When the first Indian woman to win the Miss World title paid a visit to US soldiers

When the first Indian woman to win the Miss World title paid a visit to US soldiers
When the first Indian woman to win the Miss World title paid a visit to US soldiers
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An earlier version of the story was first published on The News Minute on November 12, 2014.The year was 1966. Reita Faria had made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Miss World title. She is said to have refused a career in modelling and films after her one-year tenure, as she wanted to concentrate on medical studies. An Imgur user has uploaded a few pictures of the Indian beauty from over four and a half decades ago. Titled "Reita Faria, first Indian Miss World", the photographs are said to be of Faria interacting with US soldiers- including her signing a hat for a soldier, and 'Kissing Yeoman Gerald Hampton'.A letter accompanies the photographs- to Bill and Lonnie from Jerry Hampton. Recounting an incident that supposedly took place the day Faria paid a visit to the soldiers, the author writes,  "I was 'planted' in the audience out in front by his assistant, and he was supposed to tell Bob where I was. Well, apparently he forgot to tell him, because when Bob Hope announced, "Who would like to come up and sing a song to Miss World," 5,000 hands went up. He was then supposed to look down at me and pick me out to come up. Well, after looking around for a moment, I heard him say, "Where the hell are you!" I realized then that he didn't know where I was. At that time, I jumped up, and went on stage, with about 3 other guys. After he saw me, he told the other fellows to leave. I believe it was that little mix-up that kept my scene with Bob Hope and Miss World out of the TV version back home. I saw the show later, and I know without a doubt that I was the best singer of the bunch!'A beautiful collection, these photographs are beyond memories of a time gone by; they are stories waiting to be told.  

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