and found it to be true.
So, here's to Ann-Margret, who never let her looks or her success alter her values and appreciation for what others were doing for her.
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