Pinup Angels for the troops

At first glance, one might be tempted to write off the Pinup Angels as just some ironic-minded young-uns swept up in hipster revivalism – ladies who’ve taken to Bettie Page hairdos and vintage dresses for the same thrill as roller derby chicks or dudes wearing rockabilly round-the-clock.

But there’s more to these ladies than just being eye candy.

Since 2007, they’ve been scouring vintage shops and the Web for getups, then making appearances at car shows and military events in their retro regalia to raise money to send care packages to soldiers stationed overseas. Not aligned with the USO or any other such group, the ladies pack snacks, cards, holiday treats, letters and, of course, signed pin-up photos into boxes and ship them on their own, sometimes using money from their own pockets.

Each of the Angels is connected to the military through spouses, family members or, in the case of Miss Kitty Baby, having served personally. (She’s a former Marine who started the nonprofit on the West Coast in 2007; here on the East Coast, the pinups are led by Miss Lilly Day, a Coast Guard wife.)

These pinups are more than just pretty faces; they’re angels, indeed, bringing the comforts of home to the men and women serving America.

"Erin (Miss Lilly Day) found me on the modeling Web site modelmayhem.com. I’ve always been interested in modeling. With this, you just act cute and innocent, and the rest will flow. It’s acting. It’s like, ‘I’m not Samantha Delgado. I’m Sammie Soon.’ I really like helping out and meeting new people. My husband is in the Navy; he’s been deployed for about four months. He loves my pictures; he shows them to everybody on the ship. I’d like to do this for a very long time."

"My grandmother was a pinup while my grandfather was away in World War II. I have a bunch of her old pictures. We are very close, and she’s my inspiration. She’s an antique dealer, and she helps me find my costumes. In 2007, Miss Kitty Baby found me and my pictures on MySpace and asked me if I wanted to do it, and I said I’d be more than happy. My husband is active duty Coast Guard. He served in Desert Storm, and he said the care packages alone would have been something he would have loved. Reading some of the letters the soldiers send just bring tears to your eyes. And my grandmother is tickled to death. She’s on cloud nine with it."

"I’m not a girlie girl. I’ve always been a tomboy. I definitely needed help with the makeup and hair – I wear scrubs all day. But you look at the girls and I think they’re beautiful. I love the way we support our troops."

"I like making care packages and doing charity work. It’s rewarding. My husband was in the Navy – deployed for about eight months. I have two kids; it was like being a single mom. It was tough, and it made me a stronger person. … It’s fun to dress up and feel pretty."

WANT TO SEE THEM LIVE?
  Go to the Classic Cruisers Car Club Cruz-In in Yorktown