A GREENOCK senior citizen has recalled the day he was lucky enough to have an audience with Marilyn Monroe.

Joseph Scott was a young soldier serving in Korea when some Americans he was serving alongside gave him a golden ticket to see the film icon entertaining the troops.

Thousands of soldiers flocked to see Marilyn during a number of now forever-famous appearances in Korea.

Nineteen-year-old Joseph, from Greenock, was among them and it’s a sight he has never forgotten.

Grandfather Joseph, 80, of Kilblain Court said: “I have been a huge fan ever since.

“She came on stage and she didn’t even have to sing.

“She just stood there and everyone was cheering.

“There were thousands of soldiers and nobody had seen a woman for years!

“I was friends with a couple of Americans and they got me in to see it.

“It was incredible.

“She was a beautiful woman but I don’t even think I knew who she was back then.” One of the biggest Hollywood stars of all time, Marilyn interrupted her honeymoon in Japan with her husband Joe DiMaggio in 1954 to entertain around 100,000 troops. Joseph’s wife Catherine, who he met after he left the army, has been happy to share her life with Marilyn.

Over the years Joseph has collected a number of photographs of the icon.

Catherine, 77, said: “Joseph is her biggest fan. Our grandchildren have bought him lots of canvas prints of Marilyn and I let him put them up!” Joseph was posted in Korea along with his regiment the Cameron Highlanders after signing up at 18.

He said: “There was nothing in Greenock for young people my age. It was a desperate place, so I decided to join the Army.” During his spell in the forces he was also diverted from Korea to the Suez Canal crisis.

Most recently Joseph has faced a battle with liver cancer and had to undergo life saving surgery in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

He spent seven months in hospital after three quarters of his liver was removed.

His wife Catherine said: “It has been a terrible time. I decided to bring Joseph out of hospital because it was starting to affect him.

“He needed to be home and start getting out and about again.”