Milton W. Sklansky was born on February 14, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended local schools and enrolled at the Goodman Theater to train as an actor. He enlisted into the Army in 1942 and became part of the 16th Evacuation Hospital. Mustered into service at Fort Sheridan, he trained at Camp Blanding in Stark, Florida. There, along with his high school friend Norman “Whitey” Schwartzberg, he met Al Williams. Together, the three began performing a lip-synch act to entertain their fellow soldiers. Dressing up as women, they took the name “The Three Goldbricks,” pretended to be the Andrews Sisters and lip-synched popular songs of the time.
The act gained notoriety as the 16th Evacuation Hospital prepared to deploy to North Africa. Upon crossing the Atlantic, the trio began performing at Red Cross and U.S.O. shows. Sklansky remained with the 16th Evacuation Hospital and took part in the Allied invasion of Italy, landing at Salerno. In November 1943 he and his fellow performers were transferred to the headquarters company (special service) of the 5th Army. In that capacity they continued to travel to different venues in the theater and entertain troops. As their reputation grew and spread, they often became the opening act for well-known entertainers. After their unit established headquarters in Rome, Sklansky was put in charge of booking U.S.O. shows and arranging their accomodations.
After the war ended Sklansky returned home. He married his wartime sweetheart Beverly Buchalter in 1946. The two moved to Racine, Wisconsin where he operated a wholesale liquor business until 1995. Sklansky passed away on May 17, 1998 in Racine, Wisconsin.
